We read in Mark 6 that Jesus had sent out the twelve disciples, two by two, commissioned to preach the gospel of the Kingdom,— the rule and reign of universal harmony,— to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils." The record tells us "they went out and preached that men should repent, and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them." Later on, they "gathered themselves together, unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught." The Master had thus tested their understanding of Truth, and found them able to demonstrate, in a degree, that which he had taught them.
There seems to have been in this episode in the experience of the apostolic healers, a touch of human nature which makes these learners very near akin to the apostles of to-day. They had tried their wings, and found themselves in a measure lifted above the evidence of the material senses. They were able to take the first steps.
Evil was shorn of its seeming power, and sickness disappeared before the magic wand of Truth; and, like eager children, elated by their first victory, they returned to tell of their triumph. Surely, the great heart of the Master, yearning to see humanity freed from its self-imposed burdens, and longing to have his mission understood, must have shared in their rejoicing; as he saw also their need of a higher understanding of the Infinite capacities of Mind.
