“One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.”
Luke 9:1-3, NLT
The first step these men took is to come to Jesus. His closeness is essential and critical. The very next step involves our relationship with 12 others. We never work alone, but with others who have also come to Jesus.
Jesus intends to impart vast power to His disciples. He might of sold this “power” and funded His ministry. (That is certainly what I would have done in His place.) But Jesus has no intentions of setting up ‘franchises.’ He has come to make disciples.
The terrible enemies are in control, both demons and diseases. They have inflicted the human race with strange forms of darkness for centuries. The seriousness of what is at stake can be understood by Jesus’ response of giving out, “complete” power. I believe that this is what it is going to take.
This disciples are not just messengers, but healers. They fully intend to intervene into the lives of those who are not healthy. They transmit Jesus’ touch to heal everyone who is needy. The implications are clear; Jesus is touching, even if His disciples are the ones’ reaching out.
There are specific instructions which Jesus commands, and we see in subsequent verses, that there is a basic structure to the disciples life. We do things that must align to a standard that Jesus established. We must do it, before we can make it.
The idea of taking with us money or food isn’t permitted. Leave your comfortable clothes at home in your closet. This seems to be time for us to “strip” our minds, and desires from those things that might snag us. The athlete of ancient Greece would strip himself of clothing, to run an exceptional race, with no hindrances and nothing to trip him up.
At Brokenbelievers, I would like to think that we are hungry for Him. Remember that He who feeds us has drawn really close is to us. There are many readers of this blog who are well educated and competent to succeed on whatever level they choose. But they must first and foremost be disciples of the Lord Jesus. That means we are those who chose to be under His direction.
^
ybic, Bryan
Check out my other sites: http://www.psalmslife.com and http://www.crossquotes.org. Thanks!
Related articles
- Saturday (May 25): “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (shechina.wordpress.com)
- The Life Of The Disciplined Disciple (apaththrough.wordpress.com)
- Follow Me – The Key to Becoming a Disciple Who Makes Disciples (relationaldiscipleship.wordpress.com)
- Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.(John 13:35) (twgdailydevotionals.wordpress.com)
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