Matthew 10:8
In today’s reading Matthew informs the reader that when Jesus called His twelve disciples unto Him, He was most diligent in empowering them. He never calls us and commissions us without first empowering us. It remains true that what we are called to do is beyond the ordinary. It is outside the realm of the natural and the earthly. Sometimes we forget. We were called to operate in the spirit-realm. May I remind the church that the spirit-beings of darkness are indeed real, extremely malevolent, devious, powerful and exceedingly malignant. They traffick only in evil continuously. Therefore, when calling His twelve disciples, Jesus distinctly saw the need to empower them to do the spiritual work of the Kingdom.
Church, we’ve just got to be as real as Jesus was. There is much evil in our world specifically unleashed against us. We are the targets of hell. The devil means to wipe us out. This is warfare – the warfare of the sanctified! The powers of darkness are not just trying to maim us, but to put us out of business, to shut us down permanently, to destroy all our operations completely.
So, it is with great delight and consolation I read, repeat and memorize this inspirational text and others like it, “. . . And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). There it is Church! All that we need to survive and overcome has already been given to us. We are not weak, powerless, puny or namby-pamby. We are powerful, power-endued and power-packed. We are not paralyzed, but power-driven. Therefore, no weapon that is formed against us shall be able to prosper . . . (Isaiah 54:17). We cannot go under and stay there. We thrive. We strive. We rise. We prevail. We just plain refuse to give in or give up! Right now, as I write, I feel that power within.
In this same passage, we read with great enthusiasm “These twelve, Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying “. . . And as ye go, preach, saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew – 10: 7,8). Don’t you just love it, Church! That which we have freely received, we freely give! Withholding nothing, we freely share this power with all who are in need.
It is with all my heart I still believe that we, the beloved community, the recipients f of God’s abundant grace, have the power – power against every unclean spirit, to cast them out, to heal, to cleanse, to resurrect. May God help us to begin fully recognizing what we got and who we are. We are sheep in the midst of wolves, yet wise as serpents and harmless as doves (v16). This is no ordinary church! A strange, extraordinary, divine power overshadows us. We fearlessly go where the demons reside, run through troops, leap over walls, cast out devils, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick expecting them to recover in Jesus’ Name. Having freely received, we freely give! Happy Father’s Day 2023!
Leroy V. Greenaway
Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region
