What did Jesus mean when He said to be found worthy?

Many of us thinking about the words “to be worthy” think immediately of being found deserving, and that is good thinking, but in what sense? Being found worthy for the Kingdom entrance, or being found worthy of God? These are questions we would like to answer tonight. In Matthew chapter 10 Jesus commissioning His twelve in verses 5 through 42 says the amazing truth about finding men who would be worthy of them and worthy of the disciples’ words and that makes tonight’s sermon even more meaning full.

Now let us read these wonderful scriptures.

Jesus commissioning them said

“Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, ¹⁰ nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
¹¹ “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. ¹² And when you go into a household, greet it. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.¹⁴ And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” (Matthew 10:9-15)

Here in these few verses we see the Lord continually speaks of men’s worthiness in receiving His disciples with His message of salvation, but aren’t we told it is by grace

That we are saved and not our own good works, then what is Jesus speaking here? Does He ever contradict Himself and His truth? Ofcource not!

But He must be speaking of another aspect of this salvation which we will observe a little further. Then we read that in Luke’s gospel when He speaks of His second coming and the coming persecution in Luke chapter 21. Here Jesus again speaks of being found worthy and watchful in order to stand in the presence of the Son of God. In verse 36 Jesus says.

“Watch therefore, pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of God”.

Here again to be counted worthy by God to escape the Horrible things coming at His second coming. These are few of His warning to His beloved remnant and if we read them all in the previous context we will find out what Jesus our Lord means by all these.

In the New American Standard translation the scriptures says for the word worthy “to be able to stand” before the Lord, which has a parallel meaning I believe. But what does the word worthy mean in its Biblical text anyway. The word “worthy” (axios) means “of equal weight”, which could mean to give and equal value. It could also mean to give value and respect to the point of suffering. The correct understanding of this verse depends on knowing what it takes to be worthy. Throughout the New Testament we’re told that no one will be made worthy by attaining a certain standard of behavior.  In 2 Thes. 1:3-5 Paul used the same Greek words found inLuke 21:36 to explain that it’s our faith, even through times of persecution and suffering, that makes us worthy. When we pray that we’ll be counted worthy to escape, we’re praying that our faith will be sufficient to sustain us in spite of what may be happening around us.

In Ephesians 4:1 too, Apostle Paul is speaking to the elders and believers of Ephesus that He Paul the prisoner of the Lord, beseeched them that that they should walk worthy of the calling to which they were called. This I believe also meant to give the same weight that Jesus gave to His call to carry His own cross in being ready to suffer for the cause. This meant them the ones God was calling to be the ministers of Jesus must give their lives for this cause. Meaning when the word comes to us it is free and comes to all, but those who give it its true value and weight it carries as it being the only truth and not the word of men, but the very words of God then it will make them worthy of such honor and such a call for salvation.

Yes the gift of salvation is through grace and absolutely free, yet whoever value it by living according to its demand would be called deserving of such a great of a salvation.

This is how we are reckoned worthy. Another usage of the word worthy is found in 1 Corinthians 11.

Speaking of the Lord’s Supper, verse 29 reads, “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning [diakrino] the Lord’s body.”  Here again we read that those who treat God’s word and His death as a common thing also would be not counted worthy of receiving such an honor.

Here again like the other scriptures, when men treat the word of God as a mere human word and neglect to obey it, they have rejected this great gift which came to them free of any charge. Here again our treatment of the word is causing some in the Church to be sick, weak and dying. This means the ill treatment of the most valuable thing from God will result serious consequences for the believers. This also would tell that by ignoring the validity of the word of God they have called death

And sickness upon themselves.

Here is where our attitudes towards the word of God will be the end result of our lives and the offer of this great salvation.  That is why the scriptures are saying “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of salvation!”

(Romans 10:15)

Yes the one’s carrying this good news need to find those who by receiving and believing in obeying them will prove their worthiness in being deserving of such humongous favor.

So in wrapping it all up the Bible is saying we need to be giving the message and the word of God our full trust, otherwise we would have been considered unworthy of such a great free offer. It was free to us until it came to us, but after receipt it requires all that we have, before it can work effectively in and through us. That is why Rev. 3:10 is also based our treatment of this most valuable free gift of God to us.