The seventy disciples must have felt terrified. Without
warning, it seems, Jesus sends them into the world to
begin their ministry.
In some ways, it is what the disciples have desired.
Surely some of them have been thinking, I want to be like Jesus.
I want to do the things that he is doing. But it is one thing to have
those thoughts and another thing entirely to act on them.
Now the time to act has come. They can no longer sit in the
background, watching Jesus teach and do works of power.
It’s their turn to step up. As if that were not enough pressure,
Jesus adds a catch: Carry nothing.
We would have a hard time following Jesus’ direction
today. In our daily lives, our focus on schedules, plans, and
material possessions leaves little space to hear how God
wants to use us that day. Or for mission trips, we send out
reconnaissance teams to study the mission field and figure out
its needs. Then we plan for months, accumulating supplies
that will meet any need that the mission team might have
or encounter. While necessary for many mission endeavors,
imagine the possibility of engaging the mission field and
following Jesus’ direction: Carry nothing.
Carry nothing. These words invite us into the moment, to
lean into the arms of Jesus who supplies our needs. Carry
nothing. It reminds us that our power does not come from
possessions or planning but from our faith and trust in the
Son of God who holds all power in his hand.
By Chanequa Walker-Barnes from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016