“He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” Luke 9.3-6
Jesus was hardcore. I mean, no extra shirt? “Come on, Jesus!!”
Jesus wanted the disciples to rely upon the Lord in those times. No staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. (Could they take a change of underwear? A toothbrush? Etc.) Just kidding, of course. The focus was not on what they could and couldn’t take, but rather on where they would place their trust. The followers of Jesus were learning to become disciples. They were learning what it meant to trust God and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
So, as they traveled in pairs from town to town, proclaiming the gospel and healing people “everywhere” (they were actually doing what he had given them authority to do), they were being made to look more like their Master.
The lessons I take from this are twofold: 1) rely upon the Lord, and 2) seek to imitate Jesus.
When I look at my own life, these are still very much alive as I seek to walk with Christ. My reliance upon the Lord is substantial, yet sometimes I fear. Sometimes I doubt; sometimes I take matters into my own hands. I could certainly increase in my dependency and faith in Christ.
And as far as my imitation goes—I have a long way to go before I will look fully like Jesus. He resides within me, guides me, and shows me the way, yet I often resist, get hung up in sin, or feel the restraints of this earthly body. My confession is that I am not all that he has called me to be. It’s not because he’s not calling; it’s because I am not surrendering in obedience.
Giving your life to Jesus initially is the easy part. The hard part is discipleship—the second half of the gospel.
Today we are given a charge to walk with Christ. We do not have to do this alone; the Holy Spirit is ready, willing, and able to guide us every step of the way. Our part is to say yes, take the first step, and every step to follow in the path of obediently following Jesus.
“O Lord God, you are good and faithful. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your kindness. Come now, Holy Spirit; fall upon all that I work for you. Let your Spirit reign upon us that we might be your hands and feet, heart and soul. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.