(Text and Audio)
Title: The Full Qualification
Today we reach the end of Jesus’ impassioned teaching as he is about to send the 12 out for the first time without Jesus himself present. And if we look to the text, we see that, starting in verse 32, Jesus begins using a pattern to distinguish the qualification of who are, and who are not his true disciples.
Consider:
- 32 Confesses=true disciple, does not confess=not a disciple
- 37 loves father and mother more than me=not a disciple,
loves son or daughter more than me=not a disciple
- 38 does not take up his cross=not a disciple
And today that discussion culminates with the last of Jesus’ teaching on qualification of a true disciple. Let us pray that the Lord would help us use these qualifications to ask ourselves some tough questions to make sure we are truly following him.
- Reception
We are going to talk about three topics today, and the first is the issue of reception. Jesus flatly says in verse 40 than any person who receives one of the apostles is also receiving Jesus.
You may recall from our study in 2 John a few years back that in the first century the term “receive” means to accept and welcome into your life and home, to acknowledge and submit to the teaching and beliefs of another.
This is why John says “If anyone comes to you but does not present his teachings, do not receive him…” (2 John 1:10)
The point is that this is about more than mere hospitality, this is about agreement and being of one accord.
If the disciples are diligent to teach the Gospel accurately, and someone receives what the apostles have to say, the have in fact also received Jesus.
It is the same for us today. We, as ambassadors of Christ, go forth into the world, accurate representing the Gospel message, in its entirety, and if someone comes to a place of surrender to these great truths, we do not proclaim, “Congratulations, you have accepted me into your heart! You are now my disciple!”
We tell them what? That they now belong to Christ. They are his disciples, as are all of us who receive his teaching.
- Reward
In verse 40 Jesus uses two examples (a prophet, and a righteous man) to illustrate the same point: That if you receive these men and their teachings, you will effectively receive the same reward as them.
So the question quickly becomes: What is this reward? I want it!
But that’s the wrong question. The better question is to look at the prophet, look at the righteous man and ask: What makes him a prophet? What makes him righteous?
Prophet: One called by God, to proclaim His Word, often to a specific group at a specific time
Righteous Man: One who was not born righteous, nor disciplined himself to be righteous, but rather was made righteous by God.
Now, these two men do receive a reward, but that’s really a given, because no one chooses to become a prophet (at least not a real one), and no one chooses to be righteous (at least not authentically). God chooses them. And in so choosing, he prepares, trains, and rewards his good and faithful servants.
So the subtle point that Jesus makes here is rather profound. In receiving the servant, you are receiving the master. In receiving the master, you are now able to receive His treasure.
- Refreshment
The last point that Jesus makes in verse can be misunderstood if we don’t look carefully. The key is how we understand “little ones.”
Our instinct is to usually understand “little ones” as what? (Take answers)
But the broader sense of what Jesus is teaching here may or may not involve children, but it definitely means “small ones.” And, as I will show you, the Greek word used here “mikros” can mean age, but it is not limited to age.
Mikros (small, little)
a) of size: hence of stature, of length
b) of space
c) of age: less by birth, younger
d) of time: short, brief, a little while, how little!
e) of quantity: i.e. number, amount
- f) of rank or influence
So if we take the full definition of mikros into account, we see the much larger scale of person (no pun intended) that Jesus is talking about. Jesus is saying, “Whoever gives (one of these people that society doesn’t highly regard, or pay much attention to) refreshment (here, a cold drink, possibly an illusion to living water), that person shall NOT lose their reward.”
In other words: It is good to minister to the forgotten, they too, may be my disciples.
Close:
As we close I’d like for us to use all that we’ve talked about for the past four weeks to provide a list of qualifying questions upon our own walks, to see if we are fitting the description of a true disciple.
- 1. Do you confess Jesus before men? (Or are you politely quiet, out of fear?)
- 2. Do you love Jesus more than your parents, children, and spouse? (And would your actions prove that or deny that?)
- 3. Do you take up your cross and suffer daily? (Or do you just suffer selectively, those things that you are willing to bear, and ignore the other sufferings?)
- 4. Do you receive other men and women of God? (Or are you too proud to submit to, or learn from, other Christians…even if they are not part of your church, or denomination?)
- 5. Do you minister to the mikros? (Or are you too uncomfortable, and instead say, “I’ll support other missions to handle those people…they just are not in my comfort zone.”)