By Donnie Stubblefield
Jesus gathers the 12 boys together, and gives them all power and authority to drive out demons, heal the sick, and share the gospel. I would think that after seeing all the miracles that Jesus performed in Luke 8 (exorcising a crazy, naked, demon-possessed man in the cemetery at midnight, healing a young lady who had not been touched in 12 years because of her bleeding, and then telling the 12-year-old dead daughter of a Roman ruler, “My child, get up!”), the boys would be excited to go!! Excited to go until Jesus adds, “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.”
WHY?? Jesus, being 100% man and 100% God, could have given the paired-up teams the exact address of families who would welcome them in with food, water, and lodging. Jesus could have said, “Here is where you need to go for the home of those who are sick and need healing. And over here is where the demon-possessed address is.” Can you imagine walking with your partner to a village and preparing to knock on that first door?! I can only imagine the amount of prayer that was lifted up with every step! Maybe, just maybe, that is why Jesus pushed these guys out of their comfort zones. Jesus gave them power and authority, but not to trust in themselves. Instead, they had to trust that God would use them to make a Kingdom difference. Jesus wanted them to get past themselves and to rely on prayer with His Father to open doors, to be brave and courageous with the words of Truth that He had taught them.
When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone in Jesus’ name? We shared in September about Love God, Love People, Prove It. Serving in the mission field is the way that Jesus desires for us to live our faith in action! So as we huddle up to share God’s Word with each other, let’s also pray for ways that God would move us outside our comfort zones, praying and trusting more in Him, so that more people would know His Love by our actions!