Sent By The King

Not only do followers of Jesus go to great need, but they also go to great danger. Jesus' gives instructions in verses 11-16. The phrase "sheep among wolves," in verse 16 is startling. After all, the responsibility of the shepherd is to protect the sheep from wolves. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), tells His disciples to hang out with the wolves! He instructs them to be as foolish as sheep. Sheep are some of the most helpless and foolish of all domesticated animals. Harmless noises can send sheep into a frenzy, and when they face danger, they've got no defenses. All sheep can do is run, and they're really slow. That's why the dumbest thing a sheep can do is to go wandering into a pack of wolves; yet Jesus tells His followers to do precisely that.

In these verses, Jesus tells His 12 disciples—and by implication, He tells us—to go into dangerous places where they will find themselves among evil, rapacious people. But they will be there by His design. We often think that if something is not safe, it must not be of God. If it's dangerous, risky, or if it may cause us harm, we must not be in God's will. But those are not not the criteria by which we determine God's desire for us. As we go like sheep among wolves, people may think we're foolish or clueless, but we're actually being obedient, which is most important.

Jesus also tells His disciples to be as smart as snakes (v. 16). But is it possible to be as foolish as sheep and as smart as snakes? If so, how? Jesus tells them go to danger without reservation or hesitation, and when they're there, to be smart. It's similar to Jesus going boldly into the presence of Pilate and the Roman officials, like "a lamb led to the slaughter" (Isa 53:7), yet while He's being beaten and taken off to be crucified, Jesus speaks with wisdom. He doesn't needlessly incite anger or trouble. The command to be wise leads to Jesus' third instruction with regard to how His disciples should conduct themselves as they follow His137 summons to go: they are to be as pure as doves. When you're with the wolves, don't let them have anything against you when it comes to your purity. Do not be abrasive, inconsiderate, or belligerent. Be innocent in the middle of difficult situations and thereby demonstrate what purity looks like in action.

In verses 17-20, Jesus talks about the fact that as we go to the needy, we will learn to depend on His presence. If we follow Christ for the spread of the gospel into the midst of danger, we will never be alone. He'll be with us and give us everything we need to stand and to speak and to preach. This is where the presence of Christ is most powerful. We live in presumptive safety in this world, being surrounded by its comforts. Christ's presence and power aren't needed in such situations, or so we think. But when you go to danger, when you're a sheep in the midst of wolves, you need His presence and power more than anything else. You're acutely aware of your utter dependence on Him.

Next, as we're summoned to go, Jesus tells us that we will be betrayed. Verse 21 says, "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death." It may be shocking to hear, but the kingdom of God is divisive. Jesus will say something similar in verses 34-36, where He talks about bringing a sword to divide believers from unbelievers. If you follow Christ, you will almost certainly be misunderstood, and the people you least suspect, even family members, may turn on you.

In addition to being betrayed, Jesus says in verse 22 that we will be hated. He warns His disciples, "You will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered." The term "everyone" in this verse obviously doesn't mean every person on the planet, because many people will come to faith in Christ. However, whether it's your family, the government, or the religious establishment, you will be hated from all corners. People simply will not like you when you proclaim Jesus. But why will they hate you? Because the world hated Jesus, and our lives are identified with Him.

When we go into the world doing good deeds and helping people with their needs without saying anything about Jesus, the world is fine with that. But when we go into the world doing these same things and telling people that Jesus is the only way to be saved from sin, death, and hell, then the world will respond much differently. We will be betrayed, we will be hated, and we will be persecuted. Notice in verse 23 that Jesus doesn't say, "If you are persecuted." He says, "When they persecute138 you." This is one of the places in this passage where we know that these instructions weren't just for these disciples at this particular time, for Paul later says in 2 Timothy 3:12, "In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." This warning doesn't mean that we seek persecution, or that we foolishly or heroically pursue danger; we don't seek to be hated. Instead, we seek Christ and proclaim Him, knowing that opposition will come. And how do we know this? Listen to 10:24-25:

Follow the logic here: If Jesus was persecuted, and He is our teacher and master, then do we think that we're above Him, that we won't endure what He has endured? Peter tells us that we are to follow in Jesus' steps in the path of suffering (1 Pet 2:21). If you proclaim the name of Christ, people will betray you, the world will hate you, and you will be persecuted, and it's all because Jesus Himself was betrayed, hated, and persecuted. People called Jesus "Satan,"23 so if your life is identified with Him, they'll call you the same thing. The reality we must face is this: The danger of our lives increases in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ. That is an unavoidable conclusion from what Matthew is telling us.

Everyone who wants a safe, carefree life free from danger should stay away from Jesus. The world responds with hostility to Him. So as we are conformed to Christ more and more, the world will respond to us more and more as they responded to Him. If you want to avoid being betrayed, hated, or persecuted, then don't become like Christ! We are so prone to sit back and settle for religious routine and comfortable Christianity, because it's safe. And the world likes us in that mode. As long as we live lives just like everyone else—going to church on Sunday and keeping our faith to ourselves—we will face little risk in this world. The only problem is that we will know so little of Christ. But when we do know Christ, and when we're becoming like Him and proclaiming139 Him, things will not be easy for us. The more Christ is manifest in your life and in your family, the harder it will get for you in this world. This is what Jesus said in Luke 6:40: "Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Does that frighten you?

You will become like the One who was mocked, beaten, scourged, spit on, and nailed to a cross. And all of this brings us to the question we must ask, namely, do we really want to be like Christ? I mean, really? Because if we really do want to be like Him, then our lives won't stay the same, and they won't be easy; they will be dangerous. Christian, this is what Jesus—your Savior, Lord, and King—is saying. So do you really want to be like Christ?

As we are betrayed, hated, and persecuted, Jesus says that fear will tempt us. This is where Jesus' words in verses 26-31 are so comforting. Three times in these six verses Jesus says not to be afraid (vv. 26, 28, 31). Fear is a real temptation, particularly when it comes to sharing the gospel. Whether we're in an area of the world where it's illegal to share the gospel, or even if we're in an area of the world where we're free to speak of Jesus, like our own workplace, fear is probably one of the biggest obstacles to obeying Christ's commission. Therefore, we need to know what Jesus says about overcoming fear.

First, as we face fear, we must see with an eternal perspective. We shouldn't be afraid of this world and its ways, because one day in the future, the sin and evil of this world will be exposed and God's justice will prevail. You don't need to vindicate yourself; God will vindicate you. Instead of worrying about what the world says now, we should worry about what God will say in eternity. He will uncover all that is true and right on the last day, so give yourself to righteousness, and trust God.

Second, we need to speak with a holy boldness. Whatever God whispers to us through His Word is to be proclaimed on the housetops (v. 27). We're reminded of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says not to light our lamps and then put them under a basket; rather, we are to let them shine (5:15-16). Speak the truth of God everywhere—speak it often, speak it clearly, and speak it boldly.

The third thing we must do if we want to follow Christ's pattern in the face of fear is to sacrifice with reckless abandonment. Verse 28 gives us the reasoning behind such courage: "Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Jesus knows that we will be tempted to fear man and to be intimidated by what people can do to us.140 However, it's not man that we need to fear; God is the ultimate judge, and He holds our eternity in His hand, not men. This may sound like a strange way to encourage disciples, essentially telling them, "Don't be afraid of men—the worst thing they can do is kill you!" We may tremble to think that by going on mission to a certain region of the world we will be killed, but Jesus encourages us by telling us that that's all they can do. The only way that can sound comforting is if you realize that you have already died with Christ (Col 3:3). Your focus must be on eternal things, so that nothing man can do to you matters. It has been said that saints of old feared man so little because they feared God so much. Likewise, when you and I fear God alone, then we can stand boldly in front of people that we would previously have been afraid to share the gospel with, even those who would take our lives. For in the end, death for the follower of Christ is actually gain (Phil 1:21)!

Jesus' instructions in Matthew 10 are not easy, but thankfully we are not left to fend for ourselves in this life. Fear will tempt us, but the Father will take care of us. In verses 29-31 we have a wonderful picture of the Father's care. He rules us sovereignly, for He is in control of the smallest sparrow falling to the ground. He is, therefore, more than able to sovereignly direct our every step amid the danger of our mission. We can also be comforted that He knows us completely; every hair on your head is accounted for. God knows every detail of your life, more than you know yourself. Finally, we learn that He loves us deeply. The One who calls us to go as sheep in the midst of wolves is good, so there is no reason to fear.

In verses 32-39 Jesus talks about the importance and the cost of identifying with Him. As disciples of Jesus we must confess Him publicly (vv. 32-33). To confess means to affirm, to agree, or to identify with. When we follow Christ, we don't sit back in silence; we make it known to others that we belong to Him. What about you—do people around you at work or at school know that you are identified with Christ? Are you publicly identifying with Christ on a daily basis? It's incredible to think that one day all those who publicly identify with Christ will stand before the Father in heaven and Jesus will publicly, before the Father, identify with them.

Not only should we confess Jesus publicly, but we should also love Him supremely. This is Jesus' point in verses 37-38, where he speaks of loving Him more than our own family members. Love for Jesus should be superior to love for a parent, or even the love one has for a spouse. These loves are temporal, but a relationship with Christ is eternal.141 Finally, at the end of this paragraph, we are urged to take the ultimate risk. In verse 39 Jesus says that we must lose our life in order to find it. Pick up your cross, Christ-follower, and die. The end result is more than worth it.

In verses 40-42 Jesus talks about the promise that awaits all who follow Him. Jesus' commission is not a summons to gloom and misery; it's a summons to joy and satisfaction. You take the ultimate risk, and in the process you find the ultimate reward. Contrary to what this world believes, we do not find our lives by indulging in the pleasures, the stuff, the safety, and the security of this world. That's a recipe for losing your life. We find our lives in sacrificing these things for the sake of the pleasure, safety, and security to be found in Christ. And when we live like that, the reward is not just for us. Yes, it is for us—we find joy, peace, and life as we live in and with Christ for the spread of the gospel—but it's also for those who hear our proclamation of Christ. When they believe in the gospel, they too experience eternal reward! Isn't that worth it?

Recently, the story was relayed to me by one of our church's mission teams to North Africa about a lady in that region who was brought to a medical clinic in a wheelbarrow. She was sick and about to die, until she received care from Christians. These Christians later shared the gospel with her, and the lady trusted in Christ and then went back home to her own family. When she shared her new faith in Christ with her household, her own father beat her. This kind of reaction is all too common in that region, as most of persecution happens in the household, not primarily from any government. Nevertheless, this lady stood strong and shared the gospel, and her own father, the man who had beaten her, came to faith in Christ. He's now an evangelist, going from village to village sharing the gospel. This story is one of many in that region of the world; however, when you talk with these believers, as some of our church members have, it's not the suffering they talk about. It's the joy. In Christ, the reward far outweighs the risk. And all of this is happening because believers are sharing Christ in their daily lives.

In order to move from comfortable Christianity to a Matthew 10 kind of Christianity, I want to suggest two prayers that we ought to be praying. First, God, give us supernatural awareness of the condition of the lost. We need help to see what God sees. We need to see it in the people right142 around us, the people we work with and live among, and the people who surround us in the world. All of them—every single person around us and around the world—will spend the next trillion years either in heaven or in hell. God, give us a supernatural awareness of the condition of the lost.

Our second prayer should be this: God, give us sacrificial obedience to the commission of Christ. Obedience to the commission of Christ is the only proper response of those who celebrate communion with Christ. This commission requires great risk, but the reward is more than worth it—both for us and for countless others who come to know Christ through us.