This week's gospel text closes out Matthew's chapter-long missionary discourse. In 10:1, Jesus gives the Twelve their marching orders, and the similarity between the mission of the Twelve and Jesus' own mission is striking. Both healing and preaching are key parts of their repertoire. But the news is not all good, for Jesus reveals to the faithful that they will face along the way hardship and persecution from many sources, even from their own families.
The final verses of this mission-instruction chapter again emphasize the close relationship between Jesus and his disciples that was implied in verse 1. Not only are the disciples to carry out activities that mirror Jesus' own healing (v.1) and preaching (v.7), they are to be representatives of Jesus wherever they go. In traditional Jewish …