Daily Devotions
Matthew
The Empowering of the Apostles
Text: Matthew 10 : 1- 4
The commissioning of the apostles of Jesus is of great significance. Thus it is important that we take time to ponder over the text carefully.
“And when He had called His twelve disciples to
Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to
cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sicknesses
and all kinds of disease.”
Matthew 10:1
How should we understand the text? Let us consider the following thoughts.
1. A specific context
This text must be read within its context! This is not a text that the average believer can “claim” for his own personal ministry! There were many who followed Jesus as “disciples”. However, only “twelve” of them were specifically called and empowered! At no time may a believer claim that he too is especially empowered to cast out demons and heal all kinds of diseases from this text!
2. Powers specified
a) Power over unclean spirits
Jesus knew that there were many who were possessed by demons in the land. These demons would defy the disciples and fight them with whatever powers they possessed. The disciples needed to be as empowered as possible! They needed to know that when demons confront them, there was nothing to fear! They would be able to overcome them!
The word “power” is better understood as “authority”. There are two major words that could be translated as “power”. The first word is “dunamis”. This could refer to special strength to serve. It could also refer to the power to perform miracles. The second word is “exousia”. This word is often translated as “authority”. This is the word that Jesus gave to His twelve apostles. They now possessed the authority over unclean spirits!
b) Power to heal all kinds of sicknesses/ disease
As Jesus preached the Gospel, multitudes flocked to Him. Many were pathetically ill because of dreadful diseases! Medical science had not progressed very far at that period of time. Though His preference was to devote more time to preaching and teaching, the practical reality of the ministry demanded that there be the power to heal the people as well.
The healing ministry of Jesus had a special significance! They not only demonstrated that He had a heart of love and compassion, they demonstrated that He was the Messiah, the Anointed One of God!
Only if He were the Messiah could He have empowered His disciples the way He did! When the disciples went out, and people came to them to be healed, they must have that same special power! This would enable them to explain to the people they healed that they were special apostles sent out by their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ!
A SPECIFIC LIST OF NAMES
As if to make sure that there is no misunderstanding of how this text was to be interpreted, Matthew wrote out a list of names.
“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his
brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John his
brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and
Matthew the tax-collector; James the son of
Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was
Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas
Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.”
Matthew 10:2-3
The significance of this list of names must not be lost! It restricts the interpretation of this text to “the twelve apostles”. It excludes all other “disciples” then and now!
A VERY ELABORATE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL
Matthew devoted the entire 10th chapter of his gospel to describing the elaborate set of instructions Jesus gave to His disciples! There are many reasons why Jesus gave such detailed instructions.
1. The First Ministry of the Twelve Apostles
The disciples were going to be sent out to minister on their own. Jesus would not be with them. They would need all the instructions they could get! They would not have Jesus with them to help them resolve any difficulty encountered!
2. Part of an On-going Training Programme
The sending out of the Twelve Apostles must not be seen as the completion of their training programme. They still had a long way to go before they could be said to have completed their training as disciples. This practical ministry was part of an on-going training programme.
3. A Reflection of the Principles Jesus worked with
How did Jesus conduct His own ministry? What principles did He work with? How did He know what He should attempt in His ministry?
The elaborate set of instructions Jesus gave His disciples was a reflection of how He ministered. His ministry was based on definite principles! The disciples must learn these principles well, for both the present and the future ministries that would be theirs. Principles are best understood when they are tested out in actual ministry! The twelve disciples turned apostles must therefore pay even closer attention to their Teacher.