Commentary - Matthew 10:5-15

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Matthew's Gospel, we see the Lord Jesus commissioning His twelve apostles for their first missionary journey. This is not the Great Commission in its final form, but rather a specific, limited, and temporary assignment. The instructions given here are tailored for this particular mission. Jesus sends them out with a clear mandate: a specific audience to target, a specific message to preach, a demonstration of divine power to accompany that message, and a radical dependence on God for their provision. This is a training mission, a sort of spiritual boot camp, designed to prepare them for the far greater work that would come after the resurrection. The passage concludes with a stark warning about the eternal consequences for those who reject the messengers and their message, underscoring the gravity of their task.

The central theme is the proclamation of the kingdom. Jesus had been announcing that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," and now He sends His authorized representatives to carry the same message. This is an extension of His own ministry. The authority He gives them over sickness and demons is not their own; it is delegated authority, a sign that the King has arrived and is pushing back the frontiers of darkness. The radical instructions about provision are meant to teach them, and us, that the work of the kingdom is supported by the King Himself. Those who do the King's business can trust the King for their support. Finally, the judgment pronounced on unresponsive cities serves as a sober reminder that with the arrival of the kingdom comes the necessity of a response. Neutrality is not an option.

Outline

Context In Matthew

This passage follows directly after the naming of the twelve apostles in Matthew 10:1-4. Having established His inner circle, Jesus immediately puts them to work. This commissioning is a pivotal moment in Matthew's narrative. Up to this point, Jesus has been the primary actor, teaching and healing throughout Galilee. Now, He multiplies His efforts by sending out His disciples. This act demonstrates the nature of the kingdom He is inaugurating; it is a kingdom that expands and advances through proclamation. The theme of Jesus as the true King of Israel is central to Matthew's gospel, and here we see the King sending out His royal heralds. Their mission is a foretaste of the worldwide mission that will be given in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), but for now, it is deliberately focused on Israel. This "Israel-first" approach is a key element of redemptive history. The gospel must go to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile (Rom 1:16).

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;

Jesus begins with a prohibition. The mission field is, for the moment, narrowly defined. This is not a permanent restriction, but a temporary one for this specific mission. Why? Because salvation history has a divine order. The promises were made to Abraham and his descendants. The Messiah came to His own people first (John 1:11). The gospel must be offered to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" before the door is opened wide to the Gentiles. This is not ethnic favoritism but covenant faithfulness. God is keeping His promises to Israel. The Samaritans, being a mixed race with a syncretistic religion, were particularly despised by the Jews, and they are also excluded for now. The time for the gospel to break down these dividing walls will come, but it is not yet.

v. 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Here is the positive command. Their focus is to be on their own people. Jesus describes them as "lost sheep." This is a term of both affection and concern. They are God's flock, the "house of Israel," but they are wandering, scattered, and without a true shepherd. The religious leaders of the day were failing to care for the people, as Jesus noted in the previous chapter (Matt 9:36). So, the disciples are sent as under-shepherds, on behalf of the Great Shepherd, to gather His lost sheep. This phrase also carries the idea of covenantal identity. Even in their lostness, they are still the "house of Israel." God has not forgotten His covenant with them.

v. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

This is the central message. It is the exact same message that John the Baptist preached (Matt 3:2) and that Jesus Himself preached (Matt 4:17). The message is one of imminence and opportunity. The long-awaited rule of God, the Messianic age, is not a distant hope but a present reality breaking into the world. "At hand" means it has drawn near; you can reach out and touch it. This preaching is not just disseminating information; it is a royal proclamation. The King has arrived, and His kingdom is being established. This announcement demands a response, which, as both John and Jesus made clear, is repentance. You cannot hear that the kingdom has arrived and remain neutral.

v. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

The proclamation is accompanied by demonstration. Words are backed up by works. These miracles are not random acts of power but signs of the kingdom. They are tangible evidence that the kingdom of heaven is truly "at hand." Where the King reigns, the effects of the curse are reversed. Sickness, death, uncleanness, and demonic oppression are all consequences of the fall. By healing and delivering, the disciples are showing what the world looks like when God sets things right. Then comes the crucial principle: "Freely you received, freely give." They received this authority and power as a sheer gift of grace from Jesus. They did nothing to earn it. Therefore, they are to minister in the same spirit. They are not to charge for their miracles or use their spiritual gifts for personal enrichment. The gospel is a free gift, and its ministry must reflect its nature. This strikes at the heart of all religious commercialism.

v. 9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,

Jesus now moves to practical instructions about their provision, and the instructions are radical. They are not to pack any money. Gold, silver, and copper represent the full range of currency, from high value to low. The "money belts" were worn under their clothing for security. Jesus is telling them to travel with empty pockets. This is a command to live in complete dependence upon God. He who sends them will provide for them. This is not a universal command for all ministry in all times, but a specific instruction for this training mission to teach them a foundational lesson in faith.

v. 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

The prohibition extends to other travel necessities. No traveler's bag for provisions, no extra change of clothes (a second tunic), no extra pair of sandals, not even a traveler's staff for support and defense. They are to go as they are, with the bare minimum. The reason is given: "for the worker is worthy of his support." This is a kingdom principle. Those who labor in the gospel have a right to be supported by those to whom they minister. God's method of provision for His servants is through His people. By sending them out with nothing, Jesus was forcing them to rely on this principle from day one. Their needs would be met by those who received their message.

v. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave.

Their strategy upon arriving in a new place is to seek out a "worthy" person. This doesn't mean someone who is sinless or has earned God's favor. In this context, a "worthy" person is someone who is receptive to the message of the kingdom, someone whose heart God has prepared. They were to use discernment. Once they found such a household, they were to make it their base of operations for that town ("stay there until you leave"). They were not to move from house to house, seeking better accommodations or more comfortable lodging. This would prevent them from being distracted and would keep their motives pure.

v. 12 Now as you enter the house, give it your greeting.

Their entrance into a home was to be marked by a blessing. The common Jewish greeting was "Shalom," meaning "peace." This was more than a polite "hello." It was a pronouncement of God's blessing, of wholeness and well-being, upon that household. They were coming as ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, and their first act was to offer His peace.

v. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

The effectiveness of their blessing depended on the reception of the household. If the home was "worthy," meaning it welcomed them and their message, the blessing of peace would rest upon it. The household would experience the tangible reality of God's favor. But if the home was "not worthy," if it rejected the messengers of the King, the blessing would not be imposed upon them. It would "return" to the apostles. The point is that God's blessings are not thrown away on those who despise them. The apostles' words of peace had real spiritual power, but that power was contingent on the faith of the hearers.

v. 14 And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.

Here we see the protocol for rejection. If a person, a household, or an entire town refuses to welcome them or listen to their message, the disciples are to perform a symbolic act. Shaking the dust off their feet was a common Jewish practice when leaving a Gentile area. It signified a complete break of fellowship and a testimony that the place was unclean. For Jewish apostles to do this to a Jewish town was a shocking and severe gesture. It was a solemn declaration that the town had forfeited its covenant privileges and was now being treated as a pagan place, outside the commonwealth of Israel. It was a visible sermon of judgment.

v. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Jesus concludes this section with one of the most sobering statements in the Gospels. The phrase "Truly I say to you" marks what follows as being of utmost importance. He compares the fate of a Galilean town that rejects the gospel with that of Sodom and Gomorrah, the bywords for wickedness in the Old Testament. His verdict is astonishing: the judgment will be "more tolerable" for those ancient cities of sin. Why? Because privilege brings responsibility. Sodom and Gomorrah never had the King of heaven walk their streets. They never saw His miracles or heard His gracious words from the mouths of His authorized apostles. The towns of Israel did. To have the light of the kingdom dawn upon you and to reject it is a far greater sin than to sin in the darkness. The severity of judgment is proportional to the light rejected.

Application

This passage, while containing specific instructions for a temporary mission, is filled with principles that apply to the church in every age. First, we are reminded that our mission is a delegated one. We go in the name and authority of Jesus Christ, not our own. Our message is not our own invention; it is the proclamation that the kingdom of God has come in Christ. We must be faithful to that message.

Second, the principle of "freely you received, freely give" should govern all our ministry. The gospel is a treasure, not a commodity. We must guard against any temptation to use the ministry for financial gain or personal prestige. Our motivation must be grace, from start to finish.

Third, we are called to a radical dependence on God for our provision. While the specific prohibitions against carrying money or a bag may not apply literally to all missions today, the underlying principle of faith does. We are to trust that God will provide for His work through His people. The "worker is worthy of his support" is a principle that the church must honor if the gospel is to go forward.

Finally, we are confronted with the terrible reality of judgment. The rejection of the gospel is not a small matter. It has eternal consequences. This should fill us with two things: a holy fear and a sense of urgency. We must proclaim the message clearly and winsomely, but we must also warn of the danger of rejecting it. The same message that brings peace to a worthy house brings judgment to an unworthy one. We are to be faithful messengers, leaving the results to God, but we must never downplay the eternal stakes of our mission.