9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.REFLECTIONSWritten by Rebecca SheadAs we’ve seen in our devotions so far, Jesus has shown his authority over all things (Matthew 8-9). Now he is sharing his authority with his twelve disciples, as they join him in his mission of preaching the good news, teaching, and healing (Matthew 10:1, 7-8). The mission is urgent – people need to hear the good news about Jesus and his coming kingdom so they can be saved! And so Jesus sends his disciples out as workers into the ripe harvest of Israel.Jesus tells them not to gather provisions, but simply to go (vv 9-10). Here is a practical example of what he taught them on the mountain about not worrying about food or clothes (see Matthew 6:25-34) – they can trust God to provide for them. The way he will provide is through people’s hospitality – the people they minister to are to give them everything they need (v 11).Yesterday we remembered our St Barnabas mission partners. This passage challenges us to ask ourselves: How are we helping our church mission partners with everything they need to work in Jesus’ harvest fields?In verses 13-14, Jesus makes it clear before the disciples head out that not everyone will accept their message. The stakes are high, for those who don’t put their trust in Jesus and accept him as king will be judged and condemned (v15). Sodom and Gomorrah were two towns that God destroyed because of their sin (see Genesis 18-19). It must have been a shock for the disciples to hear that there would be towns in Israel that would suffer the same fate – they were God’s chosen people! But Jesus makes it so clear that turning to him as king in God’s kingdom is the only way to be saved.QUESTIONWho shared the good news about Jesus with you? Have you accepted Jesus as your king?ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca is a member at our Bossley Park morning congregation.