A few weeks ago, we heard Jesus commissioning the 72 disciples. He said, “I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals…” (LK 10:3-4).
Think about this from a human resources perspective. This would be seen as a reckless disregard for the safety of the disciples. Without resources, they are subject to the whims of bad actors or unforeseen calamities. Surely, just a few commonsense provisions would have minimized their exposure to harm and allowed them the security to know they could handle the unexpected.
Of course, Jesus is not being careless with His followers. He is freeing them to understand where their ultimate security comes from.
The devil has twisted the good of creation and laid a trap for humanity, teaching if you have enough of X, whether it be wealth, knowledge, or power, you are in control. The desire to be in control presents an almost unparalleled temptation for us. It was certainly lurking in Adam’s and Eve’s desire to be their own god.
Jesus’ prohibition against the additional provisions is meant to awaken the disciple’s awareness of God’s total care. Both their effectiveness as evangelists and their wellbeing are totally dependent on Him. This is an essential yet tremendously difficult truth for us. Faith in anything other than God’s providence always terminates in some form of idolatry. It also leads to misery and despair. This is because no one cares for us the way God does, nor does it possess the potency to actually impart control. In our day-to-day life, a great deal of our frustration and unhappiness comes from our inability to control the world around us. Even if worldly things offer the illusion of control, it is ephemeral. Decay and death will ultimately render all wealth and prestige void.
The material world’s insufficiency can leave us feeling vulnerable. But Jesus, says, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” He desires to give us “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy” (Lk 12:32-33). True hope and lasting joy are only secure in God.
In the readings this Sunday, St. Paul gives us an example of such faith. God promised Abraham that he would become the father of a great multitude as countless as the stars (Gen 15:15). And God specifies that, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name” (Heb 11:18).
God then asked the unthinkable — that Abraham sacrifice Isaac, his only child and possible means to have descendants. St. Paul says that Abraham’s trust in God was so great that, “He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.” Abraham surrendered control to God and God did not disappoint. He fulfilled His promises to Abraham, and we who have been baptized into Jesus are now counted among Abraham’s descendants in faith.
When God spoke with Abraham it was in veiled ways, as a flaming torch or in a dream. “In these last days, God spoke to us through a son…” (Heb 1:2) — who is His perfect Word, Jesus. The Incarnation strips away the veil, and God speaks to us clearly.
We have received an even greater promise than Abraham: the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, the preservation of the Church, and of eternal life. Let us be strengthened by the witness of Abraham and surrender our need for control to the abundant love of our heavenly Father. Jesus tells us earthly goods cannot satisfy. “Instead, seek His kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides” (Lk 12:31).
