Text: Luke 9:1-6
Theme: Live with Power
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
A preacher trained his horse to go when he said, “Praise the Lord,” and to stop when he said, “Amen.” The preacher mounted the horse, said “Praise the Lord,” and went for a ride in the nearby mountains. The horse started heading toward the edge of a cliff on a narrow mountain trail. The preacher got excited and said, “Whoa!” Then he remembered and said, “Amen,” and the horse stopped just short of the edge. The preacher was so relieved that he looked up to heaven and said, “Praise the Lord!” (adopted)
Context: Jesus called his disciples one by one at various occasions form their various vocations. Simon the Peter, James, and John (Luke 5:8-9). Then he called Levi (Luke 5:27). He spent the whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12) and in the morning he called the twelve and named them as apostles: Simon, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot (Luke 6:12-16). He taught them the values of his kingdom, he trained them in healing, caring, and in preaching. He taught them to face the crisis, needs and being faithful civilian. Now Jesus sends them to do the team ministry and later he sends them as two by two (Luke 10:1).
I would like to leave with you all three thoughts before you venture out as graduates of theology.
Your Power and authority, Your limitations in ministry, and your limitless field.
1. Power and Authority (Luke 9:1-2)
Jesus invested his time, energy, strength and the kingdom with them. Jesus gave them Power, authority to drive out demons, and to cure diseases, and heal the sick after preaching the kingdom. Jesus never sent anyone without power and authority. God calls and God equips. Jesus delegated the work with power and authority (Enduring Word Commentary). The equipping is understood and felt and experienced in the field and not in the class rooms.
“To give” (Greek didomi) refers to the ordination of the Twelve under the hands of Jesus himself. The Greek nouns are dunamis and exousia, common terms in Luke’s record to describe divine power and authority (Luke 1:35; 4:6, 14, 36). Dunamis means "power, might, strength, force, ability, and capability." It refers to the raw power needed to accomplish an action. Exousia refers to the power exercised by rulers or others in high position by virtue of their office, "ruling power, official power." dunamis is the raw power, exousia is the authority to use that power (Jesus walk ministries). They were ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood, full authority of the Apostleship (Luke 8:1 and 9:2). Hence, they apparently receive priesthood authority in steps and exercised priesthood powers (Luke 9:49–50).
Moses had power over Pharoah and the Egyptians through the Staff. The ordinary shepherd turned into powerful leader to bring the Israelites from Egypt. Gad told Joshua that no one would stand against him as long he lives. Gideon was given power to topple the enemies’ kingdoms through the pots. Samson was filled with spirit to do extraordinary things for God among philistines. Elijah was given power to command to the clouds and the rains.
The early Christians, the deacons and the evangelists were filled with power. They all have done their ministry, served people in their own generation and accomplished whatever the Lord has entrusted to them. Paul was possessed with power and authority to stand before the kings and the judges. God never sent anyone without power and authority. "to heal." (Greek therapeuo), "serve, be a servant," then "care for, wait upon, treat (medically), heal, restore." Pope Francis said the Church is a field hospital.
Jesus gave power “to preach” (Greek kerysso, keryx, “herald,” and kerygma, “proclamation”), tie particularly to the message about the kingdom of God and about Jesus. Their work of preaching might happen in open-air settings, street corners or marketplaces. It might happen in synagogues. It might happen in small groups or one-on-one conversations. Jesus used the media that was available to Him and used it well (Enduring Word). Ministry is to the whole person, feed the soul, heal the sick, treat the emotional disturbances. Jesus is sharing his own mission and his own powers with us in all our frailty.
2. Limitations in Ministry (Luke 9:3-4)
Whenever I get ready to take a trip, I pack my bag with extra clothes, put in my overnight kit, take something to eat and drink in the car, ensure the debit card on my pocket and some liquid cash for my immediate needs. Over-packing and over-preparing will shift the focus to what I might need, to what gives me comfort. But Jesus laid different principle when we put our legs on the mission.
Jesus emphasized the simplicity, urgency and sincerity in the work of the Lord. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33). Jesus asked them did you lack anything while you are in the mission field. They said nothing (Luke 22:35). You will lack nothing if you are in his Mission and depend upon him. Never depend on any human, they are mere flesh and breath. With your purse you put your limitation but without it you have limitless hope and resources to carry on. It’s a call for the contentment for God’s provision. People who offer themselves fully to the Lord will be provided for by God through the kindness of others. Preaching in poverty is very effective and always touches people's hearts very powerfully.
The Talmud tells us that: ‘No one is to go to the Temple Mount with staff, shoes, girdle of money, or dusty feet.’ The idea was that when a man entered the temple, he must make it quite clear that he had left everything which had to do with trade and business and worldly affairs behind.” (Barclay) Essenes had similar rules about traveling light, trusting for provision along the way (Josephus).
Take nothing, stay in a village, leave the unwelcome place. Jesus told the twelve as well as the seventy-two to have the principle in life. That principle continues on even today with modern rules and regulations. Jesus called his disciples for celibate and not to celebrate in life. Sacrifice is the core demands of Christ to be a true follower and worker of the Gospel. Do the work of the Lord without reservation. Do it willingly with fullest commitment.
Trust God and not your ability, your capability, not our strength, not your night, not your possession. God will meet your needs through widows, through ravines, or through kings and armies. He can rain your food from heaven like Manna, like the quails from the sea or multiplying the bread and fish to make them sufficient for you. He can even send angel to provide you meat and drinks as he did with Elijah. Jesus told the twelve to depend upon the mercies of God and generosity of people. It is a hard but necessary lesson for ministers, and missionaries who otherwise enjoy support from families and acquaintances.
The followers of Jesus must not expect ease and comfort. They must put loyalty to Jesus before all other loyalties, and this may result in conflict and division, even within their own families. They must be prepared for hardship, persecution and possibly death, but in the end, they will not be the losers (Bridge Bible Commentary). Jesus gives the twelve some road tips for the journey. He asks them to travel lightly, unencumbered with the baggage of material things. They are to walk the path of simplicity, openness and trust. They are to be flexible and available. (Sacred Space)
3. Limitless Mission Field (Luke 9:5-6)
Jesus sent them out (Apostello). Apostles properly represented Jesus with his full power, authority. They became emissaries of Jesus. The word "sent out" (Greek apostello), "send away or out." It is a compound word, apo- "from, away from" and stello, "make ready, dispatch, send." It means "to go on a mission." The word "mission" comes from the Latin missus, "act of sending." It is often used in the New Testament in the sense of "sent with a commission, or with a mission to complete."(Jesus walk ministries). The famous Swiss theologian, Emil Brunner, wrote: “The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.”
They set out and went from village to village, preach the gospel and heal the sick. They moved everywhere. Jesus told his 72 disciples to pray for the new missionaries to raise up from the congregations. The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few (Luke 10:2). Jesus sent his disciples as team as well as in two by two (Mark 6:7). God gives the limitless boundary less world for our ministry. We have plenty to harvest and need not to fight, need not steal the sheep, need not to go where someone is occupied and doing ministry.
Genesis 10 gives the vivid picture of how God has divided the lands and gave them to different clans and tribes (Genesis 10:32). Nations were formed according the plan of God (Genesis 11:1,8). God gave Abraham the promise of the Land as wide as larger to occupy (Genesis 13: 14-17).
Matthew Henry: ‘The method Christ took to spread his gospel, to diffuse and enforce the light of it. He had himself travelled about, preaching and healing; but he could be only in one place at a time, and therefore now he sent his twelve disciples abroad, who by this time were pretty well instructed in the nature of the present dispensation, and able to instruct others and deliver to them that they had received from the Lord.’
The renowned musical scholar and musician Albert Schweitzer’s committed to ministry in 1896 while Matthew 16:25: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Schweitzer gave up his extremely successful career as a musical scholar and organist and become a doctor, to ultimately work in the jungles of Africa. Schweitzer said: “Anybody who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll any stones out of his way, and must calmly accept his lot even if they roll a few more onto it.”
