He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
Has Jesus ever called us to do something for which we felt unprepared? It shouldn't have come as a surprise. The Bible is filled with stories of people being called before the felt ready to do things that they didn't understand or to make journeys to places unknown. God equipped them with what they needed and he was with them on the way.
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
How do we respond when the call of God seems imprudent? We have food, a sack, and money to bring. When we are called to set them aside where we can't rely on them are we able to do it? God wants us to trust him enough to do what he calls us to do, even if it feels imprudent, or even if we feel unprepared. Our LORD has such a history of calling people into situations that demand faith from them that we can be fairly certain there will be more like them in our future. This need not engender fear in us. It can rather be the occasion of adventure and ever deepening trust.
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
God told David that Israel would be blessed if his sons where faithful with their whole hearts. But circumstances quickly tested that faithfulness and, in most of them, it was found wanting. Rather than relying on human strength, ingenuity, skill, or preparedness, let us welcome a King who never wavers in his fidelity to the Father. Let us ask Jesus to reign in our hearts. Just as David's descendants spanned generations, so too our lives be marked with different phases. We need to enthrone Jesus again and again and resist the temptation to rely overmuch on our flesh, or worse, to take back the throne ourselves.
LORD, you are exalted over all.
Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you.
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