Christ send the disciples to do pastoral work

Gospel

Mark 6:7-13

'Take nothing with you'

Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

Reflection:

Jesus sends out the Twelve with radical dependence on God and others. Taking nothing forces them to trust—not in supplies, but in the message and power they carry. Their poverty becomes a sign of God’s provision, and their peace remains with those who receive them. When rejected, they simply move on, leaving judgment to God. True mission begins not with our resources, but with surrender.

Question:

What material or emotional “baggage” do I need to leave behind to follow Christ’s call more freely today?

Prayer:

Lord, free me from reliance on my own provisions. Teach me to trust in your grace alone as I carry your peace into the world. Amen.

Comments

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