I hope you enjoyed the lighter reading load this morning. I could’ve made it long — chapter 12 adds fifty more verses — but there was so much to reflect on in the seventy-two verses of Matthew 10–11 that I left it there.

Sometimes it isn’t a specific phrase or doctrine that stirs me, but the image Scripture brings to mind. God’s Word is alive (Hebrews 4:12), and it speaks to each of us in different ways. The point of this devotional isn’t just to study — but to apply the lessons to your life. To let the Word shape how we live.
The Weight of the Commission
As I read Matthew 10:1, where Jesus sends His apostles out with authority to drive out impure spirits and heal every disease and sickness, the weight of that responsibility struck me. It reminded me of what it feels like to approach the pulpit — knowing you’re representing Jesus to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20).

That sense of burden brought me back to a different responsibility I carried as a child. I reflected on how the younger generation often misses certain formative experiences. They’re overloaded with homework and digital distractions, but one rite of passage from my generation seems to have vanished: the paper route.
The Paper Route and the Pulpit
For about two years, starting around age ten, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to deliver newspapers before school. I had two morning routes and another in the afternoon — ninety papers each morning. Rain or shine, sick or tired, it was my job to get those papers on porches before 6:00 a.m.

That routine taught me discipline, planning, and accountability. I had to stock up on rubber bands and plastic bags if rain was forecast. I had to know my customers — like Mrs. Myer, who only paid her bill on Tuesday afternoons. My brother had a route before me, and he taught me the ropes.

That same sense of preparation and responsibility carries into my ministry today. Every morning, I feel the weight of getting the next devotional posted, emailed, and shared. It’s not just content — it’s calling.
Sent with Instructions
Jesus had been modeling ministry for His disciples. Now, in Matthew 10, He sends them out with instructions. If a town doesn’t receive them, they’re not to argue or linger — they’re to move on (Matthew 10:14). Some battles are spiritual, and some demons only come out through prayer (Mark 9:29). Pride wants to win the argument, but Jesus says: pray, and keep moving.

When you enter a home, let your peace rest on it. If the demons in the home are going to fight you, let your peace return to you (Matthew 10:12–13). That peace is the Spirit. It flows when hearts are open, but it withdraws when they resist.

Jesus warns that those who reject the Gospel will face judgment worse than Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15). We do not carry that burden — ours is to proclaim, not to punish.
The Burden and the Promise
Jesus says people will persecute, hate, and even betray His disciples (Matthew 10:16–22). They must take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38). But He also promises that when they speak, it won’t be them — it will be the Spirit of the Father speaking through them (Matthew 10:19–20).

I’ve lived through this. Every time I approach the pulpit, I feel the weight. I don’t enjoy public speaking. But I pray: “Lord, empty me. Fill me with Your Spirit. Remove anything that’s from me and let it be all from You.” And He does. I’ve watched Him edit my sermons in real time. I’ve heard Him speak through me in ways I never planned. It’s humbling. It’s confirming.
The True Reward
This gives me confidence. Even if I’m attacked, it’s for His glory. And if I’m ever martyred for Him, that’s not a tragedy — it’s an honor. Some say, “You get to go to heaven.” But that misses the point.

We don’t serve Jesus to get to heaven. Heaven isn’t the reward — Jesus is. We go to heaven so we can be with Him. Worshipping at His feet will be the greatest responsibility we’ll ever carry. And the greatest joy.

I pray for each of you — that one day, you’ll have that opportunity.
Tomorrow, we will read Matthew 12-13.