Today’s scripture: Luke 9:1-6 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Mark Shoup):
Here we see Jesus empowering the twelve to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of God and to perform miracles of healing. It is curious that he tells them to take nothing one would normally take on a journey: no food, no money, no change of clothes, not even a staff that might be useful in fending off any wild beasts encountered along the way.
I have heard this verse used as a counter-viewpoint to the “Prosperity Gospel” way of thinking, but I don’t think that is the point that Jesus is making. I think that he wants the disciples to be completely dependent on God for their survival, so that they will keep their minds firmly on the Lord and doing as the Holy Spirit directs them.
This may be a bizarre comparison, but it sort of reminds me of the process of addiction and recovery. A person who is an addict will seldom have long term success at beating their addiction until they have hit “rock bottom.” This may mean different things to different people, but it basically means that the person gets to a point where they have lost so much that they are finally able to give themselves completely over to their recovery. If a person tries to beat addiction without going through this process, they are much less likely to succeed.
And so it is with the Holy Spirit. The only way to be completely “tuned in” is to be completely dependent on the Spirit for everything, not just for ascertaining God’s will. Although I have never fasted, I suspect this is another way to achieve this type of dependence; to remove food and rely on the Spirit for the strength to continue.
When you consider this, it makes perfect sense that Jesus would have told his “newbie” disciples to proceed in this way. He wanted them to be plugged in to the Holy Spirit, and given their newness to the faith, this was a good way to make it happen.
Thought for the day: God, what distractions are keeping me from “plugging in” to You more fully?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.