Kingdom of God training of His followers by Jesus looks nothing like how the world trains us for a new job in the company!  We are taught in this world to rise up and be heard no matter what.  We are told to “fake it ‘til you make it.”  Leaders considered successful by the world’s standards must be insanely rich, naturally aggressively who step on anyone who gets in their way of reaching their goals. Influential leaders can easily manipulate and dominate every conversation so that full attention is drawn to themselves.  They sell themselves as they sell their product while bullying people into submission to follow where they lead.  Mm…

Jesus’ Kingdom of God training seems quite a bit different.  Just preceding this chapter, Jesus called on everyone to “pray for workers for the harvest” of lost souls who were all around Him.  God answered His prayer and sent him twelve men to train for Kingdom work.  One becomes Twelve.  Twelve exponentially many.  (Do the math, that’s a lesson in and of itself!)

By the way, Jesus always prayed to God, His Father, before doing anything significant in God’s work.  That was His mantra, his habit and discipline.  Jesus—Master Teacher.  Later—Savior and Lord of believing lives committed to Him!

Let’s listen in to His training session…take notes!

Matthew 10:1-28, The Message

The Twelve Harvest Hands

^1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent:

Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”),

Andrew, his brother,

James, Zebedee’s son,

John, his brother,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Thomas,

Matthew, the tax man,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Thaddaeus,

Simon, the Canaanite,

Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).

^5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

^9-10 “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

¹¹ “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.

^12-15 “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now.

¹⁶ “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as shrewd as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

^17-20 “Don’t be naive. Some people will question your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don’t be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they’ve done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don’t worry about what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.

^21-23 “When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.

^24-25 “A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn’t make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,’ what can the workers expect?

^26-27 “Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now.

²⁸ “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn plenty!  We learn that our power comes from His Holy Spirit living in us.  We cannot do life without being with God first.  We cannot do life alone.  We need Jesus and other believers for God’s Kingdom work of helping others find and follow Him with us.  Do the math!

Not everyone will agree and believe what we say about Jesus as the Holy Spirit speaks through us.  However, our souls will remain intake in God’s hands of protection when we are under attack from bullies of evil.  This is blessed assurance of God’s love for us as His love abides in us. 

Lead with the love of Jesus. Imitate how Jesus related to others who needed healing and wholeness, salvation, and freedom.  There was no condemnation, only compassion with a way forward to freedom from sin.  (See also Philippians 2 as a reference.) 

Read Matthew’s passage again for all the character traits we need to develop as we represent Jesus to others.  Make a list…I’ll get you started:  Live generously.  Travel light.  Be content.  Be courteous and gentle.  Stay alert.  Move on when they say no to Jesus.  Point people to Jesus not you….and the training continues. 

Did you notice that this Kingdom of God training is the opposite of today’s thinking for those who do not know or follow Jesus?  But, yet, we are prone to bring to play all the “principles of the highly successful” into our churches and treat Christ Body of Believers (church) as a business venture.  Oh, how this must break the heart of God.  Pride, arrogance, putting our interests ahead of others, are not traits of Jesus, who is the Cornerstone upon which we build our lives together as His people called “church.” 

Oh Lord,

Help us to live in the world but not play a part in it’s thinking and behaving.  Give us your wisdom that is the opposite of the conventional wisdom of the world.  Cleanse our hearts, renew and transform our minds, refresh and feed our souls, help us develop your character while restoring the blessed joy of your salvation at work within us.  Thank you for training us to be all you want us to be before doing anything. 

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had…” Philippians 2:5

“And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8