What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Today's Bible Reading: Matthew 10-12 - Empowering Disciples, Facing Opposition, and Redefining Family
What if your closest family wasn't defined by blood, but by shared spiritual commitment? Join us on this enlightening episode of "What Do I Know?" as we unpack Jesus' transformative teachings in Matthew 10 and the beginning of Matthew 11. We'll break down how Jesus empowers His twelve disciples with remarkable authority to heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits, all while emphasizing the urgency of proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven is near. Jesus prepares His disciples for the trials they will face, urging them to rely on God's provision over material wealth and remain unwaveringly loyal to Him, even in the face of familial opposition.
Our exploration doesn't stop there. Discover the profound moment where Jesus redefines the very concept of family. When His biological family seeks His attention, Jesus turns the conventional understanding of kinship on its head by declaring that those who do the will of His Father in heaven are His true family. We reflect on the deep implications of this teaching, urging believers to prioritize their spiritual commitments above all else. As we wrap up the episode, we leave you with a teaser to continue studying Jesus' teachings in Matthew 13 next time. Until then, blessings and goodbye!
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible reading we're going to be picking back up in Matthew 10. If you're ready, let us begin.
Speaker 1:Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and he gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these the first, simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. And James, the son of Zebedee and his brother, john, philip and Bartholomew, thomas and Matthew, the tax collector. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, simon the Zealot. And Judas, isocrat, the one who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying Do not go to the road to the Gentiles and do not enter a city of Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as you go, preach, saying the kingdom of heaven has come near.
Speaker 1:Heal the sick and raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy and cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold or silver or copper for your money, belt or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the worker is deserving of his support, in whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it and stay at his house until you leave that city. And as you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. And whoever does not receive you nor listens to your words as you leave the house or city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for that land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.
Speaker 1:Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. So be as weary as serpents and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will even be brought before governors and kings on my account and as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about what you are going to say, for what you are going to say will be given to you in that hour, for it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you Now. A brother will betray a brother to death, and a father, his child and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death, and you will be hated by all because of my name. But it is the one who endures to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next, for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of man comes.
Speaker 1:A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they insult the members of his household? So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed or hidden, that will not be made known. What I tell you in the darkness, tell it in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim it on the housetops, and do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him, who is able to destroy both soul and body. In hell are two sparrows not sold for an isaiah, and yet not one of them will fall to the ground, apart from your father. But even the hairs of your head are numbered. So do not fear, you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
Speaker 1:Therefore, everyone who confesses me before the people, I will also confess him before my Father, who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will also deny him before my Father, who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword, for I came to turn a man against his father. Come to bring peace, but a sword, for I came to turn a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be the members of his household. The one who loves her father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves her son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life on my account will find it. The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of the prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.
Speaker 1:Matthew 11 when Jesus had finished giving his instructions to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in the cities. Now, while in prison, john heard about the works of Christ and he sent word by his disciples. And they said to him Are you the coming one, or are we to look for someone else? Jesus answered and said to them Go and report to John that what you hear and see. Those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk and those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear. The dead are raised and the poor have the gospel preached to them, and blessed is any person who does not take offense at me as these disciples of John were going away, jesus began speaking to the crowds about John.
Speaker 1:What did you go out to the wilderness?
Speaker 1:To see A reed shaken by the wind?
Speaker 1:But what did you go out?
Speaker 1:To see A man dressed in soft clothing those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces but what did you go out to see A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. Truly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men. Take it by force For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, john himself is Elijah who was to come. The one who has an ear to hear, let him hear.
Speaker 1:But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace who call out to other children. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a song of mourning and you did not mourn, for John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say he has a demon. The son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. Then he began to reprimand the cities in which most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent. Woe to you, chorazon, and woe to you, bethsaida, for if the miracles occurred in you that had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you and you. Capernaum will not be exalted to heaven, will you. You will be brought down to hell, for if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred, nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
Speaker 1:At that time. Jesus said I praise you, father, lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, father, for this way was well-pleasing in your sight. All things have been handed over to me by my Father and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and anyone whom the Son determines to reveal him. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. You will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is comfortable and my burden is light. Matthew 12.
Speaker 1:At that time, jesus went throughout the grain fields on the Sabbath and his disciples became hungry and began picking the heads of grain and eating them. Now, when the Pharisees saw this, they said to him look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath. But he said to them have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how they entered the house of God and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but for the priest alone? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath, the priests of the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent. But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means I desire compassion rather than sacrifice you would have not condemned the innocent. For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.
Speaker 1:Departing from there, he went into their synagogue and a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus asking Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath so that they might bring charges against him? But he said to them the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him as to how they might destroy him. But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed him and he healed them all and he warned them not to tell who he was.
Speaker 1:This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, will be fulfilled. Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, whom my soul delights. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bent reed he will not break off and a dimly burning wick he will not extinguish until he leads justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope that a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus and he healed him, so that the man who was unable to speak talked and could see.
Speaker 1:And all the crowds were amazed and were saying this man cannot be the son of David, can he? But when the Pharisees heard this, they said this man cast out demons only by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. And knowing their thoughts, jesus said to them every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if, by Beelzebub I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Spirit of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first ties up the strong man and then he will plunder his house? The one who is not with me is against me and the one who does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I say to you every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.
Speaker 1:Either assume that the tree to be good as well as its fruits good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruits are bad. The tree is known by its fruit. You, offspring of vipers. How can you, being evil, express any good thing? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. The good person brings out of his good treasure good things, and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment, For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.
Speaker 1:Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him Teacher, we want to see a sign from you. But he answered and said to them An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, and so no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights. So will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and they will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. Behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here Now. When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and it does not find it. Then it says I will return to my house, from which I came. And when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there, and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will be also with this evil generation.
Speaker 1:While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers were standing outside seeking to speak to him. Someone said to him Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to him. Someone said to him look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to you. But Jesus replied to the one who was telling him and said who is my mother and who is my brothers? And he extended his hand towards his disciples and he said behold my mother and my brothers, for whoever does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, he is my brother, my sister and my mother. Alright, that's all the time I have for today. Tomorrow we'll pick back up in Matthew 13. Until then, god bless you and goodbye.