“Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.” – Matthew 10:8-10 (NRSVCE)
When I first read the above Bible verses, the first thing that came to mind was poverty. I understood it to mean that anyone who wants to follow Christ must be willing to be poor.
After all, wasn’t it said that it would be very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven? Furthermore, I have also been taught that the love of money is the root of all evil.
One time, however, when I read these Bible verses again after my morning prayers, I had another realization. It is not that we should follow those who preach prosperity Gospels. And it is not that we should no longer recognize the importance of being poor in spirit.
But if we try to understand these verses on a deeper level, we can see how it is not about our poverty as much as it is about the generosity of God.
The key is in the last phrase that says, “for laborers deserve their food.” In other Bible translations like the NABRE, the words are, “The laborer deserves his keep.”
The intention of God is not to deprive us of anything but to provide us with everything we need!
Let us read these verses again:
“Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.”
Unlike some leaders who provide nothing for their team, God is the one who provides for us all. It’s as though He told us this: “Don’t worry about your journey. You don’t have to carry anything or spend for those things you need to take with you. I will provide them Myself. You just travel light, and let me take care of everything else.”
Isn’t He wonderful? Isn’t His generosity worthy to be unceasingly praised?
Why should we worry then even if we see our pockets empty?
He clearly told us:
“ But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 (NRSVCE)
We can be poor not in the sense that we shall be forever deprived of what we need. We can be poor in the sense that we can empty ourselves and still be filled because God will shower us with every possible blessing we could ever need!
Blessed indeed are the poor in spirit and the ones who depend entirely on God. Blessed are those whose needs shall be fulfilled in Him.
“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3 (NRSVCE)
She writes about relationships and common questions about God and the Catholic faith at Single Catholic Writer. She is currently single and happy and she would like everyone to know how happy we can be by drawing close to the love of God!
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