<p>10:10&nbsp;<em>No wallet for your journey, neither two coats</em>- Maybe a reference to a double garment. But the similarity with Israel's wilderness journey is clear. No food pouch for the road, no extra clothes or shoes- because as the Father provided those things for Israel, so He would for those who preach His Kingdom.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Nor shoes, nor staff; for the labourer is worthy of his food</em>- The Lord has used the word about how the labourers are &quot;few&quot;, meaning both weak and also few in number (9:37,38), and He will go on to speak of how the labourers He uses to reap the harvest are those who have been standing around unused by others because they are maybe old, weak, lazy or have a poor work record (Mt. 20:1,2,8). Clearly the Lord recognized that His labourers would be weak, but He still expects them to be recognized as &quot;worthy&quot; of support as they attempt to do His work.</p>
<p>The Greek for &quot;food&quot; can mean 'rations', as if they were to be as soldiers on duty. They were to believe that their needs would be met. The mechanism for meeting that need was presumably from the things provided by those who would receive them, although the Lord was clear that they wouldn't always get a positive reception (:14). Their faith in the provision of their needs by their audience was therefore tantamount to faith that some at least would respond positively to their message. Note that by the time Paul wrote 1 Tim. 5:18, this phrase was considered as &quot;Scripture&quot;, another hint at an early date for the writing down of the Gospel accounts. The context of that verse is of the financial support of teachers of the Gospel. It seems the Lord expected that those who gave their lives to spreading and teaching His word should be supported in doing so. Note that the context here in Mt. 10 is of itinerant preachers being supported; Paul doesn't quote the Lord's words strictly in context, because he applies them to teachers based in one particular church. But this is how we are to interpret Scripture- taking the principles and applying them to our situation locally, even if that situation may differ in some ways from the original situation and context in which the principle was first established or stated.</p>
<p>There is a strong theme in the NT that none of the Lord's people are ultimately &quot;worthy&quot;, but rather unworthy. There will be faults with all preachers. But by reason of their devotion to the Lord's word and work we are to consider them &quot;worthy&quot; of support- even if aspects of their wider unworthiness are apparent. Support is not only to be given to those who appear faultless, for none are. The word 'worthy' is used later in Matthew 10. Those who respond to the message are &quot;worthy&quot; (:13); there is a mutuality between the teacher and the convert, they both consider each other 'worthy' in that the righteousness and worthiness of the Lord is imputed to them both. Later in the chapter, the Lord teaches that the 'worthy' are those who take up their cross and follow Him, regardless of loss of family and social standing. Their journeys in the preaching of the Gospel were therefore seen by the Lord as a taking up of the cross and following Him (10:37,38). There is nothing therefore glamorous to missionary work, and that point needs to be well understood especially by young people who jet off to exotic places in the name of Gospel extension work.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to Mark&rsquo;s record of the Lord&rsquo;s words here, He is picking out the picture of Israel as they were on Passover night, as an illustration of how His disciples should be on their preaching mission.&nbsp;&quot;He called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth... and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only;&nbsp;no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:&nbsp; but be shod with sandals;&nbsp;and not put on two coats&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; All this is couched in the language of Israel on Passover night.&nbsp;His next words for them appear to be stating the obvious, unless they allude to Israel remaining at whatever place they reached until the fire and cloud moved them on: &quot;In what place soever ye enter... there abide till you depart from that place&quot; (Mk. 6:8-10).&nbsp;It must be remembered that God intended Israel to be a missionary nation, teaching the surrounding world of His ways by their example of obedience to His law.&nbsp;As Israel left Egypt with the gold and jewels of Egypt, so, Jesus implied, the disciples were to carry the precious things of the Gospel.</p>