Year of the Bible
Matthew 10
To access your family's year of the Bible resources for this week, click HERE
Bible Commentary:
In the tenth chapter of his Gospel, Matthew continues the theme of shepherding lost sheep. Jesus reveals that the message of the kingdom of heaven first is to be preached to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Even though the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 B.C., God hasn’t forgotten them. Jesus comes as the Father’s emissary, sent to seek and save the lost. In God’s divine plan, Jesus chooses 12 of his disciples to help him continue his own mission: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). The road to restoring humanity to divine sonship isn’t easy. Disciples of Jesus can expect to encounter many dangers and trials. Because of this, they must be equipped with the heart, mind and power of their master. To be an apostle—a word that means “one who is sent”—one first must be a disciplined learner. Once Christians grasp the fact that they’re joining God in an all-out search-and-rescue effort to bring back the Father’s lost children, they’ll be able to face trials and tribulations with true apostolic zeal.
The Twelve Disciples
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
The Mission of the Twelve
5 These Twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay. 9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, salute it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Coming Persecutions
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-elzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Whom to Fear
26 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Taking Up One’s Cross
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41 He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question for Today:
“Have no fear of them,” regardless of what they do to you, for not one of your hairs “will fall to the ground without your Father’s will” (10:29). The only thing to fear, Jesus tells us, is to be denied by him “before my Father who is in heaven” (10:33). Lord, in what things do I place my fear?
Bible Commentary; Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 91.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Mateo 10
1 Habiendo llamado a sus doce
discípulos, les dio potestad para
expulsar a los espíritus impuros y para
curar todas las enfermedades y dolencias.
2 Los nombres de los doce apóstoles
son éstos: primero Simón, llamado
Pedro, y su hermano Andrés; Santiago
el de Zebedeo y su hermano Juan; 3 Felipe
y Bartolomé; Tomás y Mateo, el publicano;
Santiago el de Alfeo, y Tadeo;
4 Simón el Cananeo y Judas Iscariote, el
que le entregó.
5 A estos doce los envió Jesús, después
de darles estas instrucciones:
–No vayáis a tierra de gentiles ni entréis
en ciudad de samaritanos; 6 sino id
primero a las ovejas perdidas de la casa
de Israel. 7 Id y predicad: El Reino de
los Cielos está al llegar. 8 Curad a los
enfermos, resucitad a los muertos, sanad
a los leprosos, expulsad los demonios.
Gratuitamente lo recibisteis, dadlo
gratuitamente. 9 No llevéis oro, ni plata,
ni dinero en vuestras bolsas, 10 ni alforja
para el camino, ni dos túnicas, ni sandalias,
ni bastón, porque el que trabaja
merece su sustento.
11 »En cualquier ciudad o aldea en
que entréis, informaos sobre quién hay
en ella que sea digno; y quedaos allí hasta
que os vayáis. 12 Al entrar en una casa
dadle vuestro saludo. 13 Si la casa fuera
digna, venga vuestra paz sobre ella; pero
si no fuera digna, que vuestra paz vuelva
a vosotros. 14 Si alguien no os acoge
ni escucha vuestras palabras, al salir de
aquella casa o ciudad, sacudíos el polvo
de los pies. 15 En verdad os digo que en el
día del Juicio la tierra de Sodoma y Gomorra
será tratada con menos rigor que
esa ciudad.
16 Mirad que yo os envío como ovejas
en medio de lobos. Por eso, sed sagaces
como las serpientes y sencillos como
las palomas. 17 Guardaos de los hombres,
porque os entregarán a los tribunales,
os azotarán en sus sinagogas, 18 y
seréis llevados ante los gobernadores y
reyes por causa mía, para que deis testimonio
ante ellos y los gentiles. 19 Pero
cuando os entreguen, no os preocupéis
de cómo o qué debéis decir; porque en
aquel momento se os comunicará lo que
vais a decir. 20 Pues no sois vosotros los
que vais a hablar, sino que será el Espíritu
de vuestro Padre quien hable en vosotros.
21 Entonces el hermano entregará
a la muerte al hermano, y el padre al
hijo; y se levantarán los hijos contra los
padres para hacerles morir. 22 Y todos
os odiarán a causa de mi nombre; pero
quien persevere hasta el fin, ése se salvará.
23 Cuando os persigan en una ciudad,
huid a otra; en verdad os digo que
no acabaréis las ciudades de Israel antes
que venga el Hijo del Hombre.
24 No está el discípulo por encima del
maestro, ni el siervo por encima de
su señor. 25 Al discípulo le basta llegar a ser
como su maestro, y al siervo como su señor.
Si al amo de la casa le han llamado Beelzebul,
cuánto más a los de su misma casa.
26 No les tengáis miedo, porque
nada hay oculto que no vaya a ser descubierto,
ni secreto que no llegue a saberse.
27 Lo que os digo en la oscuridad,
decidlo a plena luz; y lo que escuchasteis
al oído, pregonadlo desde los terrados.
28 No tengáis miedo a los que matan
el cuerpo pero no pueden matar el
alma; temed ante todo al que puede hacer
perder alma y cuerpo en el infierno.
29 ¿No se vende un par de pajarillos por
un as? Pues bien, ni uno solo de ellos
caerá en tierra sin que lo permita vuestro
Padre. 30 En cuanto a vosotros, hasta
los cabellos de vuestra cabeza están
todos contados. 31 Por tanto, no tengáis
miedo: vosotros valéis más que muchos
pajarillos.
32 A todo el que me confiese delante
de los hombres, también yo le confesaré
delante de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
33 Pero al que me niegue delante de
los
hombres, también yo le negaré delante
de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
34 No penséis que he venido a traer
la paz a la tierra. No he venido a traer
la paz sino la espada. 35 Porque he venido
a enfrentar
al hombre contra su padre,
a la hija contra su madre
y a la nuera contra su suegra.
36 Y los enemigos del hombre
serán los de su misma casa.
37 Quien ama a su padre o a su madre
más que a mí, no es digno de mí;
y quien ama a su hijo o a su hija más
que a mí, no es digno de mí. 38 Quien no
toma su cruz y me sigue, no es digno de
mí. 39 Quien encuentre su vida, la perderá;
pero quien pierda por mí su vida, la
encontrará.
40 Quien a vosotros os recibe, a mí
me recibe, y quien me recibe a mí, recibe
al que me ha enviado. 41 Quien recibe
a un profeta por ser profeta obtendrá
recompensa de profeta, y quien recibe a
un justo por ser justo obtendrá recompensa
de justo. 42 Y cualquiera que dé de
beber tan sólo un vaso de agua fresca a
uno de estos pequeños por el hecho de
ser discípulo, en verdad os digo que no
quedará sin recompensa.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina para el día de hoy
"No tengan miedo de ellos," sin importar lo que les hagan, pues ni uno de tus cabellos "caerá al suelo sin la voluntad de su Padre" (10:29). La única cosa que hay que temer, nos dice Jesús, es ser negados por él "ante mi Padre que está en el Cielo" (10:33). ¿Señor, en qué cosas pongo mi miedo?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).