By Dennis Pollock
When I was in college, a long time ago, I was studying to become a schoolteacher. In the final year of my studies, I was required to do my “student teaching.” I was assigned to a specific school and teacher, and I was required to spend the next several months in her class, getting some practical experience in actual teaching. Until then, I had sat through countless classes and lectures about teaching, but now it was time for me to do some real teaching. I began by observing the teacher of the class, and soon I was placed in front of the class, and got a feel for what school teaching involves.
At a certain point in His ministry, our Lord Jesus seemed to feel it was time for His disciples to do their own student teaching and ministry. The Bible tells us:
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2).
These disciples were well-equipped for their first foray into ministry on their own. Jesus seemed to transfer some of His own anointing to them, and the miracles, healings, and deliverances they had seen Him perform throughout Israel would now be their experience as well. They would go forth in this new assignment anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit, and would find, no doubt to their amazement, that when they prayed and commanded in Jesus’ name, miracles would happen. They were being sent out to the towns and villages of Israel as preachers, teachers, and miracle workers, just as they had seen their Lord doing.
Jesus was very strict in His directions for this new venture. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece” (Luke 9:3). This was radical. First, there were no walking sticks. Well, that’s not too big of a deal. These were young men who could easily get by without their staffs. But then He tells them they should take no bag. These 12 disciples were presumably going to walk around throughout Israel for a month or more, and they were forbidden to take any kind of backpack, knapsack, or small bag to keep necessary items for their journey.
Traveling in Jesus’ service is something with which I’m familiar. My wife, Benedicta, and I have gone on numerous international missions. Normally, we were allowed to take two large bags weighing 50 pounds or less, and one carry-on bag or backpack. Anything more than these, and we would pay huge excess weight or excess bag fees. Before marrying Benedicta, I managed this pretty well, but when she joined me on these missions, it was all I could do to keep her from stuffing her bags until they nearly exploded and then discovering at the airport that they were significantly overweight. Sometimes I had to transfer some of her stuff into my bags to keep us at the 50-pound weight limit. After a while, I bought a luggage scale, and we weighed our bags at home so there would be no surprises at the airport. But we needed most of that stuff. I don’t know how we could have survived without it.
And here is Jesus telling His disciples to take no bag at all. In fact, He tells them not to take an extra set of clothes. They were to head out to the towns and villages of Israel wearing only the clothes on their backs. But what’s even more amazing is that he insists that they are not to take any money with them. They are being sent all over Israel to minister in Jesus’ name with nothing at all, except the clothes they are wearing. They do not even have enough money to stop at a local market and buy a small piece of bread when they get hungry. They have nothing… except the promise of anointing to set captives free and heal the sick.
What Jesus was doing seems obvious to me. He was forcing these men to exercise faith in God. He was deliberately putting them in a position where faith was absolutely essential. They were sent out in twos, and I can imagine them saying to each other: “What are we going to do for food? Where will we stay? How are we going to live this next month or more?
There was one thing working in their favor, however. Jesus was a celebrity. He was well known all over Israel. And when these men showed up in a town and announced that they had come there on Jesus’ orders, the people would turn out just to hear what they had to say. And then there was that special anointing of healing. No doubt they would ask the people of the community to bring the sick, the dying, and even the insane. And when they prayed in the name of their Master, the lame would walk, the dying would be given a new lease on life, and the mentally ill would come to their senses.
And after that… the whole town would be at their feet. People would invite them into their homes and beg them to stay, serving them meals, and probably even pressing money into their hands. By the time they would finish their time in that town, they would leave with full stomachs and joyful hearts. They would then move on to the next town or village and repeat the process. The sick would be healed, the gospel would be preached, and the town would take care of their every need. After a couple of experiences like this, the disciples would be saying to themselves, “We’re going to be just fine on this mission. What in the world were we worried about?” The Bible’s description of this first “student teaching” by the 12 disciples was this: “They departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (Luke 9:6). And when it was time to meet back with Jesus, these disciples excitedly told Jesus all they had done.
They had done much good, healed many people, and softened many hearts toward Jesus. But they had also learned an invaluable lesson. Even when it seems we are in desperate situations, our Father will provide for those who serve and trust Jesus. And sometimes I think God allows us to be forced into situations where we have almost nothing to depend on and few prospects of success. And yet, if we are faithful, we shall find that where Jesus sends us, and calls and directs us, the Father will provide for us. Everything will be just fine.
