Behind Your Faith

Matthew 10:5-8

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! (Matthew 10:8)

AS FAR AS WE KNOW, none of the disciples had been raised from the dead, cured of leprosy, or rescued from demon possession. Some may have been healed of sickness; a relative of Peter’s had been (Mark 1:30-31), and it would not have been unusual for Jesus to heal common ailments throughout his ministry. But the disciples certainly saw Jesus perform miracles, and he sent them all out on a mission to do likewise, urging them to give as freely as they had received. They had lived in an environment of supernatural occurrences, and they were to share them with others.

The gospel writers don’t tell us the disciples’ reactions to being handed such an extravagant ministry, implying only that they went out and did as they were told. They might have balked at the enormity of it all—on another occasion they had trouble casting out a violent spirit (Mark 9:14-29). They might have asked for a how-to manual on supernatural ministry, but Jesus would have referred them only to himself and the power they had observed as they followed him. In other words, they had every reason to question whether they were up to the task, but Jesus seems to have given them no opportunity. He sent them. That’s all the qualification they needed.

That is all the qualification you need too. You have been called to impossibilities. You are armed with nothing but promises from God, the name of Jesus, and whatever degree of faith you will receive and embrace. And that’s enough—perhaps not to see a miracle with every prayer or declaration, but to keep at it until you do. The issue is not whether you can duplicate Jesus’ miracles but whether you will follow his heart into a needy world. Do that, and behind your faith you will see his supply.

{Jesus, I have received so much from you. I am called to give even more, far beyond my own resources and abilities. Lord, I believe; back me up with your provision. Care for people powerfully through me. Amen.