Luke 6:17-19

I love Matthew’s version of this same scene given prior to the Sermon on the Mount:24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Matt 4:23-24 (NIV)
Can you even imagine the mayhem? Have you ever been around someone in severe pain or having seizures? Certainly, there must have been wailing and a spirit of hopelessness. What about demon possession – the worst form of human suffering know to man – demonic spirits would often throw their subjects into convulsions or fire or whatever else you can think of! Jesus comes on the scene – appropriately standing on a level place. The Healer was healing and the crowds were gathering like storm clouds before the rain - everyone wanting at least a touch of the Master’s cloak. What could have the newly appointed wide-eyed disciples been thinking? Surely they wondered about their decision to follow! Like us, they knew they had no ability within themselves to help this vast sea of hurting humanity before them. But their eyes were fixed on Jesus – their hope for the healing. I am reminded of David’s words when all turned against him: 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Sam 30:6 (NIV)
And again David proclaims in Psalm 141: 8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge--do not give me over to death. Psalms 141:8 (NIV)
I have to believe that this was one of the reasons David was such a “man after God’s own heart” – he continually sought refuge in the Lord – keeping his eyes fixed on Him - and the Lord blessed that. This is exactly what was going on in this section of Scripture. The disciples had nothing to pull from – no ability within themselves to heal the hurting. He fleshed out before them exactly what he would later tell them in. Scripture tells us: 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV)
We are so used to trying to accomplish things by ourselves – pridefully trying to do everything in our own pathetic strength – missing out on the achieving power that Christ so longingly desires for us to have. In fact, anything done apart from Him that has no eternal significance. Yet we continue on working diligently, accomplishing nothing – my, my, how we all are like sheep! God is in the business of putting us smack dab in situations that we have absolutely NO ability to handle – ever been there??? He has allowed this so that His perfect strength may be made manifest through our cracked clay pots. This is evidence to a hurting world, bearing witness of His achieving power in human flesh. You see ALL humans are on level ground here. Not one of us is elevated at the foot of the cross. We are all flawed flesh. Yet sweet Jesus tells us: 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:10-13 (NIV)
If we have received Him, we are children of the living God – children of the King – having been given the deposit of the powerful Holy Spirit allowing us to be Jesus to a hurting world. Scripture records theses wide eyed disciples later having been given Christ’s authority to go out and do just that. Their response: 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Luke 10:17 (NIV) “All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!” (One of the most dra­ma­tic in­stanc­es of [this hymn’s] use was found in the ex­per­i­ence of the Rev. E. P. Scott in In­dia. His friends had urged him not to ven­ture near a cer­tain bar­bar­ous in­land tribe, whom he wished to evan­gel­ize. But he went forth with high cour­age, ne­ver wa­ver­ing in his du­ty, and trust­ing in God to pro­tect him. When at last he reached their coun­try among the hills, he came up­on a com­pa­ny of these sav­ag­es. Im­me­di­ate­ly they sur­round­ed him, point­ing their spears at him with threat­en­ing scowls. He had no­thing in his hand but his vi­o­lin; and so, clos­ing his eyes, he be­gan to play and sing, “All Hail the Pow­er of Je­sus’ Name.” When at last he opened his eyes he ex­pect­ed to be killed in­stant­ly. But his life had been spared through the sing­ing of the hymn. Their spears had dropped, and they re­ceived him first with cur­i­o­si­ty and in­ter­est, and then lat­er with ea­gern­ess, as he told them the gos­pel sto­ry and won their hearts to the will of Je­sus Christ.)