Jesus gives his disciples power and authority, but he also sends them into the world with instructions. Along with the power of the spirit of God comes the responsibility of being a God-bearing disciple. One cannot believe in the gospel and not live out its precepts. We cannot serve both God and the world. This is why Jesus sends his disciples onto their mission with instructions to bring nothing extra with them, to only stay at one place at a time, and to shake the dust from their feet. They must be willing to give up the comforts of life in order to know, love, and serve God as they ought to. In addition, they must not let the emotional baggage of rejection or persecution weigh them down and so they need to be able to let go of any hurt feelings they might have in those towns that do not welcome them. Freed from material want and emotional baggage, the disciples are able to move from place to place depending upon God’s good graces to provide for them and defend them.
Are we willing to leave all that we have behind for God? What material and emotional baggage is keeping us from following in Jesus’ footsteps? How can we better proclaim the good news in our lives?
O Lord, send us forth to proclaim your good news.
Amen.
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