When we take summer trips what do we take with us? Imagine the list. How many changes of clothes? What about medicine? Grooming equipment? Money in cash and credit cards? Golf clubs? Laptop computers, cell phones, and “play” gadgets. We want to make sure all of our needs are taken care of—no stone left unturned.
How would we feel if we were one of the Apostles whom Jesus sent out on their first mission trip? Do you think any of them gave thought to what to pack in their “suitcases?” Or how much money and food to take along?
Jesus had a surprise for them. He told them that God would take care of all the practicals. All they had to do was focus on the assignment he gave them. Let’s listen to Jesus’ list of what to take and not to take with them (Mark 6:7-13).
“He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to war sandals but not a second tunic.”
No food! What? That’s the first thing that was on their mind. Some may already have begun stuffing some sandwiches in their travel bags. No sack! What? They weren’t even allowed to take a travel bag? No money! How would they pay for their lodging at a local inn? Only one tunic! What if it got dirty? Talk about travelling light!
Jesus did concede a walking stick and sandals. In Matthew’s version of this, however, Jesus didn’t even allow those.
Imagine the anxiety they must have felt when they headed to their first mission stop. All the things that they normally depended on were taken away. One thing for sure, though, they didn’t have to worry about robbers—unless they carried expensive walking sticks or designer sandals.
God covered all the details. He surprised them with unexpected food—maybe a generous traveler shared their meal, or maybe they passed a few fig trees on the road. When God is in charge no one goes hungry. His next surprise was finding them a comfortable, homey place to stay for the night. People were generous in opening their homes for lodging and providing for any personal needs they might have had.
On their return trip they must have talked about the amazing ways God took care of them—even to the detail. What he provided was much better than what they could have brought in their bags or bought with their few coins.
God delights in surprising his children. He is the Provider who looks for opportunities to take care of us. He loves to step in when we are out of gas, out of food, or out of money, or out of ideas and take care of us. He loves to fill our emptiness in whatever form that may be.
I remember walking into a restaurant one morning, ordering food, and then reaching into an empty pocket. I thought I had brought money with me. Before I had time to cancel the order, the person behind me smiled, and said “I’ll take care of it.” I remember several times that I ran out of gasoline, and in each case, my car chose to quit within walking distance of a gasoline station.
When we go overboard in providing for all our needs—both real and imagined—we don’t give God much room to surprise us. If we let fear govern our lives, instead of trust, we close the door to the many surprises that God wants to give us.
We love to hear Mother Angelica’s story about starting a TV station from scratch. When God told her to start a Catholic TV station, she laughed. She had no money and knew nothing about running a TV station. In fact, as a cloistered nun, she didn’t even watch TV (as I recall). After she said “yes” to God, the miracles began to happen—money floated in, equipment was provided, people with know-how volunteered their time, and God’s dream for Mother Angelica began to unfold. I have been told that, today, EWTN is the largest religious TV network in the world. And it all started with a poor nun who had nothing to work with except her trust in God and the humility to ask others to help her.
Pope Francis in his exhortation on holiness tells us that each of us is called to be a saint, and each of us is given a mission in life. There is a “Mother Angelica” in each of us waiting to be born. God asks us to do something we can’t do on our own—we don’t have enough talent or resources. When we say “yes,” however, and begin to trust, God provides. He will jump at the opportunity to start surprising us.
“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call” (Ephesians 1:17-18)
