9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him. – Luke 9
One of my favorite games as a young child was something I called “magic gloves.” I vaguely remember putting on an old pair of winter gloves (at least 50 years old since we were in Texas and those things were not replaced often) and acting as if the gloves gave me magical super powers. I would run across the entire yard battling my arch nemesis, my sister. Those were fun times. Even at a young age, I was experiencing what it feels to be empowered.
Fast forward a quarter of a century and I am still being empowered. This time not by with magic gloves but with Jesus. The twelve disciples were nothing more than a ragtag group of fellas: couple fisherman, a doctor, and maybe a tax collector or two. Jesus took a rag tag group and sent them out to “drive out all demons and to cure diseases.” They were able to do this because Jesus empowered them (v. 1).
Jesus is empowering you today as well. Your journey may not be walking evangelism. Jesus has not told you to walk from town to town casting out demons, but he has told you to love your neighbor. He has told you to put other people first. Sometimes I feel like it would be easier to just cast out a demons because loving others as Jesus did is sticky. It is a messy business that usually involves hurt feelings along the way.
In times of weakness and doubt when you do not want to love. Remember verse one, “he gave them power and authority.” Through the redeeming power of Christ’s love, you are empowered to do the same.
Pastor Mat