JESUS CALLS THIS
12 APOSTLES
CHRISTIANITY
36When he saw
the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said
to his disciples, “THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL, BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW;
38THEREFORE PRAY EARNESTLY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS INTO
HIS HARVEST.”
1And he called
to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to
cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
2The names of
the twelve apostles are these:
First, Simon,
who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John
his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot, and Judas
Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve
Jesus sent out, instructing them,
“GO NOWHERE
AMONG THE GENTILES AND ENTER NO TOWN OF THE SAMARITANS, 6BUT GO RATHER TO THE
LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. 7AND PROCLAIM AS YOU GO, SAYING, ‘THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. 8HEAL THE SICK, RAISE THE DEAD, CLEANSE LEPERS,
CAST OUT DEMONS.
YOU RECEIVED
WITHOUT PAYING; GIVE WITHOUT PAY.”
MATTHEW
9:36-10:8
COMMENTARY
This narrative
is also present in the gospels of Mark 6 and Luke 9, written with different
details, but they all describe the same event, the commissioning of the Twelve
Apostles of the Lord, and how Lord JESUS sent them to preach the gospel to all Jews
(Note the differences in Matthew 10:10, Mark 6:8-9, and Luke 9:3).
Here JESUS shows
his mercy, by feeling pity for humanity, lost without a leader, someone who
could guide them back to GOD, who told them about morality and righteousness.
JESUS reflects the love of the Father for humanity in this narrative.
And because of
this mercy He feels for the people in front of Him, JESUS commends his
disciples to pray to GOD YHWH to send preachers to the world, (Laborers to his
field, GOD YHWH’s field), acknowledging, as always our Lord did, the supreme authority
of the Father as the universal GOD and creator of the world.
And for this
reason, He called his twelve chosen disciples, and constitute them in apostles,
by giving them authority He Himself got from GOD YHWH (John 17:18), and gave
them the same powers He had, even to resurrect the dead, in the Name of GOD,
and to preach, not faith in Him, even though this was assumed, but to preach
REPENTANCE, because that is what the Father wants from us, NOT to have a mental
faith in Lord JESUS, but to convert from our evil ways to the holiness Jesus
taught on Earth, which is pleasing to GOD.
Note also that
even Judas Iscariot was given these powers, and saw the power of GOD through
himself, as Jesus invested him with it. That proves that GOD has no resentment
with anyone, but that is us, and not HIM, who makes the wrong decisions to
betray our loving father. Had not Judas chosen to betray his Master, he would
be among the 12 blessed apostles today.
Didn’t JESUS
know that he was going to betray Him?
Yes, He knew, but He did not make him do it. It was all Judas’s
decision.
Finally, JESUS
sent this time, his apostles to peach only to the Jews, calling them to
repentance, because He was sent first to the Israelites, even though He always
attended and had mercy for non-Jews. But later, He ended up sending his message
to the whole world, Jews and non-Jews (Acts 1:8).
But the message
was the same, to peach conversion from unbelief and evil, to the righteousness
of GOD, as Jesus taught it.
And to do it for
free, because salvation does not belong to us, neither can be subjected to
financial issues.
Omar Flores.
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