A reflection on Matthew 10:7-10
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 Gloria M. Chang
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.
Matthew 10:7-10
Trusting God
The Synoptic Gospels record variations of this passage. The New American Bible Revised Edition footnote to Mark 6:8-9 explains: “In Mark the use of a walking stick (Mk 6:8) and sandals (Mk 6:9) is permitted, but not in Mt 10:10 nor in Lk 10:4… These differences indicate a certain adaptation to conditions in and outside of Palestine and suggest in Mark’s account a later activity in the church. For the rest, Jesus required of his apostles a total dependence on God for food and shelter; cf. Mk 6:35-44; 8:1-9.”
Without gold, silver, sack or stick
The Apostles preached and healed the sick.
In younger years I used walking stick
to steady my steps on mountain hikes.
Carved from cherry wood sanded smooth,
Coated with stain for protection.
Fitted with a rubber tip.
In my older years my stick is cane,
made from aluminum,
tinsel strong, tipped with rubber.
No more hills and dales,
just the flight of stairs,
entering and exiting home.
God’s providential grace
arrives in any space.
During the ascents and descents,
On the levels, amidst tripping roots,
Slippery rocks, and summit tops.
Whether going or coming,
Divine assistance, ever flowing.
What a delightful journey of ascent and descent through the years, Ellen! May the Lord lift you up to his mountain of contemplation!