Monday 11 November 2024
He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. (v. 7)
Background
Today’s reading follows directly from Jesus’ difficult encounter in his home town. (Mark 6:1-6) The opposition he faced there, which hampered his ministry, served as a warning that his mission would not be easy. Far from being disheartened, however, Jesus continued his own ministry around the villages and commissioned his disciples to do the same.
Jesus’ disciples may have been surprised by this commissioning. They had left behind their homes and livelihoods in order to be alongside him, to listen to him and to support him, but they may not have expected to be his agents.
We note that they were to travel in pairs. This may have been simply for support, or that the witness of two people was considered to be reliable whereas the witness of a single individual was not. They were to travel light. In part this underlined the urgency of their task. However a Jewish tradition also suggests that one had to be unencumbered in order to enter the Temple Mount, and the disciples were undertaking a similarly sacred task.
Another Jewish tradition suggests that, when a Jew returned from foreign travel, he should shake the dust off his feet before re-entering Israel so that the land would not be contaminated. Echoing this, Jesus tells the disciples to shake off the dust of those who reject them – those who are rejecting the good news of God’s kingdom.
Their mission might not always be easy but the disciples engaged with it, empowered by the authority and the spirit of Jesus.
To Ponder:
- What principles in this passage do we need to rediscover for Christian mission?
Prayer
Help me, loving God, to keep alert to your call on my life and let me be a faithful witness to you. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Donald Ker
Donald Ker is a supernumerary presbyter. Originally from Ireland, he now lives in the West Midlands.