Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Sometimes when I travel, I feel as if I'm taking my entire house with me. Clothes, shoes, shampoo, book, ipod, laptop, camera, magazine, cell phone, just one more sweater, etc., etc. "Take nothing for the journey"??? It may be that Jesus was trying to encourage his apostles to have to interact very directly with, even be dependent upon, strangers. Don't just go out and do your stuff and then hole up in the hotel ... connect with people! And in making the Twelve the recipients of the hospitality of the very people they are supposed to minister to, it becomes a reciprocal relationship: we each share of our own gifts to help one another.It can be difficult to admit the need for help. We're trained to be independent, self-sufficient. Trusting that God will indeed provide all we need is a challenging concept to believe fully. But sometimes those healing miracles can only happen when we let go of needing to be the person who makes them happen, let go of all the extra stuff that distracts us or weighs us down, and just be present to the opportunities of the moment.
- Who has 'fed' or 'sheltered' you in your faith journey?
- What in your life makes it difficult to live your faith effectively?
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