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Agape Bible Study
Matthew 8 - 10
Chapter 8 ~ Jesus the Healer
Matthew chapters 8-10:4 contain the second narrative section and Jesus' second discourse, entitled "the Missionary Discourse" is found in 10:5-10:42. The second narrative-discourse section is completed in 11:1 with the formula statement: When Jesus finished giving these commands ... The narrative section contains ten miracle stories. The miracles take place in or near either the town of Capernaum or by the shores of the Sea of Galilee:
- The cleansing of a leper (8:1-4)
- The healing of the centurion's servant (8:5-13)
- The healing of Simon-Peter's mother-in-law (8:14-15)
- The healing of people possessed by demons and the sick in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:4 (8:16-17)
- The calming of the storm at sea (8:23-27)
- The healing of the Gadarene demoniacs (8:28-34)
- The healing of a paralytic (9:1-8)
- The healing of the official's daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage (9:18-26)
- The healing of two bind men (9:27-31)
- The healing of a mute (9:32-34)
Matthew 8:1-4 ~ Cleansing a Leper
The Gospel of Luke provides the information that when Jesus came down from the mountain a great crowd of people awaited Him, coming from as far away as Judea and Jerusalem and the Gentile costal region of Tyre and Sidon. Luke records that they came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean sprits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all (Lk 6:17-19).
St. Matthew tells us that among those in need of healing was a man suffering from leprosy. He approaches Jesus humbly and respectfully, addressing Jesus as "Lord."
Matthew 8:5-13 ~ The Healing of the Centurion's Servant
Capernaum was the headquarters of Jesus' public ministry (Mt 4:13). In Hebrew it means "village of Nahum." It is a town on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, located about two and one-half miles from the mouth of the Jordan River and was the headquarters of Peter, Andrew and the Zebedee family's fishing business. St. Peter lived in Capernaum with his family and his wife and her mother. Outside of the Gospels, the town is mentioned by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, by Jewish Talmudic sources, and in the accounts of Christian pilgrims from the Byzantine period.
Matthew 8:14-15 ~ The Healing of Peter's Mother-in-Law
14 Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.
This healing takes place in Peter's house in Capernaum.
Question: Jesus' miracles were not limited to public healings. How is this healing different from the others we have been reading about?
Answer: There was no petition for healing; Jesus saw the need and He responded.
Question: How did Peter's mother-in-law express her gratitude?
Answer: She immediately rose from her sick-bed and "waited on" Jesus; perhaps she got Him something to eat.
Matthew 8:16-17 ~ Healing in fulfillment of the Scriptures
16 When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, 17 to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: "He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases."
This is another of the ten fulfillment statements in Matthew's Gospel. In verse 17 St. Matthew quotes from Isaiah 53:4.
Matthew 8:18-22 ~ The cost of discipleship
The crowds had grown to be so great they may have become unsafe. Jesus gave orders to withdraw to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. Before they depart, Jesus is approached by two men, one desiring to become a disciple and a man who was already a disciple who wanted to make a request for a leave of absence.
Matthew 8:23-27 ~ Jesus Calms the Sea
In this translation the crisis is a sudden storm. However, in the Greek text, the crisis that causes the huge waves is not a storm "the word in Greek is seismos, meaning "earthquake" (also see Mt 27:51-53). This is a word that has apocalyptic overtones and recalls the prophecy of Ezekiel: ...and in my jealousy, in my fiery wrath, I swear: On that day there shall be a great shaking upon the land of Israel. Before me shall tremble the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, the beasts of the field and all the reptiles that crawl upon the ground, and all men who are on the land ... I will prove my greatness and holiness and make myself known in the sight of many nations; thus they shall know that I am the LORD (Ez 38:19-23).
Matthew 8:28-34 ~ The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs
Jesus and His disciples crossed to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. The town of Gadara was about five miles southeast of the sea (see Mk 5:1-10 and Lk 8:26-29). Flavius Josephus refers to this town as possessing the territory that extended to the sea coast (Josephus, Life 9 [42]). This side of the Sea of Galilee was composed of mostly Gentile communities; Gadara was one of the Greek culture cities of the Decapolis ("ten cities").
The two demon possessed men were living in the chambers of rock hewn tombs. Jesus' confrontation with these two men recalls Isaiah 65:2-4: I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in evil paths and follow their own thoughts; people who provoke me continually, to my face, offering sacrifices in the groves and burning incense on bricks, living among the graves and spending the night in caverns, eating swine's flesh with carrion broth in their dishes ... Contact with the dead made one "unclean" as did eating unclean animals like pigs (Lev 11:7; Dt 14:8).
Chapter 9 ~ Jesus Returns to Capernaum
Matthew 9:1-8 ~ The Healing of the Paralytic
Jesus and His Apostles crossed to the northwest side of the lake and returned to Capernaum. There, some people brought Him a man who was paralyzed.
Question: What was it about the friends of the paralyzed man that impressed Jesus? See St. Mark's account in Mk 2:1-12.
Answer: They were so determined to get Jesus' help for their friend that they removed the roof of Peter's house to lower their friend's bed down into the room where Jesus was staying.
Matthew 9:9-13 ~ The Call of St. Matthew
St. Matthew, as was the duty of all tax collectors (telonai), was sitting at his customs post (telonion), probably a tollbooth at which fees were collected on goods (especially barrels of salted fish) as they were transported out of the tetrarchy of the Galilee to other parts of the provinces. His name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name meaning "gift of God." Like the other Apostles called by Jesus to "Follow me," St. Matthew, also known as Levi (Mk 2:13-14; Lk 5:27-28), leaves his profession and his comfortable life to follow Jesus. Like Elisha (1 Kings 19:21) Matthew appears to be saying goodbye to his old life by giving a feast and sharing his decision to follow Jesus with his friends, exposing them to what could be a life altering experience in sharing a meal with the Messiah and His disciples (verse 10). The literal Greek translation records that the guests "reclined" at the banquet table. It was at that time the custom to observe the Greek form of formal dining by resting on a couch with the couches radiating out from a banquet table in a U shape or resting on a bank of couches in a U shape around small tables (also in Mt 26:20 at the Last Supper). A room in this formal banquet arrangement was called in the Latin a triclinium.
Matthew 9:14-17 ~ A Question about the Practice of Fasting
The Pharisees' criticism of Jesus may have prompted the disciples of John the Baptist to question Jesus on the different rules of fasting observed by His disciples as opposed to John's disciples and the Pharisees. Jesus answers their question with a parable.
Question: Who is the "bridegroom" and who are the "wedding guests" in the parable?
Answer: Jesus is the bridegroom and the wedding guests are those who have come to embrace His Gospel message of salvation.
| Old versus new cloth and wineskins | Old versus New Covenant |
| Old cloth cannot be patched with new cloth; the new, unshrunken cloth will not properly fit the old garment when the garment is washed and shrinks. | The Old Covenant was necessary for its time to cover the covenant people in righteousness, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a new garment that cannot become a patch for the Old Covenant. |
| Old wineskins have already stretched to capacity with the fermentation of the wine. If new wine is poured into old skins, the fermenting wine will expand and burst the skins and both will be destroyed. | The eternal gifts of the New Covenant cannot be contained within the limits of the Old Covenant. The eternal gifts of God's grace that fill the children of God in the New Covenant must fulfill and transform the Old Covenant. |
Matthew 9:18-26 ~ The Official's Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage
Here we have two healing miracles told within one story. The linking of the stories is significant. Please read St. Mark's more detailed version of the story in 5:21-43. Mark includes a number of additional details that reveal the significance of the story and its relationship to the nation of Israel. We discover from Mark's account that the girl Jesus raised from the dead was 12 years old (Mk 5:42). We also discover that the name of her father was Jairus (Mk 5:22).
| The Official's Daughter | The Bleeding Woman | Israel |
| The official calls her his "daughter" (Mt 9:18; Mk 5:23) | Jesus calls the woman "daughter" (Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34) | Both the girl and the woman are "daughters" of Israel |
| The official's daughter is 12 years old (Mk 5:42) | The woman bled for 12 years (Mt 9:20; Mk 5:25) | 12 is the number of Israel "originally composed of 12 tribes |
| Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Mt 9:25; Mk 5:42) | Jesus healed the bleeding woman (Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34) | Jesus came to heal the faithful remnant of Israel and raised the faithful remnant of Israel from bondage to death to new life in Christ Jesus. |
Michal E. Hunt © 2011 | ||
Matthew 9:27-31 ~ The Healing of Two Blind Men
Question: These men are blind but in what way do they address Jesus that shows their spiritual sight is better than many of the people surrounding Jesus?
Answer: They immediately address Jesus as the "son of David," meaning they are acknowledging that Jesus is the Messiah and the Davidic heir prophesied by the prophets.
After Jesus heals the men, He again asks them to keep the miracle a secret. However, they joy cannot be contained and the spread word of Jesus' great act of mercy.
Matthew 9:32-34 ~ The Healing of a Mute
Question: The Pharisees do not deny Jesus has power as a healer, but in their jealousy what do they claim concerning Jesus' miracles?
Answer: They claim that Jesus heals by the power of Satan.
This unpardonable accusation highlights the Pharisees growing hostility to Jesus. When the Pharisees make a similar accusation in Matthew 12:24 Jesus rebukes them, calling their accusation that He heals not by the power of the Holy Spirit but by the power of Satan a sin against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:31-32). The Pharisees and the chief priests have become the failed shepherds of Israel.
Matthew 9:35-37 ~ The Distress of the People and the Compassion of Jesus
Jesus could see that the hierarchy of the Old Covenant Church had failed the people "they were "sheep without a shepherd." Jesus' compassion for the people and their condition recalls similar metaphors in Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Judith 11:19, and especially the passages from Ezekiel chapter 34.
Matthew 10:1-4 ~ The Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles
Question: In what order does St. Matthew list the Apostles?
Answer: He lists them in six groups of two each.
In the three other lists, the Apostles are grouped in three groups of four names (Mk 3:13-14; Lk 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). Also notice that the Apostles St. Matthew lists first are those who met Jesus along the Jordan River when St. John pointed Jesus out to the crowd (Jn 1:35-51). After Jesus left the region of St. John's ministry along the Jordan, He traveled to the Galilee where He met Philip (Jn 1:43), who appears fifth in the list. They are not named in the same order in which they met Him, however. Nor are the names repeated in other lists in the same order, but Peter is always named first in every list of the Apostles in the Gospels and in Acts, and Judas Iscariot's name is always last in the lists (Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:13-14; Lk 6:12-16; Acts 1:13).
THE TWELVE APOSTLES
| Apostle | Occupation, Accomplishments & Some key Scripture references | Death |
| Simon-Peter son of John | Peter is always named first in the lists of the Apostles. He was a Fisherman who became the "prince of Apostles." He is the Holy Spirit inspired writer of two epistles to the Universal Church which bear his name. As Christ's Vicar of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth he preached in Asia Minor 7 yrs. founding the Church in Antioch [Turkey] and later established the Church's headquarters in Rome where he served as Bishop 25 yrs. As the leader of the Church he presided over the first Great Council in Jerusalem in 49AD (Acts 15). Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Jn 1:41-2; Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Lk 5 Mt 10:1-4; Mk 3:16; Lk 6:14; Mt 14:29 Mt 16:16-22*; 17:1-4; Jn 6:68; 13:37 Lk 22:31-4; 24:12, 34; Jn 21:7-19 Acts 1:13-22; 2:14-40; 3:11-4:31; 5:27-32; 9:32-11:18; 12:1-19; 15:7-12 Gal 2:9; 1 & 2 Peter. | Peter was martyred in Rome by the Roman authorities as prophesized by Jesus in John 21:18-19. Peter was crucifixion, at his request, upside down c. 67 AD. He shares his feast day with St. Paul on June 29th. |
| James son of Zebedee "James the greater" | Fisherman; business partner of Simon-Peter; brother of John and son of Zebedee and Salome. His mother followed Jesus and helped to support Jesus' ministry. Jesus called the Zebedee brothers the "Sons of Thunder." James preached the Gospel in Sardinia and in Spain. He is the patron saint of Spain. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 4:21; 10:2; 10:2; Mk 1:19, 29; 10:41; 14:33; Lk 9:28, 54 Acts 1:13;12:2 | After returning to Jerusalem be became the first Apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2). He was beheaded on the order of King Herod Agrippa I near the feast of Easter c.44 AD. His feast day is July 25th. |
| John son of Zebedee | Fisherman and business partner of Simon-Peter; brother of James; close friend of Andrew. The Church fathers identify him as the Holy Spirit inspired writer of the 4th Gospel, and as the "beloved disciple." He preached the Gospel in Asia Minor and is honored as the father of Eastern Rite Catholics; Bishop of Ephesus; imprisoned on the penal colony of Patmos where he received the final revelation of Jesus Christ to the Church. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Jn 1:38-39; Mt 4:21;10:2; 17:1; Mk 10:35-41; 13:3; 14:33; Lk 9:28, 49, 54; 22:8; Jn 1:36; 13:23; 18:16?;19:26; 20:1-8, 12; ; 21:7, 20-25; Acts 1:13; 3:1-11; 4:1-23; 8:14-25; Gal 2:9; Rev 1:1, 4, 9, 22:8 | John was the only Apostle to die of old age. His long life was prophesized by Jesus in Jn 21:20-23. Tradition places his death circa 90-96? AD. His tomb is venerated at Ephesus in modern Turkey. St. John's feast day is Dec. 27th. |
| Andrew Son of John | Brother of Simon-Peter; he worked in the fishing business with Simon and the Zebedee brothers. Preached the Gospel in Asia Minor, Armenia, and Scythia [southern Russia]; and possible Greece. He is honored as the patron saint of Russia. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Jn 1:40-44; Mt 4:18; 10:2; Mk 1:16, 29; 3:18; 13:3; Lk 6:14; Jn 6:8; 12:22; Acts 1:13 | Date of martyrdom unknown. Stoned and crucified in Scythia (?) on an X shaped cross. His feast day is November 30th. |
| James son of Alphaeus "James the Lesser" | Not to be confused with James the 1st Bishop of Jerusalem. James, son of Alphaeus, preached the Gospel in Syria and founded the Syrian Church. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; 15:40; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13 | Martyred by stoning, date unknown. His feast day is May 3rd. |
| Philip | From the same home town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee. Not to be confused with the deacon Phillip in Acts of Apostles. This Jewish Apostles has an entirely Greek name meaning "lover of horses." Like Peter, Andrew, James and John he was first introduced to Jesus at John the Baptist's baptismal site on the east side of the Jordan River just after Jesus decided to return to the Galilee "a seven day journey (Jn 1:43). Philip brought his friend Nathaniel to Jesus. Philip may have been a Greek-culture Jew; it appears that Gentiles who wished to approach Jesus sought him out (Jn 12:20-21). According to tradition he preached the Gospel 20 yrs. in Scythia [southern Russia]. It is also believed that he preached in Phrygia [Turkey], Galatia, and in Gaul [France]. He lived his last years at Hierapolis in Asia Minor with his daughters, 2 of whom were prophetesses. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Jn 1:43; Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 3:1; 6:14; Jn 1:43-48; 6:5-7; 12:21-22; 14:8-9; Jn 12:20-21; Acts 1:13 | Martyred and is buried at the Turkish city of Hierapolis, according to the letters of Papias, 2nd century AD Christian bishop of Hierapolis. His feast day, shared with St. James the Lesser, is May 3rd. |
| Thomas also known as "Didymas" meaning "Twin" | Thomas preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia, including Babylon in modern Iraq, in Asia Minor, later preached in Parthia [what had been the Persian empire], and in India, reaching Cranaganore on the Malabar coast of southwest India in c. 52AD. Later when Jews who fled Judea after the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD arrived in India, he led many Jews into the New Covenant Church. He is considered the Father of the Church in India. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Jn 11:16; 14:5; 20:24-28; 21:2; Acts 1:13. | Martyred by the sword while praying at the altar of his church in India. The traditional burial site atop St. Thomas Mount in Madras, India has been venerated for at least 1,500 years. Indian Christians still make pilgrimages to his shrines and call themselves "Thomasites." His feast day is July 3rd. |
| Bartholomew = (possibly) son of Tolmai or Talmai | Saints Bartholomew and Thaddeus are honored as the "First Illuminators of Armenia" where they performed many miracles sowed the first seeds of Christianity. Both saints also traveled and preached in what is today modern Iraq and Iran. They are patron saints of Armenia wher e their shrines are still venerated today. There is also some evidence that he preached in Greece and India. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13 | He suffered martyrdom in Armenia by being flayed alive. His feast day is August 24th. |
| Matthew also known as Levi and as son of Alpheus | The tax collector and publican [official] whose tax office was located in Capernaum. As a Levite he was the only member of the ministerial priesthood of the Old Covenant who was called to be one of the 12 Apostles. Some scholars believe he was a brother of James son of Alpheus, but the Gospels which identify relationships between Apostles, do not make this connection. He is the Holy Spirit inspired writer of the 1st Gospel which bears his name and which was written to convert the Jews to Christianity. Later he is believed to have spread the Gospel in Parthia (Persia) and into Asiatic Ethiopia south of the Caspian Sea, Egypt and Macedonian Greece. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 9:9-10; 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13 | Martyred in Egypt or Persia, either by the sword or spear. He is the only Apostle mentioned in the Jewish Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud [Sanhedrin 43a] records his trial and execution. His tomb is believed to be in Salerno, Italy. His feast day is September 21st. |
| Simon the Zealot known as Simon the Canaanite | Possibly a revolutionary apposed to Roman rule who instead helped to lead the revolution to change the world. Believed to have preached the Gospel in Cyrene and other areas of North Africa including Egypt. He travelled as far as Britain before returning to preach in Persia. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order): Mt 10:4; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13 | Martyred by crucifixion either in the Persian city of Suanir or in Roman Britain. His feast day is October 28th. |
| Thaddeus (Judas son of James) | He first preached in Samaria, then in Idumea, Libya, Syria and Mesopotamia before traveling to Edessa in Asia Minor to preach the Gospel. In the company of St. Bartholomew he founded the Church in Armenia. Some key Scripture passages (in chronological order) Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:16; Jn 14:22; Acts 1:13 | He suffered martyrdom in Armenia. His feast day is shared with St. Simon the Zealot on October 28th. |
| Judas son of Simon Iscariot; also called "Ishkeriot" = man of Kerioth | Judas is always named last in the four lists of the Apostles. Some scholars believe he was from the town of Kerioth mentioned in Joshua 15:25 and that his name should be rendered ish Kerioth = "man of Kerioth". Jesus identified him in Jn 6:70 as "a devil." He was the treasurer of the group and was therefore responsible for giving alms to the poor, but he stole from the collection (Jn 12:4-6; 13:29). Some key scripture passages (in chronological order) Mt 10:4; 26:14-16, 25, 47-49; 27:3-10; Jn 12:6; Mk 3:19; 14:10-11, 43-45; Lk 6:16; 22:3-6, 47, 48; Jn 12:4-6; 13:2, 21-30; 18:2, 3, 5; Acts 1:16. | In despair he hanged himself. Christian tradition records that he hanged himself from the corner of the Temple wall, and when the rope broke with his weight, he fell and his body burst asunder on the rocks below (see Mt 27:5 and Acts 1:18-19). |
| Michal E. Hunt © 2005; revised 2011 | ||
The Missionary Discourse (Discourse #2)
It was the Son's task to accomplish the Father's plan of salvation in the fullness of time. Its accomplishment was the reason for his being sent. "The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is, the coming of the Reign of God, promised over the ages in the scriptures." To fulfill the Father's will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The Church "is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery."
CCC 763
Lost sheep were my people, their shepherds misled them, straggling on the mountains; from mountain to hill they wandered, losing the way to their fold.
Jeremiah 50:6
Matthew 10:5-15 ~ Instructions for the Disciples' Mission to Israel
Question: Why does Jesus tell the disciples not to go into Gentile Territory? See Mt 15:24.
Answer: His first obligation is to the children of Israel who are in covenant with Yahweh and to whom the kingdom of the Messiah has been promised.
Matthew 10:6 ~ Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The kingdom is first announced to the children of Israel, but the Messianic kingdom is intended to be extended to all men and women of all nations (Is 66:18-21; Mt 8:11; 10:5-7; 28:19; CCC 543). Jesus will tell the parable of the "Lost Sheep" (Lk 15:1-7) and will identify Himself as the "Good Shepherd" who knows His sheep (His faithful disciples) in John 10:14.
Matthew 10:16-25 ~ Warnings of the Coming Persecutions
Just as Jesus warned the Scribe who wanted to become a disciple, Jesus warns His disciples of the cost of discipleship in this passage.
Question: Who are the "sheep" and who are the "wolves" in verse 16?
Answer: The faithful are the "sheep" and the wicked who abuse the faithful are the "wolves."
Matthew 10:26-33 ~ Jesus Urges His Disciples to have Courage when faced with Persecution
The third part of the Missionary Discourse is a collection of sayings connected to the theme of the Gospel mission and suffering.
Question: How many times is the command to not be afraid repeated in this passage?
Answer: The command to not be afraid in verse 26 becomes a theme that is repeated in verses 26, 28, and 31.
In verses 26-27, Jesus' urges the disciples not to keep what they have been taught about the kingdom to themselves. The message of the good news of the kingdom is intended to be a public proclamation and not the valued secret of a few.
Matthew 10:34-36 ~ Jesus "A Cause of Division
Jesus is not speaking of literal warfare, but of a spiritual sword that will divide the righteous who choose the path of life from those who choose the path of death and are ultimately separated from the righteous in the Last Judgment (see Mt 25:31-46). Luke 12:51 has "division" instead of "sword." Everyone must choose, even if families become divided.
Matthew 10:37-39 ~ The Conditions of Discipleship
The phrase "is not worthy of me" in 10:37 is more accurately translated "does not deserve to belong to me;" the Greek adjective axios has the sense of "belonging" rather than "worth" (Fr. Harrington, Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew, page 151).
Question: What is Jesus' warning in Matthew 10:34-37?
Answer: The decision to follow Jesus and become a member of His covenant family may cause a break in the bonds within our human families.
Jesus' command to be willing to take up one's cross to follow Him is repeated twice in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 10:38 and 16:24; Mk 8:34 and 10:21; Lk 9:23 and 14:27).
Matthew 10:40-11:1 ~ The Promise of Rewards for Welcoming Jesus' Emissaries
It was a rabbinic principle that "the representative of a person is like himself" (Mishnah: Ber., 5.5), and this is the principle that underlies verse 40.
Question: What point is Jesus making in verses 40-41?
Answer: Jesus is God the Father's representative and the disciples are His representatives. Therefore, whoever receives the disciples is in effect receiving Jesus and since Jesus' is the Father's representative, those who receive the disciples are receiving the Father and will be rewarded by Him.
The words "who sent me" in verse 40 may be linked to the ones Jesus sent "the word "Apostle" in Greek literally means "the one sent."
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