Jesus said, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic.” (Luke 9:3)
When many of us travel, we try to get as much as possible in our suitcases. We do so because we don’t want to be caught with the wrong or not enough clothes at our destination. We learn some tricks about how to take more for our trip—we roll up our clothes, put things in our shoes, stuff our carry-on bag, and cram into every nook and cranny.
Recently I was behind a man at the airport who had an over-packed suitcase. When the woman at the counter told him he would need to pay extra, it was comical watching him trying to lighten his load by putting on more clothes.
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, he said, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic.”
Not even an extra tunic? Now that’s pretty lean.
What was the point Jesus was making to them?
Jesus was telling them to travel light because He wanted them to trust that He would provide for what they needed. He was also saying that the disposition of their hearts mattered more than the composition of their outfits. He wanted them to care more about clothing themselves with trust, joy, and love and less about how they would clothe their bodies.
Let’s think about standing before Jesus. He has just invited us to follow Him to the Mission Field. He wants us to trust that He will give us all we need for the journey.
Even though we’re eager to follow and serve Him, I’m wondering if some of us may be like the guy at the airport who had too much stuff. Are we going to discard some things so that we can embark? Or are we going to be burdened by what we insist upon keeping?
I encourage us to think and pray about what we might need to unpack, let go of, give away, and discard so that we can travel light with Jesus. Jesus doesn’t want us to be carrying around any baggage that distracts or impedes our ability to follow and travel with Him.
Reflection Questions:
- As you go through life, do you travel light or heavy? Do you tend to let things go or hold onto them tightly?
- If you are going to follow and serve Jesus, what baggage might you need to unpack and discard?
- There’s no way you can travel very far unless you take Jesus with you. Do you leave room in your mind and heart, your packed life and full calendar, to include Jesus in every aspect of your life?