“Yeshua called His twelve disciples and gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every kind of disease and weakness.” (Matthew 10:1)
How many of us have been stirred by preachers to walk in the same authority as the disciples did, who were granted by Jesus the power and authority to perform miracles, even unto raising the dead to life and driving out all afflicting demonic
spirits? Here in this passage of Scripture, we do not read of Jesus providing any limits to the authority and power He gave to them.
So far, everything appears breathtakingly good until we notice one thing: Judas Iscariot was included as one of the commissioned disciples and participated as fully as all of the others. Yet, this man, who experienced the heights of God’s glory both outwardly and within, later chose to betray the One he claimed to serve.
There are several things we can learn from all of this. Perhaps, most significantly, there can never be any substitute for placing God first in our lives in every thought, word, deed, motive and inclination. No matter how great the sacrifice, how noble the cause or legitimate the ministry, it all loses its saltiness when God is left out in the cold and we take centre stage instead of Him. Judas is a classic example of this.
Let’s be spurred to the same measure and stature provided for us through Messiah Jesus, never forgetting that it is all of Him; our treasure is fully encapsulated within this fragrance of thanksgiving, and everything released is an outflow of our love and appreciation!
