Mark 6:7-11: a reflection

7He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, 9but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. 10He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

When Jesus sends out the twelve, he sends them in deliberate dependence, telling them to take almost nothing for the journey, so that they must rely on God and the hospitality of others rather than on their own provisions. He commanded them to take nothing for their journey except a staff only, the account says: no bread, no bag, no money in their purse. Jesus sent them out to depend, not to be self-sufficient; stripped of their own provisions, they would have to rely on God's provision and the welcome of those they served. Their very lack was meant to teach them dependence. This shows being sent out in dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Jesus sent them out to depend on God, not on their own provisions. Traveling light teaches dependence rather than self-sufficiency. We are sent to rely on God's provision, not our own store. Dependence on God, not self-sufficiency, marks how Christ sends us.

Notice how Jesus deliberately sent the disciples out in dependence. He could have had them take ample provisions, money, supplies, everything they might need to be self-sufficient. Instead, he told them to take almost nothing, only a staff and sandals, no bread, no bag, no money. This was deliberate: he sent them out stripped of their own resources, so that they would have to depend on God's provision and on the hospitality of those they served, rather than on their own store. Their very lack was a lesson in dependence, teaching them to rely not on themselves but on God. This speaks to us. We can want to be self-sufficient, to have everything we need in our own hands, to depend on our own resources and provisions rather than on God. But Christ often calls us into a dependence that strips away our self-sufficiency, so that we learn to rely on him, to trust his provision, to depend on God rather than on our own store. There is a spiritual value in being brought to depend, in traveling light, in learning that we are provided for by God rather than by our own sufficiency. We do well to learn dependence on God, not clinging to our own self-sufficiency. Christ often calls us to depend on him rather than our own resources. Traveling light, we learn to rely on God's provision. There is value in being brought to depend on God, not ourselves. Learn dependence on God rather than clinging to self-sufficiency.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ often sends us out in dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency, and there is value in learning to rely on his provision, as Jesus sent the twelve to take almost nothing and depend on God. We can cling to our own self-sufficiency, wanting everything we need in our own hands rather than depending on God; but Jesus deliberately sent the disciples out stripped of their own provisions, to teach them dependence. Christ calls us to rely on God. Do not cling to self-sufficiency; learn to depend on God's provision, as the disciples were sent to do. Learn to depend on God's provision rather than clinging to your own self-sufficiency, as Jesus, sending out the twelve, told them to take almost nothing for the journey, no bread, no bag, no money, only a staff, so that they would have to rely on God's provision and the hospitality of those they served rather than on their own store; for Jesus sent them out deliberately in dependence, stripped of their own resources, their very lack a lesson in relying not on themselves but on God, and this speaks to us, since we can want to be self-sufficient, to have everything we need in our own hands and depend on our own resources rather than on God, but Christ often calls us into a dependence that strips away our self-sufficiency so that we learn to rely on him, to trust his provision, and to depend on God rather than on our own store, so that there is a spiritual value in being brought to depend, in traveling light, and in learning that we are provided for by God rather than by our own sufficiency, and we do well to learn such dependence rather than clinging to our self-sufficiency.

Lord Jesus, when you send out the twelve, you send them in deliberate dependence, telling them to take almost nothing for the journey, so that they must rely on God and the hospitality of others rather than on their own provisions. You commanded them to take nothing for their journey except a staff only, the account says: no bread, no bag, no money in their purse. You sent them out to depend, not to be self-sufficient; stripped of their own provisions, they would have to rely on God's provision and the welcome of those they served. Their very lack was meant to teach them dependence. This shows being sent out in dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Show me how you deliberately sent the disciples out in dependence. You could have had them take ample provisions, everything they might need to be self-sufficient. Instead, you told them to take almost nothing, so that they would have to depend on God's provision and on the hospitality of those they served. Their very lack was a lesson in dependence, teaching them to rely not on themselves but on God. This speaks to me. I can want to be self-sufficient, to have everything I need in my own hands, to depend on my own resources rather than on God. But you often call me into a dependence that strips away my self-sufficiency, so that I learn to rely on you, to trust your provision. There is a spiritual value in being brought to depend, in traveling light. Take that to my heart, for you often send me out in dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency. Keep me from clinging to my own self-sufficiency, wanting everything I need in my own hands; help me learn to depend on your provision, Lord, as you sent the disciples to do, relying on you rather than on my own store, and finding that I am provided for by you rather than by my own sufficiency.