JESUS Our Master (Matt.10)

Choosing His twelve disciples, Jesus gave them their instructions.  The beginning of Jesus' ministry was to the Israelites, to give them the message that their Messiah was there and to give them a fair chance to turn back to God.  This wasn't to ignore the other nations. The original point of choosing Israel to be His chosen ones was for them to be a witness to the world.  If Israel had become obedient to God, they would have been an effective testimony to the rest of the nations. And if Israel had become obedient to God, they would have gone straight into the Millennium - the kingdom of heaven - fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant.  And Jesus would have become their King at that point - fulfilling the Davidic covenant.  Their land and health would have been restored...

(Matthew 10:5-8)  These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give..."

As they went, the disciples were not to accept money or gifts.  This could have been ordered so that they could travel lightly.  I'm thinking it was much more than that.  First of all, our motive for doing things should always be pure and out of love... a selfless giving.  Jesus freely gave of Himself and offers us the free gift of salvation.  It cannot be bought.

Now, to follow Jesus is not for the faint of heart.  Anyone who says being a Christian is the "easy way out" doesn't really understand at all.  Jesus tells His disciples...

(Matthew 10:16)  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves..."

And so - there are other reasons Jesus did not want the disciples to accept "payments" for what they were to do.  Once a person accepts such a payment, one can become indebted to those making the payments.  One's motives can become distracted and distorted... Clearly - Jesus wanted the disciples to fully depend on Him.  They were his disciples and He was their Master.  Besides giving them instructions that would help, He was always going to be available.  They were to depend on God for everything, including the words that they were to speak, as well as their personal protection...
 
(Matthew 10:19-20)  "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you..."

(Matthew 10:28-31)  "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows..."

We are to put Jesus first in our lives!  We are not to have anything else ahead of God, not even ourselves, for that would be our idol.  Putting Jesus first in our lives means to follow Him...

(Matthew 10:38-40)  "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.  40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me"...

Here, Jesus references the cross already.  Because the Romans were so present in their country, the Israelites understood that the cross meant death.  For Christians to pick up their cross and follow Jesus means that we are to die to self - to unselfishly love and serve God and love and serve people, because we want to, because...

(Galatians 2:19-20)  For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.