“He commanded them that they should take nothing for the way . . .”

Several things strike me about it the way Jesus gave his disciples their mission.

The first is Christ's attitude. He's very forceful and direct. He doesn't say, "If you go. . ." He says, "When you go." He expects His followers to act on their beliefs.

Second, I'm struck by where Christ sends His disciples - - not to the seat of government power and influence; not to the centers of learning; not even to a temple or synagogue. He sends them to the “street people” - - the poor and lowly, the sick and lame, the outcasts.

Third, is the way Christ tells His disciples to go. They're not to bring gold or silver. They're not to bring a change of tunic, sandals or walking staff. They're to go humbly in faith, trusting in the hospitality of those they will serve.

This is a tough message delivered by a commanding leader.

Like the disciples, we too have a mission in life. Christ calls each one of us to a life of humble service. But at times it's hard to hear his voice over the din of modern life. There are all those cell phones, pagers, i-pods, e-mails, voice mails, spam and junk mail. All of this clamor and clangor is an invasion of privacy, if not in a legal sense, than in a spiritual sense. Those messages intrude on the peace and solitude that we all need to hear God speaking to us. In the midst of a busy day, Christ may be on "call waiting," hoping we'll answer so He can get through to us.

What is Christ calling you to do today?