1. Matthew 10:5-14. Is this commissioning of disciples meant to be the same as our own, and for all the church age?

Let’s look at Jesus’ last words in the three Gospels that mention a “commission.” We call that last one the “Great” commission, and believe it is for all believers of all times.

Matthew says, “Go…preach … baptize… teach them everything.” Where? All nations, Jew and Gentile.

Mark says, “Go…preach the Gospel…[baptize]” and then adds, (though some have questioned the validity of a portion of Mark 16) that signs will follow, (not precede), the believers: casting out of demons, tongues, picking up of serpents, drinking poison, laying hands on the sick. Where? All the world, Jew and Gentile.

And Luke says that repentance and remission of sins is to be proclaimed (preached) to all the nations, Jew and Gentile.

Agreement. Now, what says Matthew 10? (See also Luke 10 and the commissioning of the “seventy” for a similar passage.)

• Sent to Jews only. No Gentiles are to hear. Not even the province of Samaria!
• Message is not the Gospel of salvation and forgiveness, but the Kingdom of Heaven. A bit like John, preparing them for what is coming.
• Heal the sick. Raise the Dead. Cleanse the lepers. Cast out demons. No teaching assigned to this mission.
• Be supported by people along the way.
• If they don’t receive you, move on.

We are left to compare this commission with the “Great Commission.” To me, they do not seem to be related. This particular mission was for a limited time and a limited group of people with temporary measures and rules. Nowhere is anything like this repeated in the book of Acts, as the apostles simply preached, and the Holy Spirit gave at each place what He decided to give. And the open-ended nature of the Great Commission erases all the rules that accompanied this one, as far as support, and when to move on etc. The church preaching program will be led by the Spirit in each generation, not by a set of demands.

2. Matthew 14:18. Why take the little boy’s lunch? What is the lesson here?

Could it be he is telling us that He really does want our participation? That He wants to share the work with us? That, as little as our gift and offering might be, He is able and willing and even wanting, to multiply a gift given with the intent of building the Kingdom of God?

Surely Jesus could just as easily have started from scratch, but we are led to believe that there was at least one person in the crowd who wanted to share, and God smiles on people like that. Young man, give me your gift, let’s see what I can do with it. That boy certainly never forgot this day with Jesus.

3. John 6:12. Why so worried about “left-overs”?

Here seems to be the book-end of the story. It starts with a little human gift multiplied by God. It ends with a human admonition to preserve the blessing of God. No waste allowed!

Again we are faced with a seeming contradiction in this over-abundant provision of Jesus. He didn’t need the boy’s lunch. And He didn’t need the left-overs. Why, He could multiply bread any time he wanted to!

But that is not what we are to learn from Him when He works a miracle. There may not be a miracle tomorrow. In fact, the likelihood is slim to none. So, our part kicks in. When He blesses us, we are careful to budget that blessing and never let its effects be wasted. Oh how God is displeased with our careless discarding of food and clothing and household goods. Throwing it all away and then “depending on God to supply” is not a teaching of Scripture. That life has a dead-end to it, and a serious disappointment.

The miracle will come when it is needed, but the ability to sustain life will most often be found in our own two working hands.

4. Mark 6:52. Why the comment about hard hearts here?

I think Mark is pointing out the human condition here. They had just seen 12 to 15 thousand people fed by a little boy’s lunch. But here was another catastrophe, another need, and they fell apart. Like the wilderness wanderers who complained at every turn, showing their unbelief, these disciples could not connect the dots: Yesterday God helped us. Today He will help us. Instead they believe that today will be a totally different outcome. Maybe we will all die today!

Just like us. Our hearts get hard pretty quickly. We have known His goodness, but cannot believe it will continue, for some reason.

5. John 6:35. How do we “eat” Jesus?

If we can answer this question with this verse, the coming passage about eating His flesh and drinking His blood will not be so difficult. Up front Jesus has told them that coming to Jesus, just coming to Him, satisfies hunger. Believing in Him satisfies thirst. They did not listen to these words and so were given a parable to stumble over later in the same discourse.

6. John 6:37, 44. How does the Father give us to Jesus?

This transaction happened before the foundation of the world. It is settled in Scripture that the people of God were chosen from the foundation of the world. What is still being argued in our generation is why God chose, and how God chose, and what our part in the choice making was. But there is no question. We were given to the Father millennia ago. The acting out of the handing over to Jesus is what we are about now.

7. John 6:51. How did Jesus give His flesh for the life of the world?

That I can answer in one word: Calvary.

8. John 6:53. Does this verse have anything to do with the communion service at your church?

Of course this is another bone of contention among Christians. But it seems to me from question/answer #50 above that the answer is no. Jesus often gave inexplicable parables and statements to the crowds around Him, using them to divide the true disciples from the false. This is borne out at the end of the discussion when Jesus says, “…no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”