Have you ever stopped to think how costly our faith is? Regular standards don’t always apply in the situations we’re called into by God. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, for example. It would have taken a lot to convince some folks in our time to say yes.
Luke 10:3-4 CEVDCI
[3] Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves.
[4] Don’t take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don’t waste time greeting people on the road.
Go Intentionally Vulnerable
Sometimes Y’shua’s instructions were hard to follow. Not because He spoke in parables, rather because obedience required a lot of trust and perhaps a bit of sacrifice. This context was no different.
Just think – being sent in pairs, with advance warning that the journey isn’t safe. That’s what sheep among wolves suggests to me. Wolves love meat, and untended sheep would offer the wolves some free Happy Meals.
Yum for the wolves; run for the sheep.
Yet Y’shua knowingly sent the 72 in pairs with only a warning about their potential vulnerability! That sounds risky to me.
Self-Check
How about you, does this sound a bit dangerous to you? Would you accept Y’shua’s invitation today?
Digging Deeper
If that warning wasn’t enough, Y’shua then told the 72 to take nothing with them. No moneybag, no travel bag or sandals. Not even a Dick Wittington handkerchief with a piece of bread. NOTHING. Except for the travelling partner who also was travelling lightly. Easy Jet and Spirit airlines would be extremely happy if these instructions were given to us in this era.
No matter the unspoken hospitality rules of the era, I believe it would have been challenging to obey. Y’shua sent them, with no resources, telling them to hand their welfare to their hosts for an indefinite period. They had no advance knowledge of where they’d stay or about the hosts’ capacity to support them. They knew nothing, except to go with haste.
It could be the house of the Widow of Zarephath or Zacheus, or worse yet, it could be someone who would turn them away. There was no credit card machine, money at home had no value as they had to leave everything behind. Not even a gift for their host. It was all about total trust.
They would have had to rely on God’s guidance and provision, as well as on each other. They also had no weapon to protect them from the wolves. Yes, having a friend in such an ‘adventure’ would have been advantageous.
Imagine doing that by one’s self.
Not easy.
It required a bit more than just enthusiasm. Having each other to boost spirits on the journey was a definite advantage. Friends are an advantage in such instances. And yes, Abram had Sarai after he and lot payed company.
Our call to follow Y’shua may not require that we leave everything to go preach. He might ask us to welcome strangers in His name. In this time when strangers could mean danger. Obviously, it’s not about material or physical possessions. Rather, Y’shua desires that we are willing to trust Him to meet our needs. Could Christ be calling us to vulnerability today?
Points to Ponder
What would it take for us to say YES to Y’shua’s ask today? Do we trust Him to provide for us when He sends us forth?
How do we treat those who come in the name of the Lord who have no visible means of support?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
