Hebrews insists that in Jesus we will experience God in a new way. People were accustomed to being afraid of approaching God. Images of the terrifying encounter on Mount Sinai kept people at a 'safe' distance. Now, however, we can experience the heavenly Jerusalem - a state of beauty, peace, and joy. The covenant to which Jesus invites us leads us towards perfection in heaven and eternity with angels and spiritual beings. The desire and thought of that heavenly eternity will always help us progress.

When we go on a trip, we take everything that we think we will need. Often we take too much! Can you imagine going on a long trip with absolutely nothing? That is what Jesus commanded his disciples to do in that first mission. But they did have something - the Providence of God and the presence of the Spirit within them. Jesus wanted them to travel lightly and keep on the move, but most of all, to depend on God completely. This is probably too radical for most of us, but perhaps we can practice trusting in God's Providence a bit more. We can't control everything or prepare for all possible events, and we don't need to do so. We can place ourselves in God's hands and step confidently forward to do His will. Let us journey each day with the most precious baggage of all - the faith in our hearts.