Staff

It’s funny, now that we’re aging, we notice different things about ourselves. Although I have not yet broken the age of 50, I joke with my husband, that on our brief, less than difficult, walks along the canal to the park, when I have to descend down a small hill or back up…how useful a staff would be. Or when it’s icy out, it could help stabilize my slip. No wonder the Biblical times had them, particularly in the sands of the desert, or rocky wilderness. I’m serious, every time we go for a walk now, I consider going out and purchasing what we now call a walking stick for hikes.

I think I’d like mine to have one of those razor sharp knives on one end that you keep capped, like a villain in a Super Hero movie – just for safety. You never know when you’ll cross paths with a cougar (highly unlikely, since I don’t go out into the wild…but someday, I might go ‘real’ hiking) or I might come across some criminal intending to inflict harm (which is more than likely than the other scenario) But, let’s be honest, the only person ending up hurt, would probably be me poking myself by accident or more than likely, my husband’s eye would get speared. (oh, your eyeball! Sorry) But it could also serve another purpose…I could use it as a SHUSH stick, and conk my teenagers over the head (like they do on the movie, Home)

That’s why I gasped when Jesus told his gang to go out and spread the good news, but not to take anything with them, not even a staff. WHAT? I’d be the biggest whiner, I think Jesus would rename me to something that meant “complainer.”

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² He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.” – Luke 9:2-3 (NKJV) **Jesus is not teaching to be careless in preparation, but telling us to depend on him.