Matthew 10: Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven - The Self-Understanding of the Editor of Matthew
Matthew 10: Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven - The Self-Understanding of the Editor of Matthew
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
4 Among them were Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
19 "When they hand you over to the authorities, do not worry about how or what you should say, for it will be given to you at that time what to say.
20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
40 "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Up to chapter 9, the focus is on Jesus' active healing ministry, but from chapter 10, the scope expands to include the ministry of Jesus' disciples. This expansion of Jesus' ministry extends to his disciples, the apostles of the time of the editor, and ultimately to Christians today, transcending vast stretches of time and space. This includes the intention of the editor of Matthew and the expansion and transmission of the call to discipleship. This expansion is a transmission of the call that the editor could not have anticipated but continues to this day.
The ministry of the disciples reproduces that of Jesus, encompassing the path he walked, including healing, miracles, greetings of peace, and even persecution. Notably, the Holy Spirit, which appeared when Jesus was baptized, is also part of the transmission of Jesus' ministry to his disciples (verses 1, 19-20). The disciples, in replicating Jesus' ministry, also inherit his status as well as persecution (verse 40). As ambassadors of Jesus, they represent the kingdom of heaven in the foreign land of this world.
Most importantly, the inclusion of a zealot, a tax collector, and a betrayer in the group of disciples Jesus called is a confirmation of hope that even someone like me can be called to discipleship (verse 4). Healing the sick, raising Lazarus, and the miracle of feeding the five thousand are not the only miracles. The fact that Jesus calls me to be his disciple across time and space is also a miracle. Moreover, the inclusion of individuals in the original group of disciples who would seem unlikely candidates is itself a miracle, serving as an example that Jesus can call anyone to be his disciple. The editor of Matthew recorded this realization for posterity.