Jesus gave His disciples power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. It is God's nature to give authority to others. He did this right at the beginning in Genesis when He told Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth.
They were sent out to proclaim the kingdom and to heal the sick. Now we need to get hold of this. Jesus gives His disciples power and authority, and sends them out to proclaim and heal. Jesus gives us authority too. There is a proclamation of the truth and a demonstration of the truth. Not just one or the other. We are also to proclaim as well as just teach and preach. The kingdom is a kingdom of power.
They were also to have trust in God for provision. Now this does not mean that we never make any natural or sensible provision, but ultimately we are dependent upon God for everything, and we can be confident in His provision. This is an antidote to the failing of the seed that was choked by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.
So the disciples went out proclaiming the good news and healing the sick.
All this put Herod in fear for he had had John the Baptist beheaded and was now hearing all sorts of strange rumours. He wanted to know who this Jesus was. He was realising that there was something going on that was far more powerful than he was.
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