25th Week in Ordinary Time

Take nothing for the journey. 

When preparing for a backpacking trip, a hiker needs to be discerning about what to bring. Every item is considered with shrewd judgment: “Is this necessary? Or is it extra weight that will drag me down?” Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel remind us to follow a similar kind of calculation as disciples: “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money” (Luke 9:3).

Jesus sent out the Twelve to preach the gospel—no small task! But he also told them not to bring anything with them. Instead, they should trust God to provide for their needs. Just as he had first called the disciples to leave everything to follow him, Jesus wanted them to trust the Father now to provide for them in their missionary efforts (Luke 5:11, 28; 9:3). And he wants us to trust him to provide for us as well.

As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to travel light because our Father is trustworthy; we can depend on him to give us what we need. We are often tempted to misplace our trust and overstuff our bags with things we think will bring us security, like our possessions, human acclaim, or worldly success. But these “treasures” weigh us down and keep us from trusting the Lord. In the end, they make our journey more difficult. In contrast, the more loosely we hold onto these treasures, the more we will experience God’s faithfulness and provision.

This is especially true when God invites us to share our faith or to be generous with our finances. When our confidence comes from human esteem, we can dread initiating a conversation about Jesus because we fear rejection. Or when we find security in money, sharing our resources with someone in need feels too risky. But when we trust in God to provide for us, we have peace in our hearts and can reach out with words of hope.

So what’s weighing you down today? Whether it’s material possessions, the pursuit of success, or the burdens of life, Jesus invites you to ponder, Is this necessary? Or will it just weigh me down?

God provided for the disciples as they went out to preach the gospel—and he will provide for you.

“Lord, I surrender all my burdens to you.”

Proverbs 30:5-9
Psalm 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163
Luke 9:1-6