Sending Out The Twelve
READ
Picture stepping out your front door with nothing but absolute trust in God's provision. That's exactly what Jesus asks of his disciples in today’s story.
Let’s take a moment to read Mark 6:7-13:
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
REFLECT
Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs, with minimal resources—no extra clothes, no food, no backup plan. It might seem reckless, but there's profound wisdom here. By stripping away self-reliance, Jesus creates space for His provision and authentic community connection.
The pairing strategy itself reveals Jesus' understanding of human nature. Ministry was never meant to be a solo journey. When one partner struggles, the other can offer encouragement. When one faces doubt, the other can remind them of their calling and purpose. This partnership model provides both emotional support and spiritual accountability.
Think about it: when you can't rely on your own resources, you're forced to depend on God and engage genuinely with others. The disciples couldn't hide behind wealth, status, or self-sufficiency. Their vulnerability became their strength. Each meal provided, each home opened to them, became a testimony of God's faithfulness.
Jesus gives them authority over unclean spirits and power to heal, but notice what comes first: proclamation of repentance. Their mission was about inviting people into transformation. The miracles served as confirmation of the message, not the message itself.
The instruction to shake dust off their feet when rejected isn't about spite—it's about emotional and spiritual freedom. Don't carry rejection's weight. Move forward. Keep going. This practical wisdom acknowledges that not everyone will receive the message, and that's okay. Success isn't measured by universal acceptance but by faithful obedience.
This commissioning creates a fascinating paradox: the disciples are simultaneously at their most vulnerable and their most powerful. They have nothing in their hands but everything in their calling. Their emptiness becomes the very vessel through which God's power flows.
The disciples' journey mirrors our own faith walk in many ways. Often, God's assignments require us to step out before we see the provision. It's in those moments of perceived inadequacy that we experience God's sufficiency most profoundly.
Sometimes our greatest impact comes when we're most vulnerable. Your perceived lack might be exactly what God uses to demonstrate His provision. The very things you think disqualify you—your limitations, your inadequacies, your empty hands—might be the exact conditions God uses to display His power.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Where are you relying on your own resources instead of God's provision? What's holding you back from pursuing what God has called you to do?
How might stepping out in faith, even with limited resources, open doors for unexpected provision?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Father, give us courage to step out in faith when You call, even when the path seems uncertain. Help us trust Your provision more than our preparation, and Your wisdom more than our resources. Grant us discernment to know when to stay and when to move on, and the strength to keep going even when faced with rejection. May our vulnerability become a testimony to Your faithfulness. Amen.