Matthew 10:1 — Community Reflections

MATTHEW 10:1 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

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 affliction. The commissioning of the twelve moves from the prayer for laborers (9:38) to the sending of laborers. Jesus first gives authority — the authority to heal and exorcise is delegated, not manufactured, and the delegation is explicit. The twelve disciples receive the same comprehensive authority that Jesus has exercised in chapters 8–9: over unclean spirits (8:28–32; 9:32–33) and over every disease and every affliction (4:23; 9:35). The kingdom authority that belongs to the Son is extended to those the Son sends. John 20:21 records the risen Jesus saying: as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you — the chain of mission and authority.

Church Fathers on Matthew 10:1

From the healing of Peter’s wife’s mother to this place there has been a continued succession of miracles; and they were done before the Sermon upon the Mount, as we know for certain from Matthew’s call, which is placed among them; for he was one of the twelve chosen to the Apostleship upon the mount. He here returns to the order of events, taking it up again at the healing of the centurion’s servant; saying, 'And calling to him his twelve disciples.'
Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · ord.

The Evangelist had related above that the Lord exhorted His disciples to pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His vineyard; and He now seems to be fulfilling what He had exhorted them to. For the number twelve is a perfect number, being made up of the number six, which has perfection because it is formed of its own parts, one, two, three, multiplied into one another; and the number six when doubled amounts to twelve.
Remigius · 9th century

For the number twelve, which is made up of three into four, denotes that through the four quarters of the world they were to preach the faith of the holy Trinity.
Bede · 8th century

Read all 28 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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