Question 23 - There is one meaning to say “No” or “Yes”?

Mar 6:8 NKJV - He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts.

Mat 10:9-10 NKJV - "Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, "nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.”

Answer:

                What is the inner meaning to say one time, “To take a staff for the journey, and another time, “Nor staff?”

                Here, you wear one tunic only. If it tears, you make patch work and wear, but not the spare tunics for you. This means, the evangelist shall renunciate everything and shall live in utter poverty.

                But, what about the matter of sandals? When one goes to the places of forests and hilly areas, there is a need of sandals. In the streets of a city, in which plenty of people live, when they want to participate in the deeds of divine worship by visiting house to house, the sandals are obstacles to them. i.e., in one house, they leave the sandals and again wear it. Again in another house they leave the sandals and wear it again, it may be considered as the obstacle to the divine servant.

                Unlike the sandals of these days, the sandals of those days had the wire to tighten it from foot to knee joint. So, to loosen it and to wear it each and every time is hindrance.

                They know the motive of divine voice, who spoke to Moses, saying, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground”. So, it is justified that the Lord Jesus said where ever you need you wear sandals and where you have no need, you do not wear sandals.

                What about the staff? When we move in the streets of a city like Nellore, there is no need of staff. At least, there is no need of staff to the one, who will come back from the 2nd show from theater in mid night. So, in this connection, when His disciples happened to go to such places, there is no need of sandals and staff as in Matthew 10:9, He said.

                It is impossible to move in villages of forest and hilly areas without these two i.e., the sandals and staff. According to the obstacles from the thistles, scorpions, poisonous snakes, dogs, etc, he said there is a necessity of sandals and staff as in Mark 6:8-9.

                 “The Lord is my shepherd; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” At that time, Jesus was not incarnated. How is His staff? “The cross” means Christ only. The rod means His word. Whom did He arranged? The staff is Christ. The inner meaning in this is you must remember His cross. If we welcome Him in us, there is no need of both. What work is there to the one who adheres in the spirit of Christ with rosary and cross?