«And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease» (Matthew 10:1).
The time had come for the truth. They had to put everything they had seen and learned into practice … this time, without Jesus beside them. I remember that a teacher was sitting in his office before we started doing visitation rounds. He would tell us about the cases and give us information about the patients and how things had evolved. We went over some actions and questions, and then we divided up to visit the various rooms. I always admired the patience and kindness with which this teacher prepared us before we left.
I recommend that you read the entire chapter of Matthew 10 and see how lovingly and carefully Jesus gave His instructions before sending the disciples out.
We do not know if they wrote down everything He was saying, but they certainly remembered His words. Jesus prepared them for every kind of situations: acceptance or rejection, knowledge or ignorance, trust or betrayal.
«Calling the twelve about Him, Jesus bade them go out two and two through the towns and villages. None were sent forth alone, but brother was associated with brother, friend with friend. Thus they could help and encourage each other, counseling and praying together, each one’s strength supplementing the other’s weakness» (The Desire of Ages, ch. 37, p. 350). Have you ever been part of a missionary duo?
A friend and I had the custom of getting together once a week early in the morning with a prayer book. We shared requests and thanks and wrote everything down before and after we prayed.
Another friend and I had the custom of choosing a book from the Bible and sharing verses every day that had made us reflect on the chapter we had read.
Some other friends and I went out every Sabbath to give Bible studies or visit people.
As the quote says, sharing these activities gave us more strength and encouragement.
I invite you to choose a friend today to accompany you on the mission. God has powerful plans that He wants to fulfill through us, two by two.
