Matthew 10:5-11
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Do not go to the Gentile regions and do not enter any town of the Samaritans,
6 but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom from the sky has approached.’
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
9 Do not purchase gold or silver or copper for your belts,
10 nor a bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, because the worker deserves his food.
11 And whatever town or village you enter, search for someone worthy in it and stay there until you leave.
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His advice to the workers in Galilee
Jesus had prayed for these men, taught them, equipped them, and commissioned them for a specific mission (Matthew 10:1-5). Their assignment was clear: they were to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and proclaim that the kingdom of heaven had drawn near (Matthew 10:6-7). Having been sent by Christ, they now had to trust that the One who called them would also sustain them. The God who sends workers into His harvest is also the God who provides for their needs. As Jesus had just reminded His disciples, “the worker is worthy of his food” (Matthew 10:10). Those engaged in His work are never outside His care, for the Lord who owns the harvest also cares for the laborers He sends into it (Matthew 9:37-38).
For that reason, Jesus instructed the twelve not to burden themselves with extra supplies or elaborate preparations. They were not to acquire gold, silver, or copper for their money belts, nor were they to carry extra provisions for the journey (Matthew 10:9-10). Their confidence was not to rest in what they possessed but in the faithfulness of the Lord who had sent them. As they traveled from village to village, they were to seek out worthy households, remain with those who received them, and devote themselves to the ministry entrusted to them (Matthew 10:11-13). Their chief concern was not personal comfort or financial security but faithful obedience to Christ’s command.
These instructions were given for this particular mission and were not intended as an unchanging pattern for every future ministry assignment. Later, Jesus would tell His disciples to make different practical preparations for the challenges they would face after His departure (Luke 22:35-36). In this earlier mission, however, the assignment itself became a test for the people of Israel. For centuries they had claimed to be waiting for God’s promised Messiah (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1). Now the King’s messengers were arriving in their towns and villages. Their response to the message would reveal the true condition of their hearts. Those who welcomed Christ’s representatives demonstrated a willingness to receive Him; those who rejected them showed that they were not truly longing for the Messiah they professed to expect (Matthew 10:14-15, 40).
The mission also taught the disciples an essential lesson about dependence on God. They learned that ministry ultimately advances not through human resources but through divine provision. Every open door, every meal received, and every opportunity to preach testified that God was already at work ahead of them. Like Israel in the wilderness, they were being taught to rely daily on the Lord’s care rather than on their own resources (Deuteronomy 8:3).
The same principle continues to guide Christ’s servants today. Wise planning has its place, but ultimate confidence belongs in God alone. Scripture repeatedly reminds believers that God will supply every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Those who seek first His kingdom can trust Him to provide what is necessary for faithful service (Matthew 6:31-33). Therefore, the call is to labor diligently, depend humbly upon God’s provision, and rest confidently in the truth that the Lord of the harvest still cares for His workers and faithfully supplies what He sends them to accomplish. (Matthew 9:38; Hebrews 13:5-6)
