He said
to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money
– not even an extra tunic."
We are a possession-oriented society. Success, by today’s
standards, is defined largely by the number and type of one’s possessions. Yet Jesus
empowered his disciples and commanded them to take no possessions on their journey –
no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. They were sent into the world to
preach the good news of God’s kingdom, and they were sent with nothing in their
backpacks.
Today, as in Christ’s time, the world is filled with hate,
mistrust, greed, ruthlessness, sickness, and poverty. And we, as the disciples, are
empowered to move out into this jungle of sin to spread the good news of God’s
kingdom. We musn’t take too much with us, for it may weigh us down.
The good news is that Christ lives within each and every one of us,
because God loved us so much that he sent his only Son into this world to die for our
sins, so that we might be saved and spend eternal life with him. Under God’s plan,
people of all races, creeds, and nationalities can live together peacefully by serving one
another. By serving others, we are serving God as God originally intended.
Despite the deplorable tragedies we have witnessed in the last year, we
believe that good will triumph over evil, because Christ is present in this world. We must
go forward boldly and proudly proclaiming this good news so that all might be healed and
saved.
Gracious Heavenly Father, we come to you this day with troubled
hearts seeking your guidance for living in this most difficult world. Give us the strength
and faith to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, knowing that your love,
mercy, and grace shall always be with us, even during the most difficult of times.
Larry Ehrlich
