Matthew 10:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.

NIV: Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.

NASB: And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.

CSB: When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave.

NLT: Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.

KJV: And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

NKJV: “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

This continues Jesus' instructions to His twelve hand-picked disciples. Matthew has renamed them apostles, using a Greek term that refers to someone "sent out" with the message of their master. These men are transitioning from students to "sent ones."

The Twelve will head out into the region of Galilee in pairs, travelling from town to town and preaching in the name of Jesus that the kingdom of heaven in near (Matthew 10:1–4). They will demonstrate that their message is true by displaying the power of Jesus to heal diseases and cast out demons (Matthew 10:5–8).

Jesus has told them not to take any extra provisions with them. God will provide all they need through the people they minister to in each town. They must not charge for their services of healing and preaching, but they should expect those who are helped to offer them hospitality and provision.

Now Jesus gets more specific. When they come into a new town or village, the disciples should find out who is "worthy" and stay with them until they leave town. In this case, worthy does not describe those who are most religious or the least sinful. By worthy, it will become clear, Jesus means those who are ready to repent and believe the message of Christ's apostles.

Jesus implies that some among that group will gladly welcome a pair of Jesus' representatives to stay with them while they're in the area. In receiving them, they will be receiving Jesus Himself.

Matthew 10:5–15 contains Jesus' instructions for His twelve apostles, for their missionary trip to the towns of Galilee, in northern Israel. Their mission will be to preach His message that the kingdom of heaven is near, while also healing people and casting out demons. The apostles must not take with them extra money or clothes. Instead, they will stay with those who are worthy in each town they visit. If nobody in a town believes their message, the disciples are to shake the dust of that town from their feet. Jesus will follow these instructions with a series of warnings and encouragements.

Jesus gives His authority over disease, demons, and even death to His twelve hand-picked apostles. He gives them instructions in preparation both for a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee and their ministry after He has left the earth. First, they will preach His message of the kingdom in Israelite towns as they heal and cast out demons to demonstrate His power. Later, they will suffer great persecution as they represent Him before both Jews and Gentiles. They should not be afraid, though, and trust their Father to be with them and to reward them.

Jesus has recently expressed compassion for the people of Israel, who are spiritually lost. Matthew 10 is a record of Jesus' instructions to His twelve core apostles, as He sends them on a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee. He also includes warnings and encouragements about the persecution they will eventually experience. In chapter 11, Jesus will continue to proclaim truth to the people of Israel, leading to further conflict with local religious leaders.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.