The Mission Discourse

Calling his twelve disciples, Jesus gave them power over unclean spirits and every sickness, and sent them to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. 'Freely ye have received, freely give,' he told them. He warned that he was sending them as sheep among wolves, that they would be delivered up to councils and brought before governors, but that the Spirit of their Father would give them words. He called them to fear God rather than men, to love him above family, to take up their cross, and he promised that even a cup of cold water given to one of his disciples would not lose its reward.

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Strongest connections in Scripture

Matthew 10 3×

Key Passages

Freely Ye Have Received

Matthew 10:1-8

Jesus names the twelve, gives them authority, and sends them out to preach and heal without charge.

A¹nd when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

Matthew 10:16-20

He prepares them for opposition, promising that the Spirit will speak through them when they are on trial.

B¹⁶ehold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

¹⁷ But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. ²⁰ For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

He That Receiveth You

Matthew 10:37-42

Following Jesus costs everything, yet even the smallest kindness to his messengers is remembered.

H³⁷e that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

³⁸ And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. ³⁹ He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. ⁴⁰ He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. ⁴¹ He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.