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Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and
gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to
take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack,
no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but
not a second tunic. Mark 6:7–9
If you felt called by God to go forth to another land to spread the
Gospel message, you most likely would plan ahead and pack all that
you needed for the journey. You would bring extra clothing, money,
and various other provisions. But in the Gospel above, Jesus
instructs the Twelve to go forth on a mission with nothing but a
walking stick. He instructs them to rely upon divine providence for
the physical necessities of daily living while on their journey.
Though there was nothing wrong with planning ahead and taking care
of their physical needs, Jesus’ instruction was given to teach the
Twelve a more important spiritual lesson. In their mission of
preaching the Gospel, curing the sick and casting out demons, they
had to learn to rely upon the power of God and not on their natural
abilities. Therefore, by learning to rely upon providence for
things like food, clothing and shelter, they were more prepared to
also rely upon divine providence in their apostolic mission.
As you ponder this passage, try to imagine what might have gone
through the minds of the Twelve as they traveled. Imagine them
walking for many miles and arriving at a town as the sun began to
set. Since they had no money or food, they would have been tempted
to fear and worry. They could not rent a room for the night. They
could not buy anything to eat. This was a test of their trust in
God.
Imagine further that these same Apostles suddenly encountered God’s
providence. To their surprise, they were offered free lodging for
the night and a meal. The next day, the same thing happened. As
they trusted, journeyed, preached, healed and drove out demons,
they found that they had what they needed every day and every
night. This experience of God’s providence would certainly have
affected their personal faith. But it also would have affected
their ministry. As they witnessed God providing for their physical
needs, they would also have grown in their trust in grace to more
fruitfully fulfill their mission.
Just as the Twelve had to learn to rely upon the providence of God
in all things, so God wants the same for you. He might not call you
to go forth on a mission without any physical provisions, but He
does want you to learn to trust Him always. Perhaps that means
donating more than a tithe of your money to the poor or to the
mission of the Church as a way of showing you trust God with your
money. Perhaps it means buying less for yourself and learning to
live more simply. Or perhaps it means taking a step in faith by
speaking to a friend about the Gospel, engaging in an apostolic
ministry at Church, or stepping out in faith in some other way
while you learn to put your trust in God. Trust in God means you
overcome fear and worry as you journey through life and fulfill the
mission God has given to you.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants you to learn to trust
Him in all things and to especially trust that He will use you to
share the Gospel with others. If you find this fearful, that is a
good interior discovery. It means that you have found the fear
holding you back. Whatever that may be, step forward in faith and
conquer that fear. God will provide for you, giving you what you
need to wonderfully fulfill His divine mission in your
life.
My providential Lord, You always provide for us in every way.
You know our every need and always meet those needs. Please help me
to trust in You in every way and to learn to rely upon Your
providential grace. Please use me as You will and work powerfully
through me so that my life produces an abundance of good fruit for
Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Jesus blesses the Apostolic College,
via flickr
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