Luke 22:35 - 37
Why does Jesus tell them to take their things with them - money, travelers bag, etc. - and compare it to when he told them to take nothing and they lacked nothing anyway? I know it is right before he is taken away, but I took it to be more general. I was reading it to mean that a person does not have to drop everything, leaving all they have behind, to follow Jesus and serve him. Instead, they should be able to take those things with them to use as tools iin that effort. What do you think? What do you guys think?
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Tauna, Monday, 4-25-05 8:29 PM
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re: Luke 22:35 - 37
> Why does Jesus tell them to take their things with them -
> money, travelers bag, etc. - and compare it to when he
> told them to take nothing and they lacked nothing anyway?
I've heard it explained, and it seems reasonable to me, that the difference is that they were going to be going further, and under less favorable circumstances. They were going from being the favored disciples of a popular teacher in friendly and familiar territory to being the apostles of Christ under persecution throughout the world.
They were also being told to take basic prudent steps, as well as having faith that God would provide through some means. Previously, their faith was that they would find provision through a short period of time in relatively favorable circumstances. Now, their faith was to help them do something a little different - they were to take the resources already given to them, and trust that what they had already been given would be combined with new resources in a future with a less friendly environment.
> I was reading it to mean that a person does not have to
> drop everything, leaving all they have behind, to follow
> Jesus and serve him.
I agree with your statement, but I don't get that from this passage.
> Instead, they should be able to take those things with
> them to use as tools in that effort. What do you think?
> What do you guys think?
I think that God gives us stuff (books, money, housing, clothing, etc.) as a resource to help us live and to give us little pleasures in life. To cast away or refuse to use what we've been given seems ungrateful and is perhaps working against God's will, if he meant us to later use whatever resource in some particular way. At the same time, we should be ready to let go of anything we have if it's preventing us from doing what God wants us to do. In my view, it's more a matter of what one's peronsal attitude is towards things. We shouldn't cling to things, but we also shouldn't refuse them.
Enough of my rambling. Thoughts?
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David, Tuesday, 4-26-05 4:18 PM
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re: Luke 22:35 - 37
By and large, I agree with David.
A couple more thoughts:
Jesus did not treat everyone exactly the same way while on earth. Instead, he tailored his message to the listener, unerringly picking out primary thing that was keeping that person from following him. The example that stands out to me was the Rich Young Ruler (reference below) who Jesus instructed to sell all and give to the poor. Like the advice to the disciples to go out into the world w/o money or extra clothes, I don't think that advice should be taken as "perscriptive" - that is, I don't think we can interpret that as Jesus telling each and every one of us to sell all and give to the poor. Like Dave says, we are also intended to be stewards, greatful for what we have been given and wise (and humble) about how we deploy it.
But at the same time, a healthy view of "our" posessions needs to keep strongly ahold of the fact that we are in essence Managing those funds (or talents, or abilties, or time) for God. They're not ours, they're His. And if He should ask us to toss 'em all out the window, we should be willing to do so. Obviously we'd want to be Really sure we understood Him - that it wasn't misplaced guilt, incorrect interpretations, or last night's pizza - but at the same time, we'd better be willing, lest we find ourselves sad and walking away from Jesus like the rich young man.
Link: Mark 10:21
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Annette, Thursday, 4-28-05 3:43 PM
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