It was really quite simple: Do what I do.

Cast out demons. Heal the sick. Preach the kingdom.

And why you are at it, do not take any money for your journey, no food, no extra clothes, nothing. Learn to trust me.

Some will welcome you, some will not. Bless those who welcome you, and if people kick you out of the area, you can shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.

And he 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. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.  And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”  And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Preaching the kingdom was easy enough. But casting out demons? Healing the sick? Trusting God for provision? That’s something entirely different.

The ministry I work with regularly does faith journeys such as these. They send out students for 3-4 days and they are required to do the work of the kingdom, trusting God for finance, a place to stay, food, etc… They come back with some of the most amazing stories. Teams end up in billionares homes, people getting healed, delivered and saved, and so much more. It’s crazy.

It’s not that we are always to do this. At other times Jesus told his disciples to prepare. But in this moment he was training them. He was training them to do the work of the kingdom and to trust Him.

It was exciting. Jesus had given them the power and authority he had to do the work that only He could do.

The training was just beginning though.

But first there was a pause. Luke inserts a literary hook. He tells them they may be doing amazing things, but there is trouble brewing in the background.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,  by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.  Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

It’s dangerous times. But Jesus is training his replacements.

Jesus then challenges them. The disciples come to him and tell him to dismiss the crowds as the people are hungry. It was very noble and considerate. And being responsible. But Jesus wanted to teach them something.

 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.  When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.  

Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”  

But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”  For there were about five thousand men.

And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”  And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

The first thing Jesus did was put the problem in their hands. They brought it up, it was theirs to fix. And Jesus told them how – you feed them. They were dumbfounded.

But once again Jesus wanted to teach them about Himself. He was bigger than the solutions of the world. So he took bread, broke it and gave it to the people. Five loaves and two fishes fed 5000+ people.

Jesus did this to serve the people. More importantly, though, he did this to teach the disciples who would carry His message to the world. One of those listens I believe is this:

The solutions of this world are not the only answers to our challenges when we follow Jesus, the Son of God.