Daily Devotional For Monday, October 20, 2025
Good morning Southside and for most of us, we are back in the saddle either at work or school or both. If you have been reading these daily devotionals, you know we are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we are going to pick up where we left off yesterday with Matthew 10:16-20:
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. (17) But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. (18) You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are My followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about Me. (19) When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. (20) For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (NLT).
Yesterday we broke down verse 16, but I have included it for today’s reading because it sets the context of Jesus’ words and warnings in the rest of this chapter. Jesus warned His disciples in verse 17 that threats would come in two ways: from without, the Gentile courts, and from within, the Jewish synagogues and tribunals. Jesus said they would be flogged. This was a horrible form of punishment. A person’s wrists were tied to a “whipping post” and their outer clothes removed. These floggings could be done in one of two ways: first, with a long whip that hit the back and legs, or with what was called a “Cat-of-9-Tails,” that was more gruesome.
Both Jewish and Roman law allowed up to 40 lashes and no more. With the “Cat-of-9-Tails,” many died due to blood loss. This consisted of 9 leather straps with bone, metal, glass and rocks embedded in the straps. These straps would wrap around the body cavity and literally the glass, bone and metal would dig deep into the tissue. Then the whipper would pull strongly to retrieve the straps. These straps would remove skin, tissue, muscle, ligament, and etc. After 40 lashes, due to shock to the body and blood loss, most died from this form of punishment. If the “whipper” exceeded 40 lashes, they were then whipped with the same number of lashes.
Flogging was done by Rome in open courtyards as a deterrent to not to oppose Rome. Jewish synagogues flogged in and around their synagogues, but many times even inside the synagogue. Jesus’ point is the persecution of His disciples would serve as their testimony of faith, trust and obedience in Him to the world. The Bible records this in Acts 5:40, Acts 12:1-3, Acts 22:19, and 2 Corinthians 11:24. I don’t know if you know this, but the word “martyr” comes from the Greek New Testament word that also means “witness, testimony.”
Jesus is trying to help His disciples realize the reality of what it means to follow Him and be His disciple. There is no room for them or us to be conned into following Him nor is there room for any naiveness on their parts or ours. It is one thing for us to suffer persecution for our faith and another for us to walk blindly into a situation. This is why Jesus said “Beware!” Don’t be caught off guard by this. If you are that naive, get with someone who is a more mature disciple of Jesus Christ than you and let them enlighten you on this. Think of it in terms of sports: there is nothing wrong in knowing the other team’s game plans against us. Think in terms of a war: there is nothing wrong in knowing the enemies against us their strategies.
In verses 19-20, Jesus tells them not to worry about what to say because the Holy Spirit, who will be given to them on the Day of Pentecost, will speak through them. When you read verse 19, Jesus said, “When . . .” not “If.” It is not a matter if they will be arrested, beaten, scourged and even martyred for their faith as His disciples. They will be. They can count on it. The Holy Spirit would be their defense lawyer at any trial or tribunal.
The phrase Jesus used to express this “the Spirit of your Father” is actually an Old Testament reminder how God’s Spirit inspired and spoke through God’s prophets when they were on trial. What is interesting is that in verse 20 and in Matthew 3:11 are the only 2 places where Matthew mentions the Holy Spirit. This filling took place in Acts 2.
Contrary to some popular misunderstanding of these words of Jesus, Jesus is NOT saying we do not have to be prepared to speak when we are questioned or are on trial. We are to be prepared as the Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 4:6. So, what actually did Jesus mean by all this? Be prepared, but the Holy Spirit will give you special inspiration when needed.
Assignment: Think back to a time when you had an opportunity to share your faith. How did the Holy Spirit help you with that? What did He bring to your mind, or illustrations did He recall for you that helped you go across that bridge with that person? Take a moment to thank the Holy Spirit for doing this. If you do not share your faith, why? If you say fear, then the God in His Word, the Bible, says just the opposite in 2 Timothy 1:7. Jesus promised us as His disciples we would have power to do this – Acts 1:8. Will you trust God in this matter? I hope so.
Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me tap into Your power to share Your Word to others without timidity and in love. Use me to build bridges, not burn them to people I know who are lost. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly