Matthew 10:1-15
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a]drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Questions:
ReplyDelete- Did the disciples retain the authority to drive out unclean spirits and heal the sick, or does the authority come and go with the current mission?
- Do we have the authority?
- Why were the disciple to only go to Israel and not the Gentiles?
http://www.biblestudy.org/question/should-christians-try-to-cast-out-demons.html says:
ReplyDeleteThese scriptures warn us that just because someone (including ourselves) believe in Jesus or uses Jesus' name does not mean they (or we) have the faith and authority from God to cast out evil spirits. Casting out demons is serious business and not to be taken lightly. Anyone taking on themselves the driving out of these spirits had better be well grounded in the scriptures and have an ample portion of God's Holy Spirit! Those who wrongly ASSUME they have the power and authority to cast out demons can suffer some very real painful consequences, as seven sons mentioned in the New Testament found out.
There was, however, one problem. These men believed all they needed to do was use Jesus' name, kind of like a magician who says some "magic words" before a trick like ABRACADABRA, and then, PRESTO, what they wanted to happen would occur! The problem was the demon(s) they were trying to cast out of a person KNEW the true power it took to FORCE them to leave and KNEW these men were ultimately only PRETENDING that they had it! Ironically, the men trying to act like they were God were in reality DECEIVED, while those whose existence was based entirely on DECEPTION (demons) knew what was the REAL truth!
Those who saw or heard of what happened quickly learned not to take the name and authority of Jesus Christ lightly --- and especially not to ASSUME they had God's authority to do whatever they pleased. If God has not ordained you to use His name for casting out demons, do not think you can simply conjure up some faith and do it anyway. Based on the Bible, it will not work!
http://www.heavensfamily.org/ss/family_devotions/day_71 says:
ReplyDeleteWe know that, prior to this, Jesus had given His disciples authority to cast out demons (see Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:14-15; Luke 9:1). And, prior to this, they had successfully cast out demons (see Mark 6:13). So why, this time, did they fail? When they later asked Jesus that very question, according to Mark's Gospel, He told them it was because that particular kind of demon could only be cast out through prayer. However, Matthew recorded Jesus' response as being: "You didn't have enough faith" (Matthew 17:20). Both Matthew and Mark were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write their books, and so we must conclude that Jesus gave both reasons as to why the disciples failed.
Lack of faith seems to have been the primary reason for their failure, because as soon as Jesus heard they'd failed, He lamented, "You stubborn, faithless [or, unbelieving] people! How long must I be with you until you believe?" (Matthew 17:17). Also, when the boy's father asked Jesus to help him if He could, Jesus responded, "If I can?...Anything is possible if a person believes" (Mark 9:23).
Even though the disciples had God-given authority to cast out demons, their authority didn't work unless they exercised faith. Again, this is proof that God's will doesn't always automatically come to pass in our lives. We must believe what God has said, or else we may not experience what God has promised. As Jesus said, "Anything is possible if a person believes" (Mark 9:23, emphasis added). Notice that what is possible depends upon each individual's faith.
In previous times when the disciples had successfully cast out demons, they must have had sufficient faith. Had their faith grown weaker? Probably not. I would be more inclined to think that this particular demon required stronger faith to expel than any demon they had previously dealt with. The reason is because this demon manifested itself in some very dramatic ways. It would take more faith to cast out a demon when it was making someone fall to the ground in violent convulsions, foam at the mouth and grind his teeth than it would to cast out a demon from a calm-looking person! Faith requires disregarding the contrary circumstances, and when the contrary circumstances are greater, greater faith is needed. It takes more faith to move a mountain than a molehill!
Perhaps that was why Jesus also said that this demon could only come out through prayer. Spending time in prayer can't increase anyone's authority over demons, but it can increase his faith in the authority he already possesses as he meditates on God's promises.
(continued next article)
http://www.heavensfamily.org/ss/family_devotions/day_71 (continued)
ReplyDeletePossibly this demon put on the same show for the disciples as it did for Jesus, robbing them of their faith. But Jesus' faith didn't waver during His encounter. He was not afraid, and immediately upon hearing of His disciples' failure, commanded that the boy be brought to Him. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy to the ground in a violent convulsion, making him writhe and foam at the mouth. It was probably hoping to scare Jesus, stealing His faith, and thus continue to torture the boy. Jesus, however, was not moved by what He saw, and confidently commanded the demon to come out of the child and never enter him again. It reluctantly obeyed, screaming and throwing the boy into another convulsion as it came out. Finally, the boy was motionless, and the unbelieving crowd thought he had died. Jesus, of course, wasn't thinking such thoughts, and, taking the boy by the hand, helped him to his feet. That was one happy boy, one happy father, and one amazed crowd!
Q. Jesus asked the boy's father how long his son had been afflicted. What does this reveal to us about Jesus?
A. First, it reveals His compassion. As Jesus saw the boy's agony, He began wondering how long the boy had been suffering to such a degree. It also reveals to us, once again, that Jesus was not all-knowing, even though He was divine. He stripped Himself of omniscience when He became a man.
http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/health/authoritytoheal.html says:
ReplyDeleteFactors about authority:
I. To receive authority, one must be submitted to authority.
II. A certain amount of faith is required.
III. To exercise authority one must act (usually by speaking).
IV. The authority is limited by the one giving the authority.
V. We are to use the authority.
VI. Authority must be acknowledged.
VII. Power must also accompany authority.
http://www.seekingtruth.co.uk/healing_guidelines.htm says:
ReplyDeleteHealing of the sick rests upon the work Christ did on the cross, the clear promises of Scripture, and upon the faith and authority (in Christ) of those praying or ministering. But we must acknowledge where we are in praying for, or ministering to, the sick. If we are not operating in the spiritual gifts Christ gives His church, if we are not moved by the Spirit or receive a special revelation from God about the situation, if we do not feel 'anointed with power from on high' (Lk 24.49), then our prayers are more like petition prayers - which can be equally effective. Great damage can be done by pretending otherwise e.g. by claiming healing. We should be humbly aware of our limitations at any point in time!
http://www.seekingtruth.co.uk/healing_guidelines.htm has a sidebar that says:
ReplyDeleteThe Word of Faith (WoF) Movement
This is a modern belief held by many high profile Christians today. Its appeal lies in its claim that God's word promises us health (and wealth). We simply have to speak the biblical promise and have faith that healing will happen.
Whilst the theology behind WoF healing is widely accepted (Section 2) the subtle heresy lies in the practice.
WoF believes that speaking the words themselves is enough, and if healing doesn't happen it is because of a lack of faith. This is a form of animism, where words and faith are seen as the power (or force) to perform the healing. There is little reliance upon the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the Bible says that believers heal through the 'power of the Spirit' (Acts 1.8) and should be operating in the gifts of the Spirit when healing the sick (see opposite).
Looked at from a theological point of view, our sin and sicknesses have indeed been taken away by Christ's sacrifice (Isa 53.4,5), but we still need to look to Christ before we are saved or healed. Just as we need His presence (by the Holy Spirit) when we are saved (Jn 3.5), we also need His presence when we are healed. We need to rely upon Christ alone, and not assume a 'creative power' in the words we speak!
Paul didn't simply speak the words to heal his 'thorn in the flesh'; rather he pleaded with God to take it away (2 Cor 12.8). See also False Prophets.
My 2 cents on does authority come and go and do we have authority:
ReplyDeleteI'm not crystal clear on how it all works. But, I believe it does NOT work in the following manner: God has given us blanket authority to heal and cast out demons whenever we want. And I don't believe that we activate this power by just believing hard enough.
The way I think it works is that God gives us a mission (which may be long or short term), and with that mission He will give us the authority to do what He wants done. Our faith comes in play and it looks like: We hear what God is telling us, we believe what God is telling us, and we do what God is telling us.
God gave the disciples a mission and they went out to do it. I think that this was an example of Jesus giving the disciples a mission, and we shouldn't interpret it as Jesus was giving us all that mission. Jesus has missions for us. But we have so little faith (we don't hear Him, we don't believe Him when we do hear Him, or we don't do what He says when we hear and believe Him).
So, if we all had perfect faith, would there be a lot of healing and casting out demons? It's not possible to answer. I believe that God has specific missions for us at specific times - which may or may not involve miracles. So, if we all had perfect faith, would a lot of people feel Christ's love? Absolutely!
http://www.gotquestions.org/lost-sheep-Israel.html says about only going to Isreal:
ReplyDeleteWe should understand Jesus’ words here not as an outright rejection of the Gentiles—moments later, He heals the woman’s daughter (Matthew 15:28)—but as a fulfillment of prophecy, a setting of priorities, and a test of the woman’s faith.
In Jeremiah 50:6, God calls Israel His people and “lost sheep.” The Messiah, spoken of throughout the Old Testament, was seen as the one who would gather these “lost sheep” (Ezekiel 34:23-24; Micah 5:4-5). When Jesus presented Himself as a shepherd to Israel, He was claiming to be the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Mark 6:34, 14:27; John 10:11-16; see also Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4; and Revelation 7:17).
Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman also show an awareness of Israel’s place in God’s plan of salvation. God revealed through Moses that the children of Israel were “a holy people to the LORD . . . chosen . . . a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). It was through the Jews that God issued His Law, preserved His Word, and sent His Son. This is why, elsewhere, Jesus tells a Samaritan that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). In Matthew 15, when the Jewish Messiah says that He was sent to “the house of Israel,” He is simply connecting His presence with God’s purpose in Old Testament history. Christ was “born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Every ministry must have priorities, and Christ’s ministry was no exception. When Jesus sent His disciples to preach the good news of the kingdom, He expressly told them, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6). Jesus did not forbid their preaching to all Gentiles; He did, however, narrow their focus to the areas which should be most receptive—those who knew the Law and were expecting the Messiah. Paul, in his missionary journeys, followed the same priority of preaching to the Jews first (Romans 1:16).
Finally, Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman served as a test of her faith. She came to Jesus believing that He was the “Lord,” the “Son of David,” and the giver of mercy (Matthew 15:22). His delayed answer and seemingly exclusionary statement brought from her a further, passionate, public expression of her faith in His unlimited power (Matthew 15:27).
This act of compassion and healing of a Gentile is a beautiful picture of Christ’s ministry to the whole world—the Jewish Messiah is also the Savior of all who will believe (Matthew 28:19; John 10:16; Acts 10:34-36; Revelation 5:9).