Matthew 8-10

Familiar passages. A lot of healings, mostly with fewer details than Luke provides. Much of this is a way of Jesus getting to be more known by the disciples. After he calms the storm, the twelve turn to one another and ask, "Who is this?" Jesus seems to prefer a little mystery too, as he tells people not to spread the word about the healings. I've always thought that Jesus wanted people to come to Him for the message, not just for the freebies. Still word travels fast, and I'm sure that a good many missed the message in spite of faith in Jesus. Still we get to see some personality when Jesus tells the leper, "I am willing. Be clean."

The cost of following is highlighted in 8:18-22, but it really comes to light in chapter 10 as Jesus is sending out the twelve. This chapter shows the disciples being sent to the Jews -- explicitly not to the Samaritans or the Gentiles. The Jews get first shot. However Jesus is not the peacemaking, mild-mannered teacher. He brings a sword. Families will be split in two. Betrayal will be the rule. Jesus prepares the disciples as best He can for the persecution which will surely come. The world is very different than Jesus.

At verse 23, we see a time frame given. Obviously the coming of the Son of Man alludes to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Not that persecution stops then, but these disciples' mission to the Jews essentially is over by that time.

The familiar verse "Freely you have received, freely give," is sandwiched in the midst of the instructions. The things to be given are what has been received. It's the healing, raising, cleansing, etc. that immediately precedes the instructions to give.