Matthew 10:1-15: a reflection

1He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. 10Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 11Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. 12As you enter into the household, greet it. 13If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Jesus sends out the twelve with real authority, to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and proclaim the kingdom. And into the commissioning he tucks a principle that governs how they are to use what they have been given: freely you received; freely give. What they had received from Jesus, the message, the healing, the grace, had come to them as a free gift, unearned; and so they were to pass it on the same way, freely, not selling it, not trading on it, not making it a means of profit.

Notice the logic. Because they received freely, they were to give freely. What comes to us as a gift is not ours to commercialize or hoard; it is meant to flow through us to others in the same spirit it came, without charge, without strings. The disciples had not earned the power to heal or the good news to preach; it was given. So it was to be given away, freely, as they had received.

That principle governs everything we have received from God by grace, our forgiveness, our knowledge of him, the gifts and mercy poured into us. None of it was earned; all of it was free. And Jesus' word is that grace received is to become grace given, flowing through open hands rather than clutched or sold. Where God has been generous to you, freely giving forgiveness, comfort, wisdom, help, let it flow freely on to others, not hoarded, not made a transaction. Freely you received; freely give.

Lord, everything I have received from you, forgiveness, grace, the knowledge of you, your gifts, came as a free gift, unearned. Keep me from hoarding it or making it a transaction. Help me pass on freely what I have freely received, letting your grace flow through open hands to others. Freely I received from you; help me freely give.