Luke 9:1-9
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." 6So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.
Jesus had trained the disciples to such a point that He thought they were ready to go out...He calls the Twelve together, He gave them the power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases...The Twelve were ready to preach the kingdom of God, without their Teacher...
He told them to take no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic or clothes...The Twelve were to rely on God...They had to trust in the LORD for their daily bread and shelter...
Jesus told them when they entered a home to stay there...Stay in this first home until they left that town (they were not to go from house to house in each town, but to stay in one home)...If the people of the town did not welcome them, they were to dust off their feet and leave that town, as a testimony against them...Jesus knew He and His message would cause controversy...Not all the people, who would hear the gospel would accept His message...He prepares the Twelve with this warning that some will not accept the message of our Messiah...
So the Twelve set out going from town to town preaching the good news and healing people everywhere...
While the Twelve were out in the villages, Herod Antipas heard what was going on...Herod was perplexed...Some were saying Jesus was Elijah...Maybe Elijah had come back to life...Others thought He was John the Baptist and had been raised from the dead...But Herod said I beheaded John, who now is teaching such things...Herod tried to see Him...
This going from village to village would be practice for later, when Jesus would no longer be with them...It was important for them to succeed and have confidence in what they were doing...When Jesus tells them that some people may not welcome Him and His teachings, this is still true today...When Jesus is mentioned and His gospel is told, it appears opinions get divided, people debate who He is, some just don't want to talk about it...He tells us about this and that He did not come to bring peace to the earth...I did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34)...The peace He talks about is focusing on God and getting right with the Father by repenting...Peace with the Father is a perfect peace after we have no more firewalls or barriers that prevent us from being separated from Him...
So this was a prerequisite of the Twelve's future, when they would go on without Him there...They knew His message...He gave them authority and power...He gave them love and the truth...Jesus gives His disciples love and peace...He gives us love and peace... Where love and truth connect, there is peace...