Don’t
take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Matthew 10:9-15
Matthew 10 [1.] He called to himself his twelve disciples, and 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 is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Matthew 10 [5.] Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Matthew 10 [16.] “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Meaning:
Jesus had sent the twelve to the lost sheep of Israel to preach, heal and give freely what they had freely received (Matthew 10:5-8). Now he tells them how to travel, where to stay and how to respond when people welcome or reject them. Mark and Luke record the same instructions in shorter form (Mark 6:8-11; Luke 9:3-5).
- “Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass”
The disciples were not to raise money or carry supplies for the journey. Gold, silver and copper coins were kept in the folds of a belt. Nor were they to take a bag, a spare coat, extra sandals or a staff. Mark’s account allows a staff and sandals (Mark 6:8-9); the point in both is to travel light and depend on God.
- “for the laborer is worthy of his food”
The disciples were not to charge for their ministry, but they could accept hospitality. Those who receive the message should support those who bring it. Paul quotes a similar saying: “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18), and writes that “the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News” (1 Corinthians 9:14). God would provide for them through the people they served.
- “find out who in it is worthy; and stay there”
A worthy household was one open to the message and willing to welcome God’s messengers. The disciples were to stay with one family rather than moving around in search of better comfort. That home became their base in the town.
- “let your peace come on it”
The usual Jewish greeting was “Peace”, in Hebrew shalom, a wish for wholeness and well-being from God. On the lips of Jesus’ messengers the greeting carried real blessing. If the household rejected the messengers, the peace would “return” to them; the blessing was not wasted, but the house did not receive it.
- “shake off the dust from your feet”
Pious Jews returning from Gentile lands sometimes shook off the dust so as not to bring pagan soil into Israel. For the disciples to do this in a Jewish town was a startling sign: rejecting God’s message put a town in the place of outsiders. It was not an act of personal anger but a solemn warning. Paul and Barnabas did the same at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:51).
- “more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah”
Sodom and Gomorrah were the classic example of God’s judgment, destroyed when “Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky” (Genesis 19:24). Ezekiel names their sins: “pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease” and neglect of “the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Yet Jesus says that a town in Israel that rejects the Messiah’s messengers will be judged more severely. Greater light brings greater responsibility.
The Significance of Matthew 10:9-15
- Trusting God’s provision
Jesus taught his messengers to depend on God rather than on their own resources. Believers today still need to trust God for what they need as they serve him, and to be content with simple provision.
- Supporting those who serve
The laborer is worthy of his food. Churches and believers honour God when they care for those who teach and serve among them.
- The seriousness of rejecting the message
God’s offer of peace is generous, but it can be refused. Those who hear the Good News carry a greater responsibility than those who never heard it. The message deserves a serious and humble response.
Cross-References:
Mark 6:11: "shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them." Mark’s parallel instruction.
1 Timothy 5:18: "The laborer is worthy of his wages." The principle applied to church leaders.
Acts 13:51: "But they shook off the dust of their feet against them," Paul and Barnabas follow Jesus’ instruction.
Ezekiel 16:49: "this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom:" The sins of Sodom.
Conclusion: Jesus sent the twelve without money, bags or spare clothing, trusting God to provide through those who welcomed them, for the laborer is worthy of his food. They were to stay with a worthy household and bless it with peace. Where they were rejected, they were to shake off the dust from their feet as a warning, for rejecting the Messiah’s message would bring a judgment heavier than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible