Healing And Preaching

Συγκαλεσάμενος δὲ τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν... Διὰ ταῦτα ἐνθέοις δυνάμεσι τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς ὁ Κύριος ὥπλιζεν, ὡς ἂν ἐν πρώτοις τὰ δαιμονικὰ στίφη καὶ τὰς ἐχθρὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ πολεμικὰς παρατάξεις καθαιροῖεν· ἔπειτα νόσων καὶ παντοίων παθῶν θεραπεύοιεν τοὺς καταπονουμένους· γνωρίσματα δὴ τῆς κηρυττομένης βασιλείας παρέχων ὁρᾷν ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις. Ἐχρῆν γὰρ, παράδοξον κήρυγμα καταγγέλλοντας, ξένων καὶ νέων ἀγαθῶν ἐναργῆ σημεῖα παρέχειν τοῖς μαθητευομένοις. Ἦσαν δ' οὖν ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ βασιλείας δείγματα αἱ τεράστιαι δυνάμεις, τά τε θαύματα καὶ σωτήριοι ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων θεραπεῖαι· ὅτι ἅπας λόγος, ἔργων ἔρημος, οὔποτ' ἂν ἰσχύσῃ πεῖσμα βέβαιον ἐμποιῆσαι τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις. Διὸ ταῖς δι' ἔργων ἐπιτελουμέναις πράξεσι πίστιν ἐναργῆ παρεῖχον τῷ κηρύγματι. Εἰ γοῦν ψιλοῖς ῥηματίοις καὶ φωναῖς εἰκῆ προφερομέναις Θεοῦ βασιλείαν εἰς πάντας ἐβόων, κατάλυσίν τε τῶν πατριῶν θεῶν, τίς ἂν αὐτοῖς παρέσχε τὸν νοῦν; τίνα δ' ἂν ἔπεισαν Θεὸν εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν καταγγέλλοντες, μηδεμίαν δὲ πίστιν τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ προσάγοντες; Διὸ πάντα λόγον θεϊκαῖς προλαμβάνων πράξεσιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, πρῶτα μὲν ἀνεπιτηδεύτους τὸν τρόπον, λόγων τε καὶ σοφίας θνητῆς ἀπείρους τοὺς αὐτοῦ μαθητὰς ἐπὶ κατορθώσει τῆς ὅλης οἰκουμένης προεχειρίζετο· κἄπειτα ἁλιευτὰς ψυχῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ποιήσειν προφήσας αὐτοὺς, ποιητὴς αὐτὸς ἐγίνετο τῆς ἐπαγγελίας· ὅθεν παραδόξων θαυμάτων ἐργάτας αὐτοὺς ἀπειργάζετο, ἄγκιστρα ταῦτα ψυχῶν σωτήρια παραδιδοὺς αὐτοῖς, ὡςἂν δι' αὐτῶν σαγηνεύοιεν καὶ ἀνέλκοιεν ἐκ τοῦ τῆς κακίας βυθοῦ τὸ θνητὸν γένος, πνεύματα πονηρὰ φυγαδεύοντες, καὶ πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ μαλακίαν ἰώμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπιταγῆς τῆς αὐτοῦ· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν Πνεῦμα δεδομένον. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Τὸ Κατὰ Λουκαν Ἐπαγγελιον, Ἐκλογή Source: Migne PG 24.544a

And He called together His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority...1 For this the Lord armed His disciples with heavenly power, that they might overcome the initial opposition of the devil and the hostility of men and bitter adversaries, since in curing sickness and all sorts of disorders they would offer proof in the sight of all men to the preaching of the kingdom of heaven. For it was necessary that those who were to declare an unexpected teaching should exhibit these strange new goods with signs. Therefore there were demonstrations of the kingdom of God, wonderous prodigies and miracles, and the accomplishment of the curing of souls and bodies by the Saviour. For the word is vain without deeds and it is not otherwise possible to convince listeners with any firm persuasion. Because of this works were accomplished for the gaining of firm faith in preaching. If, then, they had ventured to go out with words and voices alone to tell of the kingdom of God to everyone, with the abolishment of ancestral gods, who would have turned their minds to them? Who would have been persuaded by the declaration that Jesus was God if they have given no witness for such faith? Therefore the Saviour anticipates every word with Divine works, and from simple ways of living, lacking eloquence and worldly wisdom, He recruits His disciples for the correction of the whole world. And He had foretold that He would make them fishermen of human souls, with the author Himself as the promise of it, whence He made them workers of prodigious miracles, supplying them with salutary hooks for souls, so that they might catch and drag them out of the deep abyss of iniquity of the mortal race, in driving out evil spirits and in healing with a nod sickness and disorders, for they were not yet given the Holy Spirit. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary On the Gospel of Saint Luke, Fragment 1 Lk 9.1