Matthew 10: "The kingdom of heaven has come near"

Jesus calls his disciples to spread the message: "The kingdom of heaven has come near". This message would be authenticated by power. Sicks would be cured, demons would be expelled and dead people would be raised. The way Jesus is seen is the key. Jesus wants that his disciples consider him much more important than they themselves. We read:

38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

The who accepts what Jesus does, accepts the Father. To accept Jesus is to accept the Father. Accept Jesus is the key to enter in the kingdom of heaven.