Daily Devotional Studies in the New Testament for Individual Meditation and Family Worship By R. A. TORREY
them. True prayers are never lost. It was their own peace that the twelve were to im part (v. 13). We must first have peace ourselves before we can impart peace to others. Too many are going out and try ing to bestow peace before first really hav ing found peace themselves. When they were not received in any city they were to go out into the streets and in the most pub lic and expressive and impressive way show their utter separation from it and its im pending doom; they were not even to let its dust stick to their feet. In this way they were to testify to it of God’s utter abhor rence of its deeds (cf. Luke 9:5). Re sponsibility, guilt and punishment are meas ured by the amount of light that one sins against (v. 15). Tuesday, February 2. Matthew 10:16-25. Our Lord’s words, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves,” do not sound very cheering but as we listen more sharply and note more carefully ex actly what He says, the message is cheering after all; for He says, “I send you.” And if only H e sends then we shall be quite will ing to go even as “sheep into the midst of wolves.” But the Christian worker cer tainly should not demand nor expect to be always received with eager hospitality and he should not go away in a pet if he is not so received. How few of us there are to day who are willing to go on Christ’s con ditions, “as sheep ip the midst of wolves.” We want to be petted and pampered. If we are faithful to Him we may be sure that we will not be (cf. John 15:19, 20). In order to do the work Christ has. for us to
Monday, February 1. Matthew 10:9-15.
The twelve were to make no provision for the necessities of their journey: they were laboring for God and as the laborer is worthy of his food, the One for whom they were laboring would see that they got it. The one who is really working for God need have no fears of starvation. For his own good, God may allow him for a time to go on scant provisions, but his bread is sure. The twelve also were to go light- weighted. Many an ambassador for Christ today is impaired in efficiency by the amount of baggage he carries (cf. 2 Tim. 2:4). The exact letter of the instructions that Christ here gives to those who are to serve Him is not binding upon ambassadors of Christ at all times (cf. Luke 22:35, 36), but the spirit is. Though they carried so little with them, God never suffered them to lack nor go hungry (Luke 22:35). They were to seek out diligently worthy persons (not rich persons) with whom to stop and there they were to stay. They must care fully avoid squandering time in going from house to house to eat. The fare where they had taken up their home might be plain, but they must not look for fine fare. While they paid no board, they need not feel like beggars for they were worthy of their food (v. 10; cf. Luke 10:7). Their first thought on entering a home should be for the good of the home and not for the comfort of sell (v. 12 cf. Luke:10:5, 6). Their benediction would not be empty words but full of power: if the house was worthy their peace would come upon it; if the house were not worthy, the benediction would not be lost for it would come back again and bless
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