Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. 17 But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. 20 For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
The focus of this passage is the mission of the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Jesus warned his disciples about the coming persecutions of his followers. If they share in his mission (Mt. 10:1) they will also experience the same persecution and suffering that he experienced. The early Christians also worshipped in Synagogues hence the warning about being scourged in their synagogues (Js. 2:2). It seems as if they had already been banned from the Jewish Synagogue. Jesus warned that the Jewish leaders will drag Christians before the Roman provincial governors and even the emperor because they were preaching the Gospel. They will be “handed over (v. 17)” just as Jesus was “handed over (20:18)”. In those moments of trial, the Spirit of the Father will speak through them (vv. 19-20). Those who have accused them and those who will judge them will hear the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew then borrowed from the Old Testament, “For the son belittles his father, the daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and your enemies are members of your household (Micah 7:6).” Those who belonged to the family of God were often betrayed by family members who did not believe. Disciples must be prepared to give up everything for Christ (Mt. 10:37). Christians must bear the persecutions and endure until the second coming of Christ which was thought would be imminent. Followers of Jesus must be life-long students because what he taught leads to everlasting life. Only after the Disciples have learned all that Jesus taught can they become teachers themselves, but they must always acknowledge that Jesus is Lord!
Almighty God, grant us the grace to accept and understand all that Jesus taught so that we can be true disciples and in turn spread your Gospel. Help us to accept out trials knowing that we will not be tested beyond our strength and that whatever sacrifices we make for the salvation of souls will be pleasing to you. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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