The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 7: Matthew 8 – 11:5, by Kevin M. Williams
Harsh words? Maybe. But if only one person is moved to consider his fellow man with the compassionate heart of God, then it is worth writing.
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What was so unique about Yeshua’s ministry that men and women might truly believe that He was the Messiah of Israel and the world? Here is where we examine the sod, or deeply spiritual interpretation of these passages. The Temple moved from a bricks and mortar structure on Mount Zion and began moving across the country and ultimately, the world.
And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness . . . These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “ . . . Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give” (Matthew 10: 1-8).
First, He was proving to the Israelites, and ultimately the world at large, that a person no longer had to travel all the way to Jerusalem to find purity, healing, or freedom from unclean spirits. One no longer had to conquer vast distances to draw near to God and to confirm repentance. Suddenly, in a single command, the power of the Temple and the priesthood—the power of the Messiah—had feet to take what Jerusalem, the Temple, and the priesthood represented to the people, to the masses.
This was unique. Certainly other “messiahs” had followers, and it was somewhat routine to send them out on “missionary journeys.” But the fruits of this expedition were unique. The miracles were being multiplied and even the disciples were amazed at what was being accomplished through them:
And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20).
The uniqueness of Yeshua’s ministry was that it was not limited to one man, one leader, or one priest. His ministry was contagious. Previously, the unclean “things” were predominant, making other things unclean. Now, through the sending out of the disciples, purity was spreading over the land in a unprecedented and magnetic way. The Kingdom of God was at hand.
Secondly, this new mobile temple did not require a unique tribe. It was comprised of fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, and other people like you and like me. It only required that they be disciples of the Messiah Yeshua.
This had never been done before! Certainly Moses had met with the 70 elders of Israel and they had prophesied, but nothing on this scale, nothing with this potential impact had ever been attempted—let alone been successful!
Yeshua instructs His disciples, “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff.” (Matthew 10:9-10). Compare this with the words of the Mishnah regarding approaching the Temple, “When going up to the Temple Mount, do not take gold, silver, copper, bag, tunic, staff or sandals” (Mishnah Barkkot 9:5). The similarities are difficult to dispel as mere coincidence. The temple, with all of its Old Testament spirituality, was going to be on the move—“to the ends of the earth.”
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Category: Biblical Studies, Fall 2002, Pneuma Review
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