11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodon and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two ; and gave them power over unclean spirits ;
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only ; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse :
9 But be shod with sandals ; and not put on two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
These verses describe the first sending forth of the apostles to preach. The great Head of the church made proof of His ministers, before He left them alone in the world. He taught them to try their own powers of teach- ing, and to find out their own weaknesses, while He was
* There is a peculiar expression in this passage, which deserves notice. I refer to the words which say, that our Lord " could do no mighty work there, because of their unbelief."
This expression of course cannot mean, that it was " impossible" for our Lord to do a mighty work there, and that although He had the will to do mighty works, He was stopped and prevented by a power greater than His own. Such a view would be dishonoring to our Lord, and in fact would be a practical denial of His divinity. With Jesus nothing is impossible. If He had willed to do works, He had the power.
The meaning evidently must be, that our Lord " would" not do any mighty work there, because of the unbelief that He saw. He was prevented by what He perceived was the state of the people's hearts. He would not waste signs and wonders on an unbelieving and hard- ened generation. He " could not" do a mighty work, without de- parting from His rule, " according to your faith be it unto you." He had the power in His hands, but He did not will to use it.
The distinction I have attempted to draw is doubly useful, because