Trophies of Healing (Luke 8)

Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, (Luke 8:1, 2 NASB)

Jesus proceeded on His city and village tour of proclamation, accompanied by His twelve apostles.  He was training them to be "Fishers of Men" and what better way than to include them in His work! They would see Him ministering to people from every level of society and learn what it meant to be a servant by watching Him who came to serve. 

His entourage included more than the apostles, however. In a time of evidence-based medicine and court TV, we want to see the evidence. We want proof to support the claims that are presented. In that, we are no different than the people of Jesus's time. If they wanted proof of the freedom and healing He promised, and they did, then He provided it in the form of living, breathing people who had been healed of both evil spirits and of sicknesses.  

In addition to those apostles, who had their own problems from which Jesus was healing them, His traveling companions also included a group of women who had experienced the healing power of Jesus. They had not just been healed of sickness, but also of evil spirits, demonstrating that there was nothing beyond His power to heal, nothing too terrible for Jesus's healing touch. 

Those women were trophies of the divine. They were the indisputable proof of His claims, of the new life He offered. We, too, should be trophies of the divine, demonstrating clear evidence of the transforming power of our Lord. We should be a living, breathing picture of grace for the world around us, but are we? 

In what ways do you and I demonstrate the power of God in our lives? Are people drawn to Jesus simply by the transformation we have experienced?  

Pray today that we would experience the transforming power of God in such a way that our lives would be a clear witness for our Lord to those around us, especially those we love the most.