Matthew 10:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the propriety of the time in which they are sent. After they had seen the dead raised, the sea rebuked, and other like wonders, and had had both in word and deed sufficient proof of His excellent power, then He sends them.

The Lord empowers the apostles with miracles as instruments. Humility and generosity are virtues most fitting for a teacher. These qualities are illustrated in the admonition, “freely ye have received, freely give.” Do not elevate yourselves by possessing such gifts and distributing them, for they have been granted to you freely and by grace. Therefore, while practicing humility, also be abundant in your giving: “freely,” He commands, “give freely.”

This passage does not contradict the command which He gave afterwards, Go and teach all nations; for this was before His resurrection, that was after. And it behoved the coming of Christ to be preached to the Jews first, that they might not have any just plea, or say that they were rejected of the Lord, who sent the Apostles to the Gentiles and Samaritans.

Christ chose to be offered for a modest sum, allowing everyone the opportunity to attain Him, ensuring that the less fortunate are not disheartened. He proclaims, ‘freely ye have received, freely give.’ He embodies the profound wealth mentioned in Romans 11:33; He does not require monetary offerings, but rather our thankfulness. He has redeemed us with His precious blood, as stated in 1 Peter 1:19, and has not bartered us away. While there is more to be elaborated on this subject, we acknowledge that we have addressed it in different contexts.

He bestowed upon them the ability to heal, so that those who were not swayed by the message might be persuaded by the signs; concurrently, he encouraged their commitment to proclaiming the Word. To prevent them from becoming arrogant about this remarkable gift and to dissuade them from expecting earthly compensation, he fortifies them in advance with the reminder, "Freely ye have received this gift of healings from me, without any labour on your part; freely communicate them to men, requiring nothing from them for the maintenance of their lives."

You receive freely, so you should also give freely. If someone possesses something and chooses to deny it to one who is in need, they will ultimately lose what they have (Matthew 25:29). For those who accept a gift are also called to offer a gift in return.

Though they are here called sheep, yet they raged against Christ with the tongues and throats of wolves and vipers.

Miracles also were granted to the holy preachers, that the power they should shew might be a pledge of the truth of their words, and they who preached new things should also do new things; wherefore it follows, Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out dæmons.

The kingdom of heaven is here said to draw nigh by the faith in the unseen Creator which is bestowed upon us, not by any movement of the visible elements. The saints are rightly denoted by the heavens, because they contain God by faith, and love Him with affection.

The sick are the slothful who have not strength to live well; the lepers are the unclean in sin and carnal delights; the dæmoniacs are they that are given up under the power of the Devil.

He commissions them as proclaimers and givers of blessings to others while simultaneously revealing in advance the dire consequences they face. To facilitate their ministry, He instructs them: HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE LEPERS, RAISE THE DEAD, CAST OUT DEMONS; freely you have received, freely give. Chrysostom notes the Lord’s diligence in guiding their conduct, emphasizing that miraculous acts devoid of virtue carry no significance. He diminishes arrogance and cautions against greed. To prevent them from believing that their miraculous deeds stem from their own merits and becoming haughty, He reminds them, “You have received freely.” They possess nothing of their own to offer those in need; the gifts they bear are not rewards for their efforts but are bestowed by His grace.

When Jesus Christ commissioned the apostles to spread His message, He anticipated that they would be asked for signs to validate their role as messengers. Therefore, He bestowed upon them authority over unclean spirits, enabling them to expel these entities, as well as the ability to heal the infirm, purify lepers, and resurrect the dead. By granting such power, He humbles their own prideful thoughts and cautions them against greed. To prevent them from believing that their miracles stem from their own merit and becoming arrogant, He reminds them, "You give nothing of your own to those who receive you; you did not receive these gifts as a reward or for labor: they are my grace.

Before their journey, the Savior provided guidance on how they should conduct themselves and the actions they were to undertake during their mission. Their ministry would focus solely on the lost sheep of the house of Israel and would not include the Samaritans or Gentiles. The central theme of their proclamation would be the imminent arrival of the kingdom of heaven, which they were to demonstrate through miraculous signs and acts of kindness. They were instructed to carry nothing with them—not a bag for provisions, nor coins in their belts, nor an extra set of clothing, nor any shoes apart from the customary sandals made of palm bark; they were even advised against taking a staff unless they already possessed one.

The apostles were never to preach or utilize the miraculous gifts for monetary gain or selfish profit. In this way, the Lord humbles arrogance and cautions against greed; to prevent them from believing that their miraculous works stem from their own merits and leading them to pride, He reminds them, “They received freely. You give nothing of your own to those who receive you; you did not receive these gifts as a reward, nor for labor; they are my grace. Give them likewise.” This, however, did not stop them from accepting voluntary contributions from believers and devoted individuals to support their daily needs and preaching endeavors as indicated in Luke 10:7, 1 Corinthians 9:8-14, and 1 Timothy 5:18. While greed is admonished, receiving voluntary offerings is not prohibited.