Power and authority come from the Lord

The period of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee was drawing to a close. So, by sending out the twelve disciples, Jesus sought to expand His work within a short time. The disciples were given two missions: (1) to proclaim the kingdom of God, and (2) to cast out demons and heal diseases. Jesus was always seeking to set people free from both physical and spiritual bondage, and the mission of the disciples was the same. Along with the mission, Jesus also gave them the power and authority to fulfill it. The disciples were commanded to set out on their missionary journey without any preparation. Jesus said, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics.” In other words, “Go just as you are.” That was to instill in the disciples a sense of urgency, and also to train them to rely completely on God. Did you know that when God gives us a mission, He also gives us the power to fulfill it? Let us also be those who do not shrink back in fear, but who move forward in faith.

Present day application

We do not need to regard the command of Jesus in this passage as universal. Rather, it should be understood as a command given in the midst of an urgent situation (ref. Luke 22:36). It is clear that Jesus spoke with a sense of urgency. (1) The command was given not to prepare first, but to go out just as they were. The disciples had to focus all their attention on the evangelistic opportunities set before them. (2) They were commanded that if they found a house that welcomed them, they were to stay in that same house until they left the town. This was to prevent them from lingering too long in one place. (3) When leaving a town that did not accept the gospel, they were commanded to shake the dust off their feet. At that time, among devout Jews, there was a custom of shaking the dust off their feet when returning from Gentile territory to Palestine, so as not to bring in defilement. The disciples of Jesus carried out this act to declare that Israelites who rejected the gospel were not worthy of the kingdom of God. Let us take time to meditate on the time we live in. Have you ever postponed action for a day, even though the time had already come?