Mark 6.8-9 8 He charged them to take nothing for their
journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear
sandals and not put on two tunics. (ESV)
This morning as I was driving home from the gym, sipping
my complimentary gym-coffee, and warming myself with the heater in my vehicle I
had this thought: if I won the lottery,
my worries would be over. And then the Voice said, “Why do you worry at all!?” And then I thought about how foolish my
winning-the-lottery thoughts are and why I seem to think I would the lottery
over the riches I have in God. My value system is often pathetic.
Jesus sent His men out – two-by-two – and charged them to
take nothing for their journey except a staff. I can hear Him say: “Boys, you’re on your own here; preach what
I’ve told you to preach and don’t depend on anyone for anything except God. Got
it?” And they went and did it. I think there were lots of pot-luck meals
and possibly some hungry nights.
I struggle with the whole money-thing. What’s ironic is I
live in a land where even the poverty-stricken have things like cell-phones, TV’s,
and computers. In America if one makes forty-thousand dollars a year that
person is in the top 10% income bracket compared to the rest of the world. Even
if someone makes $1500 a year that person is still in the top 25%. Wow!
I struggle with the money-thing because I have a crappy system
of value, and believe (like many others) that if I were to strike it rich I
could coast through the rest of life worry-free. I don’t think God agrees with
me. I’m not sure how I would handle it if Jesus walked into my room right now
and said: Here’s my zero-balance credit
card, now go preach the Gospel in the cities and towns of Eastern Oregon and
take nothing for the journey except a staff… Jesus? Really? Yep, Paul.
Really!
As I enter the close-out
years of my life I think about finishing well and making sure my values are
where they need to be. The only True riches in this life are found in the
knowledge of God and completion of the assignment He charges: live in Me, trust in Me, and do what I tell
you to do…every moment of every day. Not even the lottery can compare with
riches like that.
I’m so stinking American sometimes I can’t stand it; but I
look into the fearsome appearing black-hole of the disciple’s life and
strangely am drawn to it. I’ve never been much good at the money-thing anyway.
Today, the call I hear is to live simply, listen
carefully, and obey entirely; take nothing for the journey except your staff.
Wow Jesus, it feels overwhelming but it calls to freedom and that’s more
appealing.
Lord, forgive me for the foolishness of worry and
insisting, in my own petty little ways, that I’ll find some big pile of cash as
if that would solve all my worrying and unbelief. Help me today as I try to
take nothing for the journey except a stick AND the belief that You are with me,
and will provide all I ever need – Amen.
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