Day 13: Equipped
“He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and give them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff – no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.”
Mark 6:7-10
Every winter we hear about rescue teams being scrambled to find and bring home folk who have got lost or injured while climbing mountains. Each report brings with it a warning of the dangers of climbing without the necessary equipment. There are stories of folk who have climbed Ben Nevis in shorts and t-shirt, only to end up in real trouble as storms have closed in. Even experienced climbers with all the right equipment have risked their lives, or even lost their lives on these mountains, so it would be utter foolishness to go unprepared, wouldn’t it?
Jesus sent out the Twelve on mission, but it seemed like they were outrageously ill-equipped. He was sending them with authority to do what he had been doing. They were to preach, they were to drive out demons and heal the sick. They were to go with the good news that God’s Kingdom was at hand and call people to repentance.
Now, ‘the Twelve’ weren’t superheroes. They had no power in themselves. This wasn’t Nick Fury gathering the galaxy’s greatest heroes to form a formidable team of Avengers. This was a ragtag bunch of less than impressive lads. Yes they’d been spending time with Jesus, but they still didn’t fully comprehend what God’s Kingdom being at hand really meant.
Not only were they not that impressive, Jesus told them to take no equipment with them. Not even basic supplies. No food for the journey, no money to buy it or to pay for places to stay, no bag to carry an extra set of clothes. Just sandals and a staff, and off you go.
This task seems all the more daunting when we read the events either side of these verses. Jesus had been rejected by folk from his hometown just before he sent them out. After this commission, we see John the Baptist beheaded at the hands of King Herod. If Jesus himself was rejected, and John the Baptist ended up dead, his disciples could expect the same as they went out on mission.
The task was treacherous, the threat of death real, but Jesus sent the Twelve out on their own and seemingly ill-prepared. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s exactly the point. It might be reckless to climb Ben Nevis without the right equipment, but Jesus intentionally sends his disciples out with precious little to lean on. They were to be entirely dependent on God.
‘God doesn’t call the equipped, but he equips the called.’
I’m not sure who said it, but it’s stuck in my mind for years and it’s been true of what we’ve seen in life and ministry. Nobody in their right mind would have chosen Pete and I to plant a church. We expected that someone else might do it, and they’d be better prepared and more equipped. But God doesn’t work like that. Jesus calls disciples to go and to trust him completely.
He was calling them, and us, to live out the gospel. We bring nothing to salvation, Jesus does everything. We respond by faith to what Jesus has done, and then we live by faith trusting that he will take care of all that is to come.
Yes, it’ll be dangerous, we’ll face opposition and rejection, we’ll be emotionally drained, it’ll cost money, but we’re called to go and Make Jesus Known and trust that he will provide all that’s needed for that to happen. We’ll never be fully equipped, we’ll never have the right amount of knowledge or courage, but if we’re trusting Jesus then he will be at work and will save sinners. We go empty handed but with faith that Jesus is sovereign, will save souls and build his church. Are we ready to live and die for this mission?
Passage for today: Mark 6:1-29
A thought to remember: Jesus sends his disciples out on mission in his strength.
A question to ask: How can you trust Jesus and go on mission today?
A song to sing: Facing a Task Unfinished