Relying Upon Divine Providence
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stickâno food, no sack, no money in their belts. Mark 6:7â8
Why would Jesus instruct the Twelve to go forth to preach with authority but to take nothing with them on the journey? Most people who set out on a journey prepare ahead and make sure to pack what they need. Jesusâ instruction was not so much a lesson in relying upon others for basic needs, as it was a lesson on reliance upon divine providence for their ministry.
The material world is good in and of itself. All creation is good. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with having possessions and using them for our good and for the good of those who have been entrusted to our care. But there are times when God wants us to rely more upon Him than upon ourselves. The story above is one of those situations.
By instructing the Twelve to go forth on their mission without bringing the basic necessities of life, Jesus was helping them to trust not only in His providence for those basic needs but also to trust that He would provide for them spiritually in their mission of preaching, teaching and healing. They were given great spiritual authority and responsibility and, for that reason, needed to rely upon the providence of God to a far greater extent than others. Thus, Jesus exhorts them to trust Him regarding their basic needs so that they will also be disposed to trust Him on this new spiritual mission.
The same is true in our lives. When God entrusts us with a mission to share the Gospel with another, He will often do so in a way that requires great trust on our part. He will send us forth âempty-handed,â so to speak, so that we will learn to rely upon His gentle guidance. Sharing the Gospel with another is an incredible privilege, and we must realize that we will be successful only if we rely wholeheartedly upon the providence of God.
Reflect, today, upon those to whom you sense God wants you to reach out to with the Gospel. How do you do this? The answer is quite simple. You do so only by relying upon the providence of God. Step out in faith, listen to His guiding voice every step of the way, and know that His providence is the only way that the Gospel message will be effectively shared.
My trustworthy Lord, I accept Your call to go forth and to share Your love and mercy with others. Help me to always rely upon You and Your providence for my mission in life. Use me as You will and help me to trust in Your guiding hand for the upbuilding of Your glorious Kingdom on earth. Amen
Christ All Around Us
âIs he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?â And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3
After traveling throughout the countryside performing miracles, teaching the crowds and gaining many followers, Jesus returned to Nazareth where He grew up. Perhaps His disciples were excited to return with Jesus to His native place thinking that His own townspeople would be overjoyed to see Jesus again because of the many stories of His miracles and authoritative teaching. But the disciples were soon to have quite a surprise.
After arriving in Nazareth, Jesus entered the Synagogue to teach, and He taught with an authority and wisdom that confounded the locals. They said among themselves, âWhere did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?â They were confused because they knew Jesus. He was the local carpenter who worked for years with His father who was a carpenter. He was Maryâs son, and they knew His other relatives by name.
The primary difficulty Jesusâ townspeople had was their familiarity with Jesus. They knew Him. They knew where He lived. They knew Him as He grew up. They knew His family. They knew all about Him. Therefore, they wondered how He could be anything special. How could He now teach with authority? How could He now do miracles? Thus, they were astonished, and they allowed that astonishment to turn into doubt, judgment and criticism.
The same temptation is something we all deal with more than we may realize. It is often easier to admire a stranger from afar than one whom we know well. When we hear of someone for the first time who is doing something admirable, itâs easy to join in that admiration. But when we hear good news about someone we know well, we can easily be tempted to jealousy or envy and to be skeptical and even critical. But the truth is that every saint has a family. And every family potentially has brothers and sisters, cousins and other relatives through whom God will do great things. This should not surprise usâit should inspire us! And we should rejoice when those close to us and with whom we are familiar are used powerfully by our good God.
Reflect, today, upon those whom you are familiar with in life, especially your own family. Examine whether or not you struggle with an ability to see beyond the surface and accept that God dwells within everyone. We must constantly seek to discover the presence of God all around us, especially in the lives of those whom we know very well.
My ever-present Lord, thank You for the countless ways in which You are present in the lives of those all around me. Give me the grace to see You and to love You in the lives of those closest to me. As I discover Your glorious presence in their lives, fill me with deep gratitude and help me to acknowledge Your love that comes forth from their lives. Amen
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The Culmination of a Life of Faith
âNow, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.â Luke 2:29-32
At the time of Jesusâ birth, there was a man named Simeon who had spent his whole life preparing for one significant moment. Like all faithful Jews at the time, Simeon was waiting for the coming Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would indeed see the Messiah before his deathâand so this happened when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple to offer Him to the Lord as an infant.
Try to imagine the scene. Simeon had lived a holy and devout life. And deep within his conscience, he knew that his life on earth would not come to an end until he was privileged to see the Savior of the World with his own eyes. He knew this by a special gift of faith, an interior revelation of the Holy Spirit, and he believed.
Itâs helpful to think about this unique gift of knowledge that Simeon had throughout his life. Normally we gain knowledge through our five senses. We see something, hear something, taste, smell, or feel something, and as a result come to know it to be true. Physical knowledge is very reliable and is the normal way we come to know things. But this gift of knowledge Simeon had was different. It was deeper and was spiritual in nature. He knew he would see the Messiah before he died, not because of some external sensory perception he had received but because of an interior revelation from the Holy Spirit.
This truth begs the question, which type of knowledge is more certain? Something you see with your eyes, touch, smell, hear or taste? Or something that God speaks to you in the depths of your soul by a revelation of grace? Though these types of knowledge are different, itâs important to understand that the spiritual knowledge that is given by the Holy Spirit is far more certain than anything perceived through the five senses alone. This spiritual knowledge has the power to change your life and direct all your actions toward that revelation.
For Simeon, this interior knowledge of a spiritual nature suddenly united with his five senses when Jesus was brought into the Temple. Simeon suddenly saw, heard and felt this Child Whom he knew he would one day see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands. For Simeon, that moment was the culminating moment of his life.
Reflect, today, upon anything that our Lord has spoken to you in the depths of your soul. Too often we ignore His gentle voice as it speaks, preferring instead to live only in the sensory world. But the spiritual reality within us must become the center and foundation of our lives. It is there where God speaks, and it is there where we, too, will discover the central purpose and meaning of our lives.
My spiritual Lord, I thank You for the countless ways in which You speak to me day and night in the depths of my own soul. Help me to be always attentive to You and to Your gentle voice as You speak to me. May Your voice and Your voice alone become the guiding direction of my life. May I trust in Your Word and never waver from the mission You have given to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
