Matthew 10:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

NIV: The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.

NASB: A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

CSB: A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.

NLT: Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.

KJV: The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

NKJV: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

Jesus is warning His disciples that they will experience persecution as they carry out their mission (Matthew 10:5–8; 10:16–22). In the short term, He is sending them out to the towns of Israel to preach His message that the kingdom of heaven is near and to perform miraculous healings to verify that this message is true. The persecution of the apostles, however, won't begin in full until after Jesus returns to heaven following His death and resurrection.

Now Jesus declares the proverb that a disciple is not above his teacher and a servant is not above his master. Established rabbis in Israel would take on disciples as a way of educating and training them in law and ministry. This is how they would pass on their own learning and wisdom. The student, or disciple, would often live with the teacher as his servant, performing whatever tasks he required, as the price for being trained. It was common sense to assume that the student could not expect to be treated with more honor than their master, nor could they demand special treatment above and beyond their teacher.

Jesus is making it clear that His disciples should not expect better treatment than He has received. In fact, a disciple should expect to follow closely to the path of the master. If the path of the master leads to hatred, persecution, and being lied about, the servant should expect the same to happen for him (John 13:15–17; 15:18–20).

Matthew 10:16–25 follows Jesus' instructions to His twelve apostles, giving them guidance for their impending missionary journey. Here, He begins to describe events that will follow His own resurrection and return to heaven. When that time comes, the apostles will be arrested and dragged before various courts and officials because they represent Christ and insist that He is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit will speak through them about Jesus. They will run from one town to another to avoid persecution, spreading the good news about Christ as they go. Jesus was persecuted, so they will be, as well. Much as Jesus will do during the Last Supper (John 16:25–33), He will encourage these men to stand firm in their faith.

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.