Skip to main content

168. Success!


Key Verse: "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
Luke 10:19

Do you believe that? It's hard to believe what Jesus says when we live in a world in which evil seems to be so strong. We often feel more like the victims than the victors today. Remember though, "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) How often has Jesus told His disciples, up to this point, that what we see isn't necessarily the reality that He knows?

Evil was real in Jesus’ day as well. Most people were financially poor, poorly educated and oppressed, not only by the Romans, but by their own religious leaders. Medicine and spiritual warfare were almost unknown, so if a person was handicapped, or mentally impaired, there was no hope. There were no medical tests or medical cures that could cure much of the affliction of Jesus' day.

Yet, Jesus had empowered the seventy-two. He had sent them out two by two to preach, "the kingdom of God is near," and He had enabled them to heal, cast out demons and bring hope to all the hurting. Those seventy-two, believed, and obeyed and stepped out in faith to do what man would call impossible. God blessed their obedience and their faith and they came back rejoicing over what had been accomplished because it was done in Jesus’ name and by His power.

Paul says in Phil. 4:13, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." These seventy-two followers lived that out. They didn't argue with Jesus and beg Him to send somebody else. They didn't say, "That's not my gift." They didn't say, "Later, when I have time," and they didn't doubt. Jesus said "Go," and they went. Jesus said, "You will be able," and their actions showed that they believed. The result, fruitful ministry, as Jesus promised of the fourth soil, in his parable about the soils. 

What if we could live that obediently? What if we could walk away from our daily planners and have the faith that God is with us and empowering us? What if we stopped coming up with all the reasons why we can't, and just believe Him when He says we can? What if we could experience the success of these, unnamed followers of Christ? What stands in our way?

Jesus Commands Us to Go (Great song! Just couldn't find it with the words.)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...

These Boots are Made for Walking

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-15 These Boots are Made for Walking. Of course, I picked that title because it has a reference to popular culture, and it connects with our text today about “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” I was tempted to play the video of that song, but it’s really not amenable to worship. If you remember that old song, it was quite confrontational. The singer had a righteous complaint against a boyfriend or spouse who was cheating on her. She’s not going to put up with that, and the song goes on to say, “One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!” And that “take a stand” bravado made her a hero! It was a #1 hit in 1966. I mention it because it has one interesting parallel and one major contrast with the message of grace and forgiveness. That parallel is this. God has a righteous complaint against the entire human race for cheating Him out of the loving relationship He desires with us. As the God who created us, he h...

186. Ten Healed, Or One?

Luke 17:11-19 Key Verse: Then He said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:19 At last, Jesus has left the crowd behind and again is continuing His journey toward Jerusalem. His path takes Him and His disciples along the border of Judea and Samaria, between the pure Jews, and the hated half breeds of the day. On His way, Jesus encounters an interesting group of people. We only learn the nationality of one of them and, though we don't know the nationality of the others, because Jesus sends them to the priests in Jerusalem we can probably assume that at least some of them are Jews. Isn't it interesting that through leprosy, a disease that causes much suffering, the dividing wall of hatred has come down for the sake of companionship? We encountered one leper earlier on our Journey. Lepers were the dreaded untouchables of the day. Their disease cut them off from all they loved. It was a very lonely life. No wonder these people had ...