Jesus and the Twelve

Matthew 10:1, 5-8; 21:1, 25-30

GOLDEN TEXT: “Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.”—John 15:14

OUR previous lesson revealed the Master’s interest in all classes. The first part of today’s lesson may seem out of harmony with this, but in reality it is not. Jesus’ instructions to His disciples to limit their ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel did not indicate a lack of interest in the Samaritans and the Gentiles to whom He told His disciples not to minister. Jesus was able to “rightly divide the word of truth” hence He knew that God’s due time had not come for the Gospel to go to the Gentiles.

During the entire period of the Jewish age God’s covenant blessings were restricted to the natural descendants of Jacob. Not until that age had come fully to a close would it be proper to change this procedure. However, God loved the Gentiles, and so did Jesus. They knew that rich blessings were in store for all the Gentiles, and that these will be dispensed during the thousand years of the Messianic Kingdom. No injustice was done to the Gentiles of Jesus’ day by withholding Kingdom blessings from them at that time.

In our Golden Text Jesus explains that we are His friends if we do what He commands us. In asking obedience the Master is requesting merely that we recognize the divine arrangements in the same manner that He did. It was because Jesus Himself was obedient to His Father’s will and plan that He restricted temporarily the ministry of the disciples. Jesus knew that His Father had a plan, and that those who are pleasing to Him must observe the times and seasons of that plan. He did this Himself, and He expects those who covenant to walk in His footsteps to do the same.

The Master commissioned His disciples to heal the sick, cast out devils, cleanse the lepers and raise the dead; and in conjunction with this to preach that the Kingdom of heaven was at hand. The people to whom they thus ministered would know that they were the disciples of Jesus, hence this would serve as a further demonstration of His Messiahship. These miracles of physical healing will become universal when the Kingdom of Messiah is actually established. They were promised by Israel’s prophets, and not knowing about the spiritual promises of the Gospel age, their natural minds could grasp only the material evidences that Jesus was the Christ. It was for this purpose that these signs were given. They were not intended as the beginning of the Gospel age work of the church.

The latter portion of our lesson (Matt. 11:25-30) contains a measure of pathos. The scribes and Pharisees of Israel, those who professed to be “wise and prudent,” rejected Jesus and also the work and testimony of His disciples. All the proof which was given that the Master was indeed the Messiah had no effect upon them except to arouse their bitter opposition. The majority of the Israelites followed the lead of the Pharisees. Only a few, the “babes,” were appreciative. To these humble ones the mysteries of the Kingdom were in due time revealed. This revealing came through the Holy Spirit which first came to the church at Pentecost.

God wants His people to be truly wise and prudent, but this doesn’t mean that we should set ourselves up as judges of our brethren and assume to criticize and condemn practically everything they do. God has commissioned all His people to bear witness to the truth, and it is no light matter to sit in judgment of those who, to the best of their ability, are endeavoring to prove faithful to this commission. The attitude of the scribes and the Pharisees was such that no matter what Jesus did they construed it as being wrong. The spirit of jealousy was partly responsible for this.

It isn’t necessary for any of us to be in the position of the scribes and Pharisees in order to be afflicted with their attitude toward those who bear witness to the truth. Any of us can very easily develop a Pharisaical spirit, and may do so unless we guard our hearts. Like them, we may presumptuously assume that we are “wise and prudent,” when in reality we are being governed by the spirit of pride, or jealousy, or vainglory.

Jesus was thankful for the manner in which the Father was directing the outcome of His ministry. What a beautiful spirit of resignation to the divine will is thus indicated! It is well for us also to be satisfied with the Father’s choice. If we had the choosing of those to whom the truth should be revealed, we might select only the “intellectual,” the real “thinkers,” the “elite” of this world. We might forget that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

The “babes” of Jesus’ day, those truly appreciative of the Messiah, were invited to become His followers, to take His “yoke” upon them, and thus co-labor with Him. The burdens placed upon the people by the Pharisees were heavy and hard to bear, and they were given no help to bear them. Jesus shares the yoke laid upon those who covenant to follow in His steps. This makes the yoke easy and the burden light. Our covenant calls for all we have, even life itself, but we are promised help in every time of need. (Heb. 4:16) Thus we are assured that our strength shall be in accordance with the need of our days.

QUESTIONS:

Why did Jesus restrict the ministry of the disciples to the Israelites?

Is it possible today to have a Pharisaical attitude toward the followers of Jesus?

In what sense is Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light?

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