It’s entirely appropriate to place emphasis, during this month which celebrates love and the accomplishments of African Americans, on the story of a remarkable woman whose love compelled her to bring freedom to some of our people who were enslaved. I’m referring to none other than Harriet Tubman, who was born Araminta Ross. She became world renowned as a woman’s suffragist and Union spy who put her own freedom at risk multiple times to help more than 70 people escape slavery on the Underground Railroad. The obstacles were so daunting to her achieving her own freedom, and those of others, that it would have been entirely understandable for this five foot woman to feel like she wasn’t cut out for this larger than life task, since she had suffered a severe head injury that left her with boughts of dizziness, pain, hypersomnia and prone to seizures throughout her life. Yet this brave black woman had a deep rooted faith in Christ that stirred her heart forward. So much so that as she approached her friends for financial support on her way back to the south, she is reported to have said that she was on this mission of freedom because she was sent… by God.
Choosing the Twelve (Mount Arbel)
It’s amazing what you can do when you believe and know that you’ve been sent by God. And not only when you believe you’ve been sent, but have also been given the power to do what you’ve been sent to do. Well, this was about to become the experience of the 12 disciples Jesus selects and sends out from among His followers in Matthew chapter 10, which is where we’ll be taking our journey. If you remember, Jesus had just gotten through telling them that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few and that they should pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into the field. Well, these 12 were about to become the answer to that prayer. Yet two things should immediately arrest our attention about the selection of these 12. One, these disciples were not designated as “the 12” until two years into the 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus. Yes, some of them where with Him from the beginning, but not this complete list of 12 that were now being sent. The second thing that should sort of startle us as we read this list of 12 names in their context, is the obviously imperfect characters and unlikely match up of this group Jesus was sending to represent Him. In this group of 12 were hot tempers, the impulsive, bigots, doubters, a nationalistic domestic terrorist looking for the next insurrection, a tax collector who would have been one of the primary targets of assassination by the domestic terrorist, oh and not to mention the one who would betray Christ, who also happened to be a thief! Now, if you’re honest, you have to be asking the question, “Jesus, why in the world would You send out these type of characters to represent You and Your Kingdom?” I mean just think about it. Jesus gave this group of imperfect people power to “…cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.” Wrap your mind around the fact that Jesus gave Judas power to cast out evil spirits! Just let that sink in for a moment.
But now let’s move out of the first century and into the 21st century, in the midst of a pandemic, right into your life. What does it mean for you, with all your imperfections, to be sent by Jesus to make disciples in a post-pandemic world? Surely you may be tempted to think that either that must be somebody else’s responsibility or like Hariett Tubman and quite possibly the 12 disciples, you may feel you’re not cut out for what feels like a larger than life task. Well, let’s listen to what Jesus has to say about what it means for you to be sent as a disciple-maker beginning in Matthew 10:5-8…
“Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
The first thing we learn here is a new title given to these 12 disciples. They are now designated as apostles, which means “sent ones.” We sometimes think that Jesus had only 12 disciples throughout His entire earthly ministry and that they were always called apostles. However, Jesus actually had crowds of disciples who followed Him, out of which these 12 were only now officially selected. It is also only now, that they are referred to as apostles, because it’s now that Jesus is going to officially send them out on their own to extend His disciple-making Kingdom movement. Notice they were sent to the lost among God’s people first. They were also sent with authority, which is also translated power. The text reveals that they were literally sent with authority and power to do the exact same work they witnessed Jesus doing in His ministry! And this is because being sent by Jesus means…
YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY TO REPLICATE HIS MINISTRY.
Yes, you heard that right! As a follower of Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are supposed to be reproducing the character of Jesus and His disciple-making ministry in your life. He is your identity from which your purpose flows. This is what it means for you to be a follower of Jesus. It’s like the process of mitosis in cells. One healthy primary cell reproduces itself and divides into two cells. This process of replication of cells continues to multiply until you have a living organism. If a cell does not replicate itself, dividing into two cells and so on, it is an unhealthy cell and eventually dies. This is how we end up with diseases like cancer. Now, here’s what’s interesting. The thing that gives cells the power to replicate into multiple cells is something called Mitochondria, which converts the food you eat into chemical energy that is used by the cell to reproduce. Well, my friend, you are like a cell that has been created and saved by Jesus for the purpose of reproducing in your life His character and disciple-making, powered by the energy that comes from the Holy Spirit, so that you can replicate this into the life of others.
The instructions Jesus gave the disciples on how to reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel, were likely the same methods He used when trying to reach people, for the disciple was to do as the Rabbi did. As they went they were to announce through word, and in deeds of healing, the Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s reign of love, had come near in Jesus Messiah and now through them, His representatives. Jesus’ instructions for them not to bring necessary items for their journey or any financial support seems strange on the surface, until you realize that in their cultural context hospitality was a big deal. Jesus is intentionally putting them in a position to test the hospitality of those they were sent to reach. Whoever in a city received them hospitably was deemed by Jesus to be worthy or in other translations, a person of peace. You give your blessing of peace to the house that receives you, but take it back from the house/city that rejects you. You get the sense of mission urgency, for when rejected, they were to move on and leaving them to the judgment of God.
What does this mean for us now? The urgent mission to replicate the disciple-making ministry of Jesus is very relational, organic and yet intentional, starting first at home and in the church. It involves going to people and not waiting for them to come to us. And going to them now means either virtually or safely in-person. It means that you’re seeking for the Holy Spirit to raise your awareness and lead you to the 1 to 3 people whom Jesus calls worthy or persons of peace that are presently in the spaces where you do life. You know the Holy Spirit is leading you to invest in them by forming a relationship with them that leads to disciple-making, because they display an openness or a hospitable nature with you. They’re open to hearing what you have to say, may even seek you out for advice or even allow you into their life to meet their needs. He sends us, in spite of us, with the authority to replicate His disciple-making ministry.
This is not just something the 12 apostles were called to do, but anyone who names the name of Jesus has been called to do the same. Jesus' instructions for disciple-making were not just spoken to the 12 disciples, but through them to every single follower of Jesus that would come after them, down to us in the 21st century. Yet, here’s the thing. Jesus doesn’t sugar-coat the reality of the mission, but prepares them and us for what to expect, beginning in verse 16…
Stay tuned for Part Two!
So, what are you going to do about what you just read? Are you ready to take the NEXT STEP on the journey with Jesus?
CJ Cousins
Follower of Jesus, Husband, Father, Associate Pastor for Younger Generations at Vienna SDA Church and Speaker/Author for Living For Him. CJ’s passion is to live, preach & teach the Good News about Jesus and multiply disciples for His Kingdom.