He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler's bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. "Wherever you go," he said, "stay in the same house until you leave town. But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate." Mark 6:8-11
Jesus
sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: "Don't go to the
Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God's lost sheep.
Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick,
raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as
you have received! Don't take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or
even copper coins. Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and
sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because
those who work deserve to be fed. Whenever you enter a city or village, search
for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter
the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your
blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town
refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet
as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
will be better off than such a town on the judgment day." Matthew 10:5-15
Meditate.
Consider Jesus’ guidance to His disciples.
Don’t
take anything with you! What?! When was the last time, if ever, that you
traveled and took NOTHING with you! We always end up with big bags full of our
necessities—and we use everything we take along. Still, there is too much stuff. I
have a friend who travels light…and frequently! She manages to carry just a
backpack compared to my super-sized roller bag!
Sandals for your feet.
What about a walking stick?
Jesus
sent out His twelve guys with instructions on just what to do. Tell all the
Israelites that the Kingdom of God is near…at hand. That was the most
important. Just the Jews—not the Gentiles. Jesus had poured His life, His
teachings, and healing into these men; now it was their turn to help others. He
told them… Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with
leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! They
weren’t to take any money or extra clothes with them, just a walking stick.
Well, Mark says to take a walking stick, but Matthew records—no stick.
Considering an uneven terrain, I think that a walking stick would be in order when going from village to village. They were to rely on the hospitality of people
in the towns they visited—and on just one home there. No hospitality? Then
shake off the dust and leave them. Very specific instruction. Jesus wasn’t
leaving anything to chance. He had it planned out just what the disciples were
to do. He knew the outcome of this training adventure ahead of time. Jesus,
being God, is omniscient—He knows everything. This was a time for Jesus’
teaching to be put into practice. He would see what those guys had learned from
Him.
What
do we learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching Your disciples to follow Your teachings.
Help us to be obedient as we try to follow You. May the Holy Spirit guide us
and fill us
Verse
of Salvation ~ After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven
shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our
God. Revelation
19:1
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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