Luke 9:3 “And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.”
The disciples would have understood the instructions Jesus gave here a bit more readily than we do. We would naturally see Him telling them to go somewhat unprepared. And, this seems strange. But the disciples knew what we can determine by looking closely and considering the customs of the Jews in that day.
What Jesus was doing was telling the disciples to go to the Jewish community. They were to go as did the Old Testament prophets. And, as such, they were to depend on the hospitality of believing Jews. Remember, Jewish people memorized Scripture from an early age. They knew who Jesus claimed to be. And they knew what it meant to either harbor His disciples, or to refuse to do so. They would understand why His disciples would come to their towns without these extra provisions. They would understand that these men were coming as God’s messengers.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision for us! You have through Your messengers given us the Word from You. The Jewish community has given us the Bible. It is the most wonderful gift short of salvation itself. I will search it all my life, knowing within it I can find treasure for every single moment. In it I can find strength from You. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.