“Analysis of Matthew 10, Verses 5-15,” by Andrew J. Schatkin

“Analysis of Matthew 10, Verses 5-15,” by Andrew J. Schatkin

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you who reject political code words, political hype, and wish to engage in critical thinking and find and come to know the facts and truth that our society and the forces of politics and commerce seek to hide from us, I bid you and ask you to accompany me on another intellectual adventure where together we may gain some insights into truth and facts hidden by forces of darkness and corruption and so come to know by the use of our unchained faculties the truth and facts that can only and actually free us from being made fools of by manipulation serving only to bring us to intellectual and spiritual destruction.

I now week to interpret and explain and seek to understand the words of the eternal god as he speaks to us from his holy word and from the mansions of heaven. The section I seek to grasp and comprehend within my limited human faculties is found in the gospel of Matthew 10:5-15: “These twelve Jesus sent out charging them go nowhere among the gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and preach as you go saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand; heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse lepers; cast out demons; you received without paying give no pay; take no gold, nor silver; nor copper in your belts no bag for your journey; nor two tunics; nor sandals nor a staff for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town of village you enter find out who is worthy in it and stay with him until you depart; as you enter the house salute it; and if the house is worthy let our peace come upon it but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

This is a most challenging and puzzling set of verses and I in my human limitation will seek to understand these many and varied verses and sayings of Jesus. First, Jesus says here do not go to the gentiles or the Samaritan but to the lost sheep of Israel or Israel in general. These verses are somewhat difficult to reconcile the words of the great commission found in Matt 28:19, ‘make disciples of all nations’ and the other verses in Matthew referencing the gentile mission. Jesus is concerned with the Jewish nation as a whole which would include the lost tribes and Jesus is concerned with the Jewish community and his own special tradition. It is important to understand that the lost sheep of the house of Israel could be meant to include those members of the Jewish community that were marginalized from the religious circles of leadership and zeal because of their lack of education; the work they did; a disreputable trade or work they were compelled to do due to the necessity to make a living. Jesus had and exhibited a great and abiding concern for not only the entire house of Israel but for the lost of the Jewish nation, whether the lost tribes or the lower caste members of the Jewish community. He shows a deep concern for these and tells us that the message of the disciples is to proclaim the gospel and for the coming kingdom of heaven which will be seen and exhibited in miracles of wonders including healing the sick; raising the dead; cleansing lepers; and casting out demons. Jesus says here he has a special concern for those within his own nation and to them the gospel must and will be preached proclaimed with miracles and great signs. Jesus is concerned with members of the Jewish community alienated and marginalized from the mainstream.

Jesus says no pay is to be taken or exchanged but the missionary is to have food and they are to go from town to town or village and village and stay with the local population in the particular town or village if the house is worthy, but if anyone will not receive them or listen to their words they are told to shake off the dust form their feet and leave that town and Jesus ends with a most profound statement that it shall be more tolerable in the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

What then are we to make of and understand of these verses and sayings? First, we see and grasp that Jesus, although he does mention elsewhere that his mission is to all nations and to the gentiles elsewhere, he makes clear in these verses and sayings that he has a special mission to the Jewish people as a whole and to the underclass as it were. Moreover, the disciples are instructed to say and proclaim the kingdom of heaven but are not to take or be involved with money but are only to have the right to food as the laborer is entitled to be fed. The disciples are instructed to depend on local hospitality and share the life of the people with the caution that if the house is not worthy and does not listen or receive you, you are to shake off the dust from your feet and find these particular words and instructions most telling and fascinating. All of us in our lives, however virtuous and good we may be, experience rejection and so Jesus tells the disciples that those who reject the gospel and his message are unworthy and lacking and those persons he tell us as he tells the disciples to walk away from them and forget the encounter. In some sense, he is telling us and the disciples these persons are not worth it and their rejection of him and the gospel is a mistake on their part but their doing so stems from what is within them we cannot fathom we are only given the advice and advisement to walk off and move on. Jesus explains the nature and consequence of their error by saying their rejection of him and the gospel is so great that it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah with their sin of homosexuality than for those towns and villages and persons who reject Christ and his gospel. So much, dear friends, as to Jesus’s concern with the sin of homosexuality.

Ladies and gentlemen, I conclude this analysis and my attempt at an interpretation of this chapters and these verses of the gospel of Mathew and I take it as an honor and privilege to have been given the opportunity to make these comments and offer these thoughts on the words and mind of the eternal god and I do hope you have derived some benefit from my interpretation and explanations and analyses of the words of the only begotten son of god and urge you to take up your bibles and read reread and reflect on every of Jesus words here whereby we will all be rescued and saved.