March 22 - Lenten Devotional

Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money-- not even an extra tunic.” (Luke 9:1-3)

This text is like a record of the first Christian mission trip. Jesus is sending out the disciples to engage themselves in a mission of healing and evangelism… it even comes with a packing list! In a strict definition this is an activity of apostles – those who are “sent out”. But I like to view this as pre-apostolic sending – this activity is still at the core of discipleship.

Jesus is there, prepares the disciples, sends them with specific instructions, and then receives them back and reflects with them on what they experienced and learned. It is like venturing out in order to make their discipleship a living, breathing, act of service. It is recognition that some things have to be learned “on the ground”. You can talk someone through the acts of swimming for instance, but that doesn’t mean they can swim – you have to actually get in the water. Here Jesus is getting his disciples in the water.

Jesus will do this again in a few more chapters. Jesus will continue to shape and form his disciples – because they need it. Why? Because not too long after that Jesus will leave them, and they will need to truly be apostles – sent out to continue Christ’s ministry. They will have to form new disciples – continue to spread the word, heal the people, and testify to the grace and love of Christ… they will proclaim the kingdom of God in the living of their lives. This is the movement to being an apostle. Where our very lives are mission trip!

So here is the important nugget for us in all of this. I think the life of a church is much like the original disciples journey with Christ. We come as called disciples to be formed and nurtured in the character of Christ. We go on mission trips and serve our community, engage in stewardship, grow in small groups and education classes, receive each other with hospitality and care for one another in love, and we worship the God who formed us, leads us and loves us.

We do all this in the name of discipleship. And we do discipleship so that we can grow and learn and be sent out as apostles. Like the disciples who will not always have Jesus with them – we live most of our lives away from that which we generally call “church”. We too have to take advantage of the church, as the original twelve took advantage of Jesus… we need to learn to “swim” – so we can engage in living testimony to the kingdom of God in our lives as apostles apart from the identified life of the church.

“Mission trips” are discipleship, learning a life of service in preparation for living lives of mission in all that we do - at work and school; home and play.

Are you actively learning from Christ?
Have you jumped in the water to move beyond theory to “lived learning”?
Are you prepared and preparing for apostleship, turning your whole life to a testimony of grace and love?


Teaching God, help us to learn from you, and learn to reflect you. Dwell in us that our lives might show forth your glory… your grace… and your love – in all we say and do. Amen.