A Desolate Place (Luke 9)
12:30 PM
At
the beginning of Luke 9 we see Jesus give the 12 disciples a task to do and
power and authority to do it. What he expected, however, is that they would go
out without provisions and rely on the hospitality and resources around them
for their needs.
“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.” (v1-9)
As
I was researching this chapter, I found an interesting commentary notation that
I didn’t know before:
“There
was a rule among the rabbis of the day that you could not enter the temple area
with a staff, shoes, or a moneybag, because you wanted to avoid even the appearance
of being engaged in any other business than the service of the Lord. The
disciples were engaged in such holy work (preaching the gospel and bringing
God’s healing) that they could not give the impression that they have any other
motive.” (EnduringWord)
If
this is true, then it gives even more credibility to what I observed in our
reading. The disciples did not question what Jesus asked of them to do. They
went out with confidence and understanding of their mission and they had the
comfort of knowing that in that day, it was expected that they would travel
lightly and they could count on customary hospitality being offered to them to
meet their needs.
When
they returned, they felt accomplished and excited to tell Jesus about their
travels. After a good experience, you would think that their faith would be at
an all time high. But, as crowds gathered around Jesus and had lingered a long
time, the disciples thoughts were that the crowds needed to return to where
resources and provisions were in ample supply.
“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."” (v12)
“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."” (v12)
Notice
that in their previous mission, the disciples were comfortable going out alone,
on their own, and without resources because resources abounded around them.
They could depend on others to help meet their needs. But, in this situation,
there is something different: They are in a desolate place. There are no food
and water resources to meet the needs of thousands of people. Even though they
have been given power and authority to do supernatural things, their focus is
on what they haven’t been able to do and what they think is impossible in that
particular situation. No wonder they question Jesus when he gives them a new
task:
“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."” (v13)
Yes,
it was a desolate place. But, God himself was present: the God who created all
things from nothing, the God who could provide resources when there were none.
The Scriptures of the OT proclaimed a God who could always provide.
“...I
will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isiah 43:19)
And
He provided: He took what little they had to offer and He blessed it and
multiplied it to meet the need of every person. There were even some leftovers.
“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.” (v16-17)
As
I pondered on what Jesus did and where he chose to do it, I thought about my
own life. I personally have been feeling the hopelessness of a desolate place
where I have been discouraged because I think change is not possible. God has
asked me to wait patiently and continue trusting that He can bring change to my
circumstances and I have questioned that task. I have focused on the lack of
resources and support to deal with my circumstances. I have focused
on feeling alone and overwhelmed with the complexity of it. But, no more.
I am going to focus on the God who is with me in my desolate place. He promises to never leave me or forsake me. He promises to make a way where there is no way. He promises to meet my every need if I will trust and obey. I have the only resource I need always with me. No place is desolate if God is there.
I am going to focus on the God who is with me in my desolate place. He promises to never leave me or forsake me. He promises to make a way where there is no way. He promises to meet my every need if I will trust and obey. I have the only resource I need always with me. No place is desolate if God is there.
What
about you? Are you in a desolate place? Are you questioning the task that God
has given you? Remember who the God you serve is. He will always provide. He
will always make His Will known and He will always make His Will possible. He
will always be with you in every situation.
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