“Heal sick people, raise dead people, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”
And the evidence that the Kingly Rule of Heaven is here is found not only in the establishing of His renewed Law (Matthew 10:5-7), but in the establishing of the well-being of His people and the casting out of the foes of the Kingly Rule (Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 11:5). Thus His followers are themselves also to fulfil the Messianic signs (Matthew 11:5; compare Chapter s 8-9). Just as He is doing, they are to heal sick people, raise dead people, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons, this last being specifically stated later to be conclusive evidence that the Kingly Rule of God has come (Matthew 12:28). In fact no incident of a leper being healed by a disciple is known, and raisings from the dead were few (Acts 9:40-41; Acts 20:9-11), which the more confirms that this was what Jesus actually said. But by reproducing the miracles of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 5:1-19) in greater measure they would make it clear that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was here.
Note the lack of article on the nouns. These are to be the by-products of their preaching, in the same way as they are with Jesus. Central is the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. It is to establish the Kingly Rule of Heaven that Jesus has been sent (Mark 1:38). The other results will follow as and when people seek them. It will be observed that they follow the pattern of Matthew 11:5, with blindness, lameness and deafness all being included within ‘being sick', while the healing of lepers and the raising of the dead are clearly to be recognised as specific Messianic signs.
‘Freely you received, freely give.' Many preachers charged for their services, as no doubt did many wonder-workers and healers, although the Rabbis were forbidden to do so. Thus Jesus may here be telling His disciples that they must offer their services freely for no payment, as the Rabbis were supposed to do. But it is more probable that what He is really saying is that having freely received all the benefits of God's goodness, they should pass them on in abundance, without stint. They were to show the generosity of spirit which should be the mark of the servant of God (Matthew 5:44-48), especially in offering God to men and women.