Friday

CLOTHED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH

By Lenora Grimaud

In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16:15-18, Jesus commissions his disciples to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. He describes some of the signs that will accompany believers in their mission. The message behind these signs is that they will be clothed with power from on high. People will know that God is with them, that what they do does not come from any ordinary human power or strength.

These believers will heal people that Medicine cannot heal; they will have a wisdom that none of the philosophers and great thinkers amongst mankind can obtain; they will have a knowledge beyond the knowledge of Science; they will be able to communicate their message to people of different and various languages; they will speak in languages that they do not know; they will deliver people of demons that Psychology cannot accomplish, no matter how great its knowledge of human behavior and the workings of the human mind; they will not be able to be destroyed by fire, poison, sword, beast, water, or any of the elements of nature and mankind—until, and unless, God allows it for his glory.

This is why God often chooses the lowly, the illiterate, the common, the poor, the handicapped, mere children, and even zealous enemies of God like St. Paul, to be his disciples and to manifest his power in them—lest anyone should doubt that it is by the power of God. The world will know that God is with them; that they are clothed with power from on high, and that their works do not come from any natural powers of mankind.

Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called; how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen—those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: “if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.” 1Cor.1:26-31.

The signs of the power of God are manifest in all of the lives of the Saints—in various ways and to various degrees. The Saints witness to the power of God and his presence in the world. They were clothed with power from on high. All believers are called to be Saints—to be clothed with power from on high.

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