He gave them authority

He gave them authority

Scripture:

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Matthew 10:1-4

Observation:

At this stage, Matthew now gives us the Lord’s appointment of the 12 key disciples, whom He gives authority to drive out impure spirits and heal every disease and sickness. This authority Jesus also gives to us who are His disciples today, to drive out demons and heal in His name. As mentioned in the previous chapter, much of the success of this application is in the degree of faith that a Christian has.

Looking at the twelve Apostles, we see that there are two sets of brothers – Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. So we see here the Lord’s desire that families serve Him together. Other than that, we see that His disciples come from various unusual backgrounds. There was Simon the Zealot who was a nationalist which could quite possibly be termed a terrorist in today’s terms. Then there was Matthew himself the tax collector. And then there were the brothers who were fishermen. Personality wise, the disciples were also quite diverse. Peter was impulsive. Thomas was pessimistic. James and John lost their temper easily, giving rise to their name as the sons of thunder. Judas of course, loved money and ultimately betrayed Jesus.

On the whole thus, we see that Jesus can use anyone, regardless of occupation or background, regardless of personality. He even gave Judas a chance, despite his many faults.

Application:

Remember that we have the authority given by Jesus to drive out demons and heal the sick. Ask Him for wisdom and faith to use this authority effectively and wisely according to God’s will. Thank God that He is able to use every one of us, regardless of our background, education, occupation or personality. Come before God simply as ourselves, ready to serve Him in whichever way He may call us.

Prayer:

Praise thee, Lord Jesus, for the divine authority that You have given us, giving us power over demons, and over sickness. Increase our faith and wisdom O Lord, that we may use this authority at opportune times, according to Your will. We praise You, Lord, that You chose Your disciples from diverse backgrounds and occupations and personalities. In spite of ourselves and our weaknesses You are able to bring out something precious. Draw us to Yourself, we pray, and change our hearts to be more and more inclined to You. Call us Lord, lead us to the destiny You have prepared for us. In Jesus name, Amen.