And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just reminding them of past provision; he's highlighting their complete reliance on Him when they went out with nothing. Their immediate "Nothing" reveals their prior dependence on Him was so absolute that they didn't even consider lacking anything.
And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus reminds his disciples of their recent past, when he sent them out with no provisions and they lacked nothing, to build their confidence. He's preparing them for the drastically different and dangerous future that awaits them, a future where opposition and persecution will replace the welcome they previously received. This conversation in the Upper Room is happening just before his arrest, highlighting Jesus' concern for his followers even as he faces his own tragic destiny.
Ever felt like you were thrown into something with nothing? Jesus reminds His disciples of a time when they relied on Him completely, and He provided.
Jesus points back to a specific mission when He sent the twelve out with no provisions – no moneybag, no knapsack for food, and no extra sandals. The disciples' honest answer, 'Nothing,' highlights a profound truth: during that time, God ensured they lacked nothing essential. This wasn't about earthly wealth, but about divine provision for their ministry. It’s a powerful reminder that when we are on mission with Christ, trusting His leading, He faithfully supplies what we need, even when our resources seem nonexistent.
Jesus’s ministry was entering a critical phase. He gently shifts the conversation from past reliance to future reality, urging a new kind of readiness.
Jesus contrasts their past, protected ministry with the immediate future. He notes that the 'nothing' they lacked before was due to His presence and the open reception they often received. However, that season was ending. The disciples were about to face intense opposition, betrayal, and persecution. Jesus’s command to now take a purse, a knapsack, and even a sword isn't a contradiction of His earlier instruction but a recognition of a drastically changed context. It signifies that while God's provision remains, His people are also called to exercise wisdom and preparedness for a world that will actively oppose them. This isn't about relying on their own strength, but about wisely stewarding the resources and means God allows in challenging times.
Ask a follow-up
Jesus reminds his disciples of their past miraculous provision to establish their faith, not as a literal command for future self-defense, but as a testament to God's faithfulness even as circumstances drastically change.
c. AD 28
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
Jesus commissions the twelve apostles for their first missionary journey, instructing them to take no money, bag, or extra clothing, relying entirely on God's provision through hospitality.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Ministry of the Twelve
During their mission, the apostles experience God's providential care, finding that they lacked nothing despite traveling with minimal provisions.
Passover Week, AD 30
The Last Supper
In the upper room during Jesus' final Passover meal, Jesus addresses the disciples' misunderstanding of his coming kingdom and the challenges they will face.
Passover Week, AD 30
Jesus' Arrest and Crucifixion
Jesus is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified, fulfilling prophecies about the suffering servant and being numbered with transgressors.
This passage is the primary source for the instruction Jesus refers to; it explicitly tells the disciples not to take extra provisions, highlighting God's provision through them.
Luke 10:4This verse records Jesus giving the same instruction about not carrying provisions to the seventy-two, reinforcing the principle of relying on God's care for their mission.
1 Kings 17:10-16The story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath illustrates God's miraculous provision for His people when they step out in faith, even when resources seem nonexistent.
Philippians 4:11-13Paul echoes this sentiment of contentment and sufficiency, teaching that true provision comes from Christ regardless of outward circumstances, a lesson learned through experience.
2 Corinthians 11:26-27Paul's description of his own hardships and reliance on God, despite facing hunger, thirst, and lack of basic necessities, shows a continuation of the principle Jesus is referencing, albeit in a more challenging context.
pooleLuke 22:35: "And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."
Ver. 35-38. Those who interpret Luke 22:35,36 , as a precept of our Saviour’s imposing a duty upon his disciples, or a counsel concerning the proviting arms which they might use for the protection and defence of themselves, will not only find a difficulty to reconcile their notion of it to several other precepts, and the will of God declared by the apostles’ pra…
clarkeLuke 22:35: "And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."
When I sent you without purse - See the notes on Matthew 10:9 , Matthew 10:10 .
Jesus isn't just reminding them of past provision; he's highlighting their complete reliance on Him when they went out with nothing. Their immediate "Nothing" reveals their prior dependence on Him was so absolute that they didn't even consider lacking anything.
Jesus reminds his disciples of their recent past, when he sent them out with no provisions and they lacked nothing, to build their confidence. He's preparing them for the drastically different and dangerous future that awaits them, a future where opposition and persecution will replace the welcome they previously received. This conversation in the Upper Room is happening just before his arrest, highlighting Jesus' concern for his followers even as he faces his own tragic destiny.
Jesus reminds his disciples of their recent past, when he sent them out with no provisions and they lacked nothing, to build their confidence. He's preparing them for the drastically different and dangerous future that awaits them, a future where opposition and persecution will replace the welcome they previously received. This conversation in the Upper Room is happening just before his arrest, highlighting Jesus' concern for his followers even as he faces his own tragic destiny.
"And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”" — Jesus isn't just reminding them of past provision; he's highlighting their complete reliance on Him when they went out with nothing. Their immediate "Nothing" reveals their prior dependence on Him wa…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026