Missional Jesus depended on God to provide daily necessities through those who were committed to the missional Jesus’ vision of the kingdom. There’s a lot there, but do take it in. The text for today is Matthew 10:9-10.
This text, like Matthew 6:19-34 where Jesus concludes by urging his missional follower to seek the kingdom and God would provide, urges his missioners to focus on taking Jesus and his kingdom to new places and, once they get there, to rely on others to provide for them. This is not free-loading — the early church had lots to say against free-loading — but is instead rooted in a principle: “workers are worth their keep.” So, here goes:
1. Missional Jesus tests his missioners.
2. Missional Jesus wants his missioners to avoid any sense of wealth and making money from the kingdom of God.
3. Missional Jesus trusts God; missional Jesus expects the missioners to trust God.
4. Missional Jesus trusts God for protection and expects his missioners to do the same (staff).
The missioner’s mission is the mission of Jesus. In our next post we’ll see that the mission is not only the same, but the missioner represents Jesus who represents God.
“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for workers are worth their keep.