He instructed them to take nothing for the journey, and sent them forth with authority preach repentance and heal the sick. After accompanying Jesus for some time and being schooled in Jesus' ministry, the twelve were now ready for commissioning. They had been with Jesus and had watched the Jesus' way of ministering. And just in case they had missed it, Jesus does well to remind them of a very important virtue with which they will need to arm themselves if they are to succeed: simplicity and trust. While back-packs, food containers and precious metals would have added to the discomfort of the arduous journey the twelve were to undertake, "traveling light" was also geared towards ensuring success for the twelve in their maiden mission. It was simplicity that helped Jesus succeed in his ministry. Such simplicity was to help the twelve remain focused on what was before them. It would be nearly impossible to focus on preaching the message while thinking about the precious metals carried in the back-pack. It would be nearly impossible to allow the crowds to press closer with valuables such as silver or gold in one's pockets.
While Jesus' instruction could well have been a practical one tailored for traversing the country on foot, it still holds true for us today. The authority that Jesus gives us is intended to make our message authentic, that is, a message that reflects who we are. The good news that we are mandated to preach must be reflected in how we lead our lives. It would be meaningless to preach detachment from worldly goods while we appear to be holding on to them ourselves. It would be meaningless to preach about divine providence while we ourselves are worried about our tomorrows. This is the lesson Jesus wanted the twelve to learn from the word go. And it is a lesson that we too must be prepared to learn and make part of our faith journey.