Matthew 10:9-10
Have you ever noticed that as Jesus prepared those He had chosen to carry His message to the world, that he was constantly warning them of the high personal cost - not the dollars cost, necessarily, but the emotional and physical cost of following him? Jesus had a trade – he was trained as a carpenter and while the Scriptures don’t share, there must have been times when He plied the trade.
In this week’s passage from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing to send out the twelve men He had handpicked to teach, on their first mission trip. A domestic trip was planned to let these twelve men practice what they had learned so far. Jesus had given them the spiritual power they would need to carry out the tasks they would encounter and then He began the rest of the trip instructions by telling them not to take anything with them. He tells them to forget stopping by the bank to pick up some cash, don’t pack a bag, don’t take anything extra with you. When you get to where you are going, find someone to stay with and make yourselves useful for your room and board. The Message puts this’s week’s passage like this: “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.” A little further on in verses 17-19 He tells them to expect to be arrested and beaten, verse 22 that they will be hated and verse 23 that they will be persecuted. Of course Jesus encourages them to stand firm and rely fully on the power He has given them to complete the call He has placed on them.
Back in chapter eight Matthew talks of the cost of following Jesus. A teacher if the law comes and tells Jesus: “…I will follow you wherever you go” (Matt. 8:19). “Jesus replied,’ Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). Then of course there is the rich, young man of Matthew 19 who is unwilling to pay the cost when Jesus tells him that to “… be perfect he should go sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, then come follow me” (Matt.19:21).
There was a time when, if Jesus, a homeless carpenter and my Savior demanded that of me I would have gone there. The willingness was rewarded with a small, simple home in a place where I can do what I was called to do. How many of us would leave the comfort of our homes and the car or cars we own - to go where Jesus tells us to go? How many of us would travel to the other side of the state or country or world taking nothing with us but the clothes we are wearing? How many of us are prepared to be arrested and beaten or worse? How many of us would chose to be hated by those around us?
As we continue our journey to the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter, let us consider the mission Christ has called us to – it’s about way more than money. It’s about picking up that heavy and painful cross, it’s about sacrificing our comfort to build a real relationship with someone, so that they can meet Jesus. It’s about the best relationships being built on love, trust and hard work.
A Prayer
Father – Thank you for the difficult lessons of life. Thank you for making it clear that following you and being obedient to Your call will not be easy, it will demand much of us – physically, emotionally, intellectually and yes even at times financially. You make it clear so we can choose if we are willing to go where you tell us to go and do what you ask us to do. I have no doubt Lord, that when the rich young man turned and walked away, that Your heart broke. He was told the cost and he wasn’t prepared to pay it. Grant us the strength, to go the distance with You. Help us daily to use our lives to reflect You to the world around us. In the name of Jesus, who makes it clear that it about more than money – Amen.
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