Matthew 10:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As you enter the house, greet it.

NIV: As you enter the home, give it your greeting.

NASB: As you enter the house, give it your greeting.

CSB: Greet a household when you enter it,

NLT: When you enter the home, give it your blessing.

KJV: And when ye come into an house, salute it.

NKJV: And when you go into a household, greet it.

Jesus is sending out His hand-picked group of twelve apostles. In pairs, they will travel, town by town, throughout Galilee in northern Israel. They will preach His message that the kingdom of heaven is near and do miracles of healing and exorcism in His name (Mathew 10:5–10). He has told them that when they enter a new town, they should find someone worthy to stay with while they're there (Matthew 10:11). The worthy ones will be those who receive the message of the nearness of heaven's kingdom in the person of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 10:14).

Now Jesus tells them that when they enter their host's home, they should "greet it." Luke quotes Jesus more fully in this instruction as telling the apostles to say, "Peace be to this house!" (Luke 10:5). This was more than a polite greeting. As representatives of Jesus, the apostles carried His peace with them. By His power, they were, apparently, able to place that peace upon others and their homes, as the following verse shows.

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 9:19:52 PM