Christian Art | Take No Money On Your Mission | Discourse Of The Mission | Trust In God
Matthew 10: 7-15 – Week 14 Ordinary Time, Thursday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
The Discourse of the Mission continues as Jesus mandates his disciples to preach the good news that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is a wonderful, new message. For other Jews, the Kingdom to come remained far in the future. It would come after they had done their own part. The Pharisees believed that the Kingdom would come once the Law were perfectly observed, the Essenes when the country would have purified itself. For Jesus, the time is already fulfilled. Independently of any good works the people could do, the Kingdom of God is here already, as a completely gratuitous gift of God. What is now required is to teach the people to perceive this fact. This will mean to look at the world in a new way.
The disciples are sent to give signs of the presence of the Kingdom to the people. They are to perform the very miracles which Christ has performed in the preceding two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead and perform exorcisms, casting out devils – there is no limit on the powers the disciples are given; they are to do as Jesus has done. Through all these miracles, the theme of inclusion predominates: the outcasts of society are to be brought back within the fold; there is to be solidarity in Jesus, a revolutionary advance on the policies of the old religion; there is to be community.
True to this mission statement, the disciples are to give themselves in trust to the people they go to serve. They are not to take money. Rather, the disciples are to have faith in the hospitality of others. In this way, they are to be a living example of what they are to preach, and so to encourage the revitalization of the Jewish communities.
The disciples go to share the sign of peace. There is to be cheerful communion. There will be those who do not accept this message, though they seemed worthy, and they will be blameworthy, judged, for their rejection. In truth, we judge ourselves already when we reject the saving message of Christ’s love, and of mutual acceptance, forgiveness and mercy, when we presume to judge others’ sins. In these Gospel verses, Jesus calls us to absolute, unconditional love, and so to a new world, the Kingdom come, with our own sins acknowledged, forgiven, which is a new community.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty God,
you are all light,
in you there is no darkness.
Let your light shine upon us in all its radiance,
so that we may walk gladly in the way of your commandments.
Through Christ our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
Jesus’ Disciples Are To Take No Money On Their Mission
In Matthew 10:7-15, Jesus gives his disciples instructions for their mission. Among these instructions is the command for the disciples to take no money with them on their journey: ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.’ (Matthew 10:9-10, KJV)
This instruction may seem puzzling at first glance, but upon closer examination, it reveals important truths about the nature of Christian ministry and the provision of God.
The command to take no money on their mission is not a call to poverty or asceticism, but rather a recognition of the fact that God will provide for the needs of those who are doing His work. Jesus is telling his disciples that they should not rely on their own resources, but rather on the provision of God.
This idea is echoed throughout the Bible, from the Israelites in the wilderness being provided for by manna from heaven to the widow of Zarephath who was sustained by God’s miraculous provision of oil and flour during a time of famine (1 Kings 17:8-16). In the New Testament, Jesus himself provides a similar example when he feeds the five thousand with just five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21).
Furthermore, the command to take no money on their mission is also a call to trust in the hospitality of others. Jesus tells his disciples to rely on the generosity of those they meet along the way, saying: ‘And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it.’ (Matthew 10:11-12, KJV)
This call to rely on the hospitality of others is not just a practical consideration, but also a reminder of the importance of community in Christian ministry. The disciples are to rely on the kindness of strangers, but in doing so, they are also building relationships and spreading the message of Christ.
Throughout the ages, this idea of relying on the provision of God and the hospitality of others has been a central theme in Christian ministry. St. Francis of Assisi, for example, took Jesus’ command to ‘take no money’ quite literally and relied on the charity of others to support himself and his fellow friars. Similarly, Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity relied on donations and the generosity of others to fund their work with the poorest of the poor.
It has been said that Jesus’ command to his disciples to take no money on their mission is not a universal call for all Christians to abandon their possessions and rely solely on the provision of God. Rather, it is a specific instruction for the disciples as they embark on their mission.
Martin Luther wrote in his commentary on Matthew: ‘This command applies only to the apostles, who were sent out on a special mission, for a specific time, and in a unique way. We must be careful not to make a general rule out of this particular command.’
In this sense, the command for Jesus’ disciples to take no money on their mission is a call to trust in the provision of God and the hospitality of others. It is a reminder that Christian ministry is not about relying on our own resources, but rather on the provision of God and the support of our community. As we seek to follow in the footsteps of the disciples and share the message of Christ with the world, may we always remember to trust in God’s provision and the kindness and comfort of strangers.
This is an extraordinary scene. Many, many people are gathered with Jesus to hear his teaching, which is the Sermon on the Mount. The people will not all be friends; there will be different, sectarian groups, and rivalries between them. Some of those gathered to listen to Jesus will be suspicious of others. Nor can the people yet understand what is happening here, just who and what Jesus is. The people have flocked to – see someone, hear someone, someone new and extraordinary, someone perhaps who can answer their needs. Their coming to Jesus is an expression of hope and longing. Who knows what thoughts there must have been as people looked around to see all those others gathered. This is a vast company of strangers [ … ]
Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
The Book Of Exodus begins with a people who have become hidden beneath power. Descendants of Jacob remain in Egypt, yet the memory of Joseph has faded into distance. What once began in preservation has hardened into oppression. Pharaoh fears the increase of Israel because life itself appears threatening to a kingdom built upon control. Children of Israel are drawn into forced labour, their lives reduced to production and usefulness, their suffering absorbed into the order of empire [ … ]
