Take Nothing for the Journey

There is a lot of wisdom in the words that Jesus spoke to his apostles in today’s gospel:

“See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.”

The reason Jesus told his disciples to take nothing for their journey, may have been because they could travel lighter and faster without the burden of carrying a lot of possessions with them. We really should stop and think about this, because our possessions often weigh us down rather than free us.  We are always cleaning, repairing, packing and finding places to store our possessions.  We also spend long hours at work sometimes, in order to buy the latest gadgets on the market.  This takes a lot of time, money, and effort away from our relationships with God, our family and friends, and the community that we live in though.  (How much time do we spend watching television or surfing the internet?)

Another reason Jesus might have told his disciples not to take anything with them for the journey though, may have been because they would have to depend on other people for their food and shelter.  This meant the apostles would have a lot more interactions with the people they encountered, and it would give the strangers they met time to get to know them a little more personally.  Jesus’s instructions were actually a very loving act for the long term, because his apostles would never be alone, or lack for human companionship during their travels.

Jesus also showed his love for all of mankind, in today’s gospel when he sent his disciples out into the world to heal people, cure their diseases, cast out demons, and proclaim the kingdom of God. This is the awesome thing about Jesus, and his disciples too. They didn’t just talk about the kingdom of God, they followed up their words with actions that spoke more eloquently of love than mere words ever could.

This kind of healing is something most of us long for today. Almost everyone has some kind of brokenness, demons from the past that haunt them, or medical problems that are not easy to live with. We long to be healed and made whole too.  This may or may not happen in our lives here on earth though.  Our lives were not meant to be perfect until we reach heaven, or else heaven would not feel like heaven to us then.  Won’t it be an awesome thing, to be completely healed from all our physical problems, heartaches, regrets, or past sins by the time we reach heaven though?  To be made clean, healed and whole again will be a blessing that we just can’t imagine right now.

The last verses in today’s gospel is a healing thing for a lot of people.  Jesus told his disciples that where ever they went that the people did not welcome them, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them when they left.  Jesus’s teachings were not always about peace and harmony and getting along with everyone at all times. He recognized the negativity that some people have, and he did not force his disciples to subject themselves to it. Neither should we.

Life is hard enough sometimes, without allowing other people to make us even more miserable. Don’t feel guilty if you need to distance yourself from negative people sometimes. Not everyone will accept you and welcome you, and it is understandable if you do not want to allow their negativity to affect you too. Like Christ’s disciples in today’s gospel, we can find more positive minded people to associate with and not feel guilty about doing this.  Life is too short to live under a cloud of negativity all the time.

The joy of the gospel that Pope Francis is always talking about, really is possible to obtain in our lives.  We just need to let the negativity in our lives go – and not dwell on it any more.

The readings for Mass today emphasize that we are only traveling through this life, it is not our permanent home.  We shouldn’t get too attached to our possessions because they will just weigh us down in the long run.  Freedom is found in Jesus Christ alone.   Jesus frees us to love God and love our family and friends, much more than the material things we own.  The joy we experience through our possessions and pleasures of this world is fleeting, but love exists forever.  Our own journey through life would be much easier though, if we took Jesus’s words to heart from today’s gospel.

 

Daily Mass Readings:  2 Tm 4:10-17b; Ps 145, Lk 10:1-9

About the Author

Hello! My name is Laura Kazlas. As a child, I was raised in an atheist family, but came to believe in God when I was 12 years old. I was baptized because of the words that I read in the bible. I later became a Catholic because of the Mass. The first time my husband brought me to Mass, I thought it was the most holy, beautiful sense of worshiping God that I had ever experienced. I still do! My husband John and I have been married for 37 years. We have a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. We are in the process of adopting a three year old little girl. We live in Salem, Oregon in the United States. I currently serve as the program coordinator for Catholic ministry at a local maximum security men's prison. I‘m also a supervisor for Mount Angel Seminary’s field education program, in Oregon.

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12 Comments

  1. Thanks Laura for your wonderful reflection. It has really made my day. About not to carry heavy burdens which will only draw me away from the true relationship with God is quite true. Let us all lighten ourselves so that when Christ comes back He will find us ready for Him. God bless you and keep it up

  2. This is a spot on Gospel for todays world of materialism. We cannot take anything with us except the love we have created in our families and our relationships with others. The negativity that surrounds us must be eliminated for us to move ahead with peace in our lives. Very appropriate reflection in what we face today. Thank you Laura

  3. Fits in with one of the recent gospels where the man was told GO and sel

    It fits well with one of the recent gospels where the man is told to sell all he has ,give the money to the poor and then come follow me.

  4. If we would just follow his words, we would be much better and happier for it. Thank you for your explanations of why Jesus told them not to bring anything with them, and some reasoning behind that. He always knows what’s best for us, even when on face-value it sounds strange or uncomfortable. It is the recipe for peace and happiness on earth before we enter heaven with him.

  6. Fabulous reflection Laura! Really powerful. Praise you Lord for the gift of faith. Let us fill our hearts with love of you, and build up treasure that lasts for all eternity.
    God bless you always.

  7. Thanks for a wonderful reflection. You are spot on about not feeling guilty about distancing ourselves from negative people.

  8. Thank you for your reflection. Sometimes I continue friendships with negative people so I can offer a different perspective on various issues. Rather than looking at every world issue from the left or the right, I work to share the gospel perspective. These discussions can also help me improve my patience and empathy for people living in a cloud of negative thoughts.

  9. Laura, you wrote that “Jesus’s teachings were not always about peace and harmony and getting along with everyone at all times. He recognized the negativity that some people have, and he did not force his disciples to subject themselves to it. Neither should we.” In my parish, I have experienced hypocrisy not just by certain parishioners, but also by priests and the deacon. The deacon and certain parishioners justify gossip and slander, and the priests believe them without trying to find the truth.

    You go on to write: “Life is hard enough sometimes, without allowing other people to make us even more miserable. Don’t feel guilty if you need to distance yourself from negative people sometimes.” This I have done. Sadly, I have distanced myself from parish life of almost 28 years. A church I loved to attend, get to Mass a half hour early just to sit and enjoy the beauty and quiet. All gone because of the insecurity of a certain parish priest who did not have the courage to try and make amends with me, but instead involved his deacon who spread lies. I keep asking God why He is allowing what has been done, and has been spread by His Son Jesus’ representatives! Those who should be nurturing us spiritually, should be finding ways to heal the rift. The slander caused by these religious is so deep, I can’t help wondering if there will ever be a healing resolution.

    Please pray for me, the former parish priest, the deacon and parishioners, and the new priests who don’t have the courage to find the truth. Thank you.

    ???

  10. Hi Chris! I will definitely keep you in my prayers. My mother and father in law left the church until the day they died because of being hurt by those who serve in the parish too. I worried and continue to pray for their salvation to this day.

    Our faith and salvation is found in Jesus Christ though, not the church or the people in it. Even Jesus found serious faults with the leaders of the Jewish faith. He even advised the faithful to do what they said, but not to follow their example.

    If I could give you any advise at all, it would be to take your time and really read the New Testament. The words of Jesus can be very healing.

    I hope you give us another try. A few bad apples are just that.

  11. Laura,

    Your reflection spoke to me today — I had distanced myself on LinkedIn from a now former boss by removing him as a connection. He was not a good example of a leader, but I still had some guilt about removing him as a connection. I felt better about it after reading your reflection.

    Thank you and God bless you.

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