Lots of people loved Jesus. He was kind and compassionate, an attentive listener, an amazing teacher, and a miraculous healer. People even followed him home hoping to have a few precious minutes with him. When he responded to them they came away changed forever.

But Jesus ran into opposition, too, and in surprising places sometimes – like his hometown of Nazareth. So when he was ready to send the disciples out to do ministry on their own, Jesus warned them that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy.

The Kindness of Jesus

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:35-36

Jesus was the most righteous man who ever lived; and if ever there was a person who was entitled to cynicism about the human condition, it was he.

He saw how people caused suffering for themselves and others when they sinned. He understood how hard their hearts could be, and he knew that some of them wanted to control him for their own purposes, yet his response to people was deep compassion. He saw crowds of people who were in a helpless condition – like sheep without a shepherd – and his heart went out to them.

Jesus was so kind that even when a long day was over, and two blind men followed him into the place where he was staying, he took time to care for them.

“When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and He asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’

“‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied.

“Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you,’ and their sight was restored.” Matthew 9:28-30

As those two men were going out of the house, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t talk was brought to him. Jesus drove the demon out and the man was able to speak, amazing the crowd who exclaimed, “Nothing like this has ever been done in Israel.” Matthew 9:33

No one else had ever had the power Jesus had.

Rejection and Opposition

Jesus wasn’t cynical about people, but some people were cynical about him. The Pharisees persisted in spreading the rumor that Jesus didn’t heal with the divine power of God. They said he drove out demons because he served Satan.

The Pharisees weren’t alone in their cynical view of Jesus. When he went back to Nazareth and taught in the synagogue the people who had known him all his life wondered who he thought he was.

“‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.” Mark 6:2-3

Jesus wasn’t surprised by their response because he knew all about human nature. But he was sad that they lacked the faith that would have allowed him to do more miracles in Nazareth.

Sending Out the Twelve

Jesus’ plan for expanding his ministry was to train his twelve apostles to do what they had seen him doing. When his time on earth was over, these men would carry on the ministry and disciple others to do the same – each generation teaching the next generation.

Jesus wanted the Twelve to trust the Father for everything they needed the way he did. So he told them not to take any food, changes of clothes or money when he sent them out to preach. They were to go into the towns and villages and stay with whoever invited them in until it was time to move on.

Expecting townspeople to invite strangers into their homes seems odd to us now, but in Bible times most people made room for travelers in their homes. People never knew when they might need accommodation in a strange town themselves so they were generous with visitors.

Once the Apostles started preaching they discovered that some of the towns weren’t so welcoming after all. When that happened, Jesus gave them permission to leave the place and shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against the town. It was like saying, “I wash my hands of this situation.” Once the Apostles delivered the message and it was rejected, they were free to move on.

Jesus gave them the amazing authority to cast out demons.  This was a great help in a land where demons wielded so much power. Soon the Apostles discovered God had given them the power to heal people, too. Jesus told them,

“Go to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:6-8

Sent Out Like Sheep Among Wolves

Jesus knew the dangers that lay ahead of the people he sent out. They were going to be arrested by local authorities and flogged in the synagogues for declaring Jesus was the Messiah and for teaching his message.

Some of them would even appear before Gentile governors and kings and become witnesses to them about Jesus. He told them not to worry about what they would say when they had to defend themselves, “for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:20

It wouldn’t just be the authorities who would persecute the followers of Jesus. His message caused divisions among all kinds of people as those who hated the message turned against those who embraced it. It was the inevitable fallout from people’s response to truth.

“Do not suppose the I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’” Matthew 10:34-36

The Paradox of Jesus

Jesus was completely gentle, kind, approachable, and compassionate to people. But he was also unyielding with the truth about who he was. He knew his divine worth and he expected his followers to honor it. If he didn’t mean more to them than any other relationship – or even their own lives – they were not worthy to be called his followers.

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Life was in Jesus; to look for life anywhere else was to lose it. But whoever was willing to give up everything to follow Jesus found real life, eternal life.

Having heard all of this from Jesus, the Apostles had a decision to make. With their very lives on the line, would they still follow him and go where he sent them? They answered the question with their actions.

“So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” Luke 9:6