Take No Gold, Nor Silver
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Matthew 10:6-10
6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7. And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay. 9. Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, 10. no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food.
Jesus tells us to get to work! Don’t sit around in church and talk about what’s wrong with the world--get out there and fix it! You don’t have to be rich and “throw money” at a situation. All you need is a strong back and a willing heart. And if you don’t have a strong back, you can pray for those laboring on behalf of others. Jesus tells us that we don’t have any time to waste, because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Some may say, well . . . Jesus lived 2000 years ago and the world still hasn’t ended, so what does that even mean? I think it means we have more work to do!
When I read verse 10 I think of all the trips I’ve made to Lake Junaluska with our youth. Before we even leave for the trip, we begin to calculate how much extra space we’ll need for “luggage.” Yes, it is a Youth in Mission week. Yes, we are 5 minutes from the nearest Wal-Mart. Yes, we stop to eat at least 3 times during the 8 hour road trip. Yes we are provided with massive amounts of food at each meal throughout the week. But one of the biggest concerns is: “Do I have enough snacks?” And then there is the issue of whether the blow dryer will fit, and if there is room for all the changes of clothes that will be needed -- and a bathing suit for each day, in case we get to swim in the pool.
I’m not just talking about the kids either! And I’m not being critical! That’s how we are! That’s how the world is! But Jesus tells us not to worry about all that “stuff.” Wal-Mart is open 24 hours! If you forget your toothbrush, someone will drive to Wal-Mart to buy you one! But wait a minute, folks! Let’s remember that we’re about missions! Not just during that week in the mountains, but every day of our lives. We are commanded to go out into the world and help the helpless, feed the hungry, provide comfort and healing . And we don’t need fancy words or “nice clothes” or even any money. We only need Jesus. His power, his strength, his love, his command.
God will take care of us. He will meet our every need - just as he always has. We may look at our check book balance and think we have nothing to offer. We may look at our church financial statement and protest that we have nothing extra to give or invest or spend. Jesus, though, doesn’t care about the “bottom line.” He wants our sweat and our backs and our prayers -- and our obedience. Go. Do. I’ve already gone ahead of you to prepare a way. I’ll be there when you arrive. And I’ll stay behind to finish the work you started after you have moved on. Jesus is all we need. Our faith in Him compels us to get busy! Our trust in Him spurs us on. Our gratitude for God’s grace overwhelms us.
In light our free gift of grace, how can we help but proclaim the message of salvation! How can we be silent? How can we be idle? How can we be discouraged? God’s faithfulness has endured through all generations. He will sustain us and provide for us--in fact, he already has! He sent his son to become sin for us. And for that we can never even begin to repay our great and glorious God!
My prayer today is that you will be on a mission to preach, heal and proclaim the Good News that Jesus died for us! And that you offer a prayer of gratitude that He arose on the third day.
Mary
