“….Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.”
Mark 6:8-9 (NIV)

Jesus gave his disciples instructions before sending them out, in twos, to preach the gospel and at first glance his instructions seem to be a bit strange. He told them to take nothing with them, not even an extra shirt. According to Mark the only thing they were allowed to take was a staff.

This might sound strange to us. I am not sure about you but when I am going on a journey I spend a lot of time figuring out just what to take with me; nobody likes to be caught short. Of course, no matter how carefully we plan, there always seems to be something we’ve forgotten. My husband and I often joke as we leave the house saying, ‘I wonder what we’ve forgotten this time?’ The forgotten items range from articles of clothing, toothpaste, hairbrushes, shoes, glasses, hairdryer, medication and yes, even underwear. But to take nothing? Even the thought of it causes unease.

Why would Jesus do that? Let’s first understand the importance of what he told them to take – a staff. 

A staff was important for two reasons, the first of which is fairly obvious: a staff helps support you when walking great distances. You can lean on a staff when you are tired, so with each step the disciples were reminded that they had to lean on something other than their own strength. They were reminded of their need for God. Today we, like them, need to lean on the Lord, our staff. We are being sent out to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those we encounter, and we cannot rely on our own strength. We place our trust in God knowing with each step we rely on him, not just when we are tired, but in all circumstances. 

The second reason the staff was important? It is a symbol of power. Jesus gave the disciples authority. They weren’t going out under their own authority but with the authority of Jesus Christ, and as a result they were able to do mighty works in his name. Today it is the power of the Holy Spirit that convicts people of their sin, and he leads them to all truth. We can have confidence that he will give us the words to say when the time comes, and he will produce the harvest. It is not through our power, but his.

Going back to why Jesus would tell his disciples to take nothing… When you have nothing you are in a vulnerable position, exposed and more than a little uncomfortable. We don’t like it, but it forces us to trust in God’s care and provision rather than in our own resources. In and of ourselves we have nothing to offer others, except what God has already given us.  

Prayer
Our heavenly Father, we struggle to place our complete trust in you. We don’t like to be vulnerable and in positions of need, but you allow us to be because you know that when we are vulnerable we will keep our eyes fixed on you. Give us the confidence and boldness to share our faith with others, taking nothing but absolute reliance on you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.