Luke 24:49 - Homilies By Various Authors

The secret of spiritual strength.

How came it to pass that the apostles of our Lord became such strong men and did such noble work for their Master and for mankind so soon after they manifested such weakness as they did? We consider—

I. THEIR INSUFFICIENCY UP TO THE TIME OF THE ASCENSION . They had been receiving for many months the inestimable advantage of Christ's own teaching for their mental enlightenment, and his own influence for their spiritual ennoblement. And this teaching and training cannot have been—we may confidently say was not— without very great value throughout their subsequent course. Yet they undoubtedly lacked something which would complete them for the great task before them. They showed but scant determination ( Matthew 26:41 , Matthew 26:43 ), but feeble courage ( Matthew 26:56 ), but little understanding of their Master's aim ( Acts 1:6 ); and this, too, at the very close of his ministry, when their great and special privilege was expiring. Something more they sadly needed to prepare them for their work.

II. THE PROMISED POWER .

1 . Its announcement and its confirmation. It was first predicted by the prophets who preceded our Lord ( Isaiah 44:3 ); and more particularly Joel ( Joel 2:28 , Joel 2:29 ). It was renewed and confirmed, at first more indefinitely, and here more definitely, by our Lord ( John 14:16 , John 14:26 ; John 15:26 , John 15:27 ; John 16:7 ; text).

2 . Its historical fulfilment ( Acts 2:1-11 ).

3 . Its permanent results. These men, whose character and whose fitness for their grand and lofty mission left much to be desired, "endued with power from on high," became wonderfully equipped for and admirably adapted to the noble mission to which Christ appointed them. They became strong

III. ITS LASTING LESSON . It is this which, if anything does, will make us strong also. What the Christian workman wants is the power which comes immediately from God , the inspiration of the Divine Spirit; in truth, the same bestowal as that which the apostles were now promised and afterwards received. The miraculous endowments which accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost were but the accidents of the bestowal. The power to heal without failure or to speak without error was nothing to the power to testify without fear and to live without reproach.

"Though on our heads no tongues of fire

Their wondrous powers impart,"

we need, as much as they did then, the illuminating, sanctifying, empowering influences of Heaven—"God's Spirit in our heart." Without that, our most heroic efforts will fail; with it, our humblest endeavours will succeed. To gain that we must have

—C,