23-09-2026, Wednesday of Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Prv 30: 5-9; Ps 119: 29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163; Lk 9: 1-6
In Luke 9:1–6, Jesus transitions from an itinerant ministry carried out primarily by Himself to a shared mission. By summoning the Twelve and sending them out, Christ bridges the gap between His earthly ministry and the future life of the Church.
To grasp the depth of Jesus’ instructions, we can examine three critical Greek terms embedded in the text:
Dynamis (δύναμις – Power): In verse 1, Jesus gives His disciples dynamis, miraculous power, inherent divine energy, spiritual capacity, and the dynamic ability to break through physical and spiritual bondage. It is not a human talent or acquired skill, but a direct endowment from Christ.
Exousia (ἐξουσία – Authority): Coupled with dynamis, the ability to act; is exousia, meaning “authority”, the legal and spiritual standing to command. Jesus grants administrative and spiritual jurisdiction “over all demons”, allowing them to operate as authorized ambassadors of the heavenly realm.
Therapeuein (θεραπεύειν – To Cure / To Heal): “to cure diseases” / “healing everywhere”, this verb yields our English word therapeutic. In the New Testament, it denotes thorough restoration, healing that targets physical ailments while pointing toward wholeness of soul. The disciples are sent out not just to talk about the Kingdom, but to enact physical signs of its mercy.
TAKE NOTHING FOR THE JOURNEY ()
“Take ( /
) nothing for your journey…” (Luke 9:3). The disciple is called to be a person of zero luggage. In the ancient world, travellers carried a leather bag for food) and a walking stick. By forbidding even these standard items, Jesus strips away self-sufficiency.
“No staff, no bag, no bread, no money—and do not have two tunics ().” (Luke 9:3). In Luke’s Gospel, the Christian life is frequently framed as a journey (
). To travel light means keeping the path uncluttered. The Tunic is the inner garment. To have a second tunic meant having a spare, a backup plan, an insurance policy against the elements. Jesus commands them not to possess such securities. The prohibition against the second tunic strikes at the heart of human anxiety. A backup tunic represents our refusal to trust God for tomorrow.
Insights from the Church Fathers
“And why did he say he was sitting at the tax booth? It was to indicate the power of Him that called him, that it was not that he had left off or forsaken his wicked trade, but from the midst of the evils Jesus drew him up… But as he had seen the power of Him (Jesus) that called, so he considered also the obedience of him that was called: he neither resisted, nor disputing said, ‘What is this? Is it not indeed a deceitful calling, where He calls me, being such as I am?’ No, but he obeyed straightway, and did not even request to go home, and to communicate with his relatives concerning this matter; as neither did the fishermen; but as they left their nets, so he left his table.”- St. John Chrysostom
Insights from the Carmelites
“In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything, desire to have pleasure in nothing. To arrive at possessing everything, desire to possess nothing. In order to arrive at being everything, desire to be nothing.” – St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel
“To live in love is to navigate without ever charting a course; it is to keep nothing for oneself, no earthly wealth that could anchor the soul.” – St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of the Soul
Insights for Us
While we may pack suitcases for travel, the spiritual core of this passage challenges us to examine the attachments we have filled with our life, and which become burdensome on our journey. What are the “extra tunics” (emotional securities, material comforts, or plans) we refuse to surrender? The true Christian freedom is found when we realize that our security rests not in what we pack, but in God who sends us and who provides all that is necessary for the journey.
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