Body

Year B Trinity 3/Proper 9 : 6 p.m. Mark 6:1-13

MK 6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff- -no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

There are three sermons on this page.

What is your picture of Jesus? Gentle Jesus meek and mild? Going around loving and accepting everyone? Or challenging the religious hypocrisy and complacency of the religious leaders ? Perhaps, upsetting the tables of the money changers and traders in the temple who had turned a place of worship into a market place? Obeying God as he struggled with his forthcoming death in the Garden of Gethsemane? Giving himself totally as he hung bleeding and dying on the cross?

3b And they took offence at him. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Why were they offended? Because of their presuppositions about Jesus and about God. They thought that they knew about Jesus. As a result they were "offended" by him, or rather his teaching. The Greek word translated "offended" ( NIV ) is skandalon, from which we get the word scandal. It refers to tripping or stumbling over something. They didn't trust in him, Jesus was amazed at their "lack of faith". So he was limited in what he could do.

We live in a society where people's presuppositions about Jesus and God block them from receiving the blessings that he wants to give them. They limit God by their lack of trust in him. Some people have this picture of a gentle Jesus without taking on board his teaching about sin and the need to repent. Some ignore his extravagant claims to be God and man and the only way to God.

Unlike the skeptical people of Nazareth and written evidence outside the gospels, some will not accept that he did miracles. Some do not accept the resurrection. Sometimes the failure to believe is linked to a picture of God that is not Christian but Deist.

Deism is a belief that a supreme god created the universe, and that this and other religious truth can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without the need for trust in God. Deism generally rejects the notion of divine intervention in human affairs, such as by miracles and revelations. These views contrast with a dependence on revelations, miracles, and faith found in, for example, in Judeo-Christian, and Islamic teachings. Deism has been described as God creating the world like a divine watchmaker, then winding it up and then letting it work without intervening.

I think that, for many people, they do not want to, or cannot trust in, anything but themselves. This is what the Bible calls sin, putting ourselves where God should be.

This is fed by the values of the Western world which teaches that there is no real authority other than our own opinion and so there are no moral absolutes.

It is also supported by the consumerist attitude of our society. "The customer is always right. I am the customer, so I am always right. I should get what I want."

The materialistic nature of our society is linked to this also, as people seek security, pleasure and worth in the thing they buy and possess.

This is linked to our hedonism. In hedonism pleasure is the only thing that is good for a person so I can do anything as long as it makes me feel good. The true value of anything is to be measured about how it makes someone feel. The church is not immune from this. Some people may assess the value a church service about how it makes them feel. Yet Jesus definition of acceptable worship, John 4:24., is that God has been worshipped in spirit and in truth.

What then, should our attitude be?

The second half of our gospel and the epistle, 2 Cor. 12.2-10, tell us. We are to trust completely and wholeheartedly in Jesus. The disciples had to do this as they travelled with minimal possessions, relying on God to provide supernatural power and people to give hospitality.

Paul, though he had a supernatural heavenly experience, relied upon God's power, which was able to work because of Paul's weakness. We cannot truly follow, worship and serve God until we give up our own strength, intellect, will, and presupposition and totally trust in God. We should welcome difficulties because this enables us to trust God even more, rather tahn ourselves.

O God, the protector of all who trust in you,

without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:

increase and multiply upon us your mercy;

that with you as our ruler and guide

we may so pass through things temporal

that we lose not our hold on things eternal;

grant this, heavenly Father,

for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

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Looked at last week's gospel Mk 5:21-43 and saw how it was about two people, a woman and Jairus who trusted in Jesus

This week's gospel is also about trusting in Jesus. The people of Nazareth did not trust Jesus.

Jesus was based in Capernaum but, 20 miles away was his hometown. Nazareth. The Nazarenes acknowledges his miracles, wisdom/teaching. Didn't recognize he had come from God. Looked to earthly family and background. Carpenter, not teacher/healer. May even have been insulting by calling him "Mary's son" because it would have been usual to call him "Joseph's son". The Nazarenes had the privilege of growing up alongside Jesus and his family. Yet this led them to rejected him. Case of familiarity breeds contempt.

Without that trust it wouldn't be right for him to minister fully and he only healed a few people. He had the power to heal as many as he wanted, but he wouldn't do this without there being trust in him.

Contrast with woman and Jairus from last week. The woman trusted and was healed of her bleeding. Jairus trusted and his daughter was raised from death. Miracles can and do occur in the atmosphere of faith in Jesus.

We, like the Nazarenes who knew Jesus, have privileges today. The freedom to worship, to own as many Bible and Christian books as we wish. To share our faith with others without fear of persecution and death. Material benefits, more than enough food, fresh, clean water, sanitation, homes to live in, relative security.

Contrast this with others in the world. Do we respond with gratitude and wisely use the gifts the Lord has entrusted to us? Or does familiarity bring contempt and we do not recognize our blessings?

After the rejection of Jesus in his hometown he decided to concentrate where his ministry would be appreciated. He did this by teaching form village to village, verse 6. He also did this by sending out his disciples to represent him.

David Hague, Vicar of St. Peter's, Broadwater, and I recently went to The Lyton Arms together. They were holding a "Vicars and Tarts" disco and we decided to go as Vicars! We had three really meaningful conversations with groups of people. Sometimes we spoke separately to people, sometimes we took it in turns. Having two of us meant we could pray, support and encourage one another. I understand why Jesus sent his disciples out in twos.

In the second part of today's reading the disciples were sent out in twos. This would have been part of their training so they would be ready for the time they would have to do it without Jesus being present, other than by his Spirit.

Jesus' instructions in verses 8 to 9 meant that they would have to rely on God. "no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic"

They should also not offend their hosts by looking for better accommodation, 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

The disciples went out as the authorised representatives of Jesus to minister with the power that he gave them. They proclaimed the good news of Jesus in word and deed, inviting people to receive the good news. To receive the good news people had to, and have to repent. To make a new start with God, turning away from everything that they know to be wrong and turning to follow Jesus. This mission was a foretaste of the mission that would be entrusted solely to the disciples from the day of Pentecost.

Jesus has just been rejected by his own townsfolk. His disciples could expect rejection, too. After all, they were calling people to "repent", which is not what many people want to hear!

Devout Jews would shake the Gentile dust off their feet and garments before crossing the border back into Israel. This was to stop their home soil being contaminated. It was an act of judgment upon people who did not follow God. When Jesus' disciples were rejected they were to perform a similar, symbolic act. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." It symbolised a break in fellowship and a renunciation of further responsibility for those who reject Jesus.

It is a reminder that people are responsible for their own eternal destiny. If we share the good news of Jesus with them and they reject it then they have to take responsibility. However, that doesn't mean that we are to stop praying for people. When we looked at the parable of the growing seed, 4:26-29, we discovered that faith may be growing in an unseen way.

Jesus wants people to trust in him. His home town "amazed" him at their lack of faith.

Jesus went to other villages and sent the disciples out to spread the good news. He encouraged them to trust on God to provide for their physical needs and the power they needed to teach, drive out demons and heal people.

At our joint Pentecost Service we considered what it means for us to be the body of Christ, ministering in Jesus' place with His authority in the world. We are to be like him. To go out to people because "there is no growing without the sowing".

Some of the seed will fail to grow, just as some rejected Jesus. We should waste scarce resources in pursuing those who reject Jesus. We should realize that many will reject Jesus. We should be sad for that person, but we should not take this personally. Jesus warned his disciples to expect rejection because he experienced rejected.

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, had lost his eyesight and his son Bramwell was given the difficult task of telling his father there would be no recovery. "Do you mean that I am blind?" the General asked. "I hear we must contemplate that," his son replied. The father continued,"I shall never see your face again?" "No, probably not in this world." "Bramwell," said General Booth, "I have done what I could for God and for His people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God without my eyes."

Just as the disciples were sent out so they could only rely on God and his power, so we are called to go out. However inadequate we might feel. In fact, the more inadequate we feel the better! Then we are more likely to rely on God than our own strength. It is only through God working that someone can become a follower of Jesus.

Archbishop William Temple said that the church is the only voluntary organization that exists solely for the benefit of non members. Some people in our community think that we are insular, a middle-class club. Let us show them that they are wrong and reach out to people in the name of Jesus. In his strength and power. So that people would come to a personal knowledge of his saving grace.

Every day this week I would like each one of us, as soon as we get up, to pray that God would give us the opportunity and the power to share his love with someone. Just that. PRAY

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My sister used to be a policewoman. After she had completed her training at Ryton near Coventry she had to choose where she wanted to be stationed to complete her training. She went to King's Lynn because she was not allowed to return to her home town of Norwich. This was police policy because she knew people who lived there, and this could make it difficult for her to exercise her authority properly.

Jesus had just left the place where he had brought Jairus' daughter back to life. He travelled some 20 miles or so to his home town of Nazareth. As was the custom with visiting teachers, Jesus was invited to expound the Jewish Scriptures in the synagogue. The people were amazed at his teaching. Rather than this leading to faith they questioned the source of his wisdom and power in performing miracles. The inference was that his power could come from God or the devil.

It is a challenge to us today. Where does our power come from ? Does it come from out own strength or intellect ? Does it come from our money and possessions, our colour or the place where we are born ? The people of Nazareth could not see the power of God because they were so inward looking, remembering how Jesus had been a mere carpenter. They insulted him by calling him 'Mary's son'. It would have been normal to refer to the relationship with someone's father at the time. For example in 3:18 the disciple James is called the son of Alphaeus. This insult could have arisen from the rumours that Jesus was illegitimate that circulated after his supernatural conception.
Jesus townsfolk were superficial, resentful and rude. Verse 3 says, 'they took offence at him.'

The word translated 'took offence' is 'skandalon', from which we get the word scandal. It is referring to being offended and repelled to the point of abandoning someone, i.e. Jesus. This rejection is something that will be repeated in Jesus' life, culminating in his death on the cross. The cross symbolised not only the rejection of Jesus by those he had come to save, but also the rejection of Jesus by God as he bore the punishment for the sin of the world. By the time Mark was written, skandalon had become a technical term for the effect of Christ's death on Israel.

Verse 4, Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour."
Jesus is quoting a proverb of the time. Today we might say 'familiarity breeds contempt.' Jesus implies his place in the tradition of the "prophets", whose message from God is rejected again and again by their own people.

Jesus was rejected by the people of Nazareth because they knew him. Around here it is the opposite of and people can be rejected because they do not come from Talke! One way in which we can live for God is to welcome everyone, whatever their background, in the same way that the Lord welcomes us.

The rejection of Jesus reminds us of the importance of trust in him. It also reminds us that, in the West, we live in a post-Christian age. That is to say, Christianity has been widespread and many people would say that they are familiar with it, although many of these people would have little idea about the content of the gospel, or know any hymn other than 'All things bright and beautiful'. This superficial familiarity breeds indifference, if not contempt. People often speak to me of their allegiance to St. Martin's yet do not support it in any way, other than coming to the occasional funeral.

Verse 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
We have seen earlier in Mark that Jesus did not want to be known as simply a miracle worker. Jesus requires faith on the part of those who seek healing for themselves or for others (although there seem to be a few exceptions, e.g John 5:13 the healing of the invalid at the pool of Bethesda). Last week we saw how he wanted to heal people spiritually as well as physically. He increased the faith of the woman who had been healed of bleeding and of Jairus by talking to them.

Jesus only healed a few people in Nazareth. Not because he could not, he still had the same power. But the lack of faith meant that there was little point in healing people physically because people were closed to him spiritually. So Jesus chose not to heal many people.
6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. This is the only time in Mark's gospel that he refers to Jesus being amazed which emphasizes the profound affect that this had on Jesus.

Jesus then turns his attention to the surrounding rural areas. No-one and no area was unimportant to him. Verse 6 Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Before the days of jet travel and multimedia , religious and philosophical ideas were principally spread by travelling teachers. Jesus had been training his disciples. He had called them to be 'fishers of men', 1:17. They had observed him in private and in his public ministry. He had taught them as a small group as well as with the crowds. He had increased their faith as they faced the storm together. Now was the time for them to go out with the power of God that had been given to Jesus.

Verse 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
They were not on their own in that they went out in pairs. Also they had Jesus' power to heal and drive out demons. This was like an apprentice doing his first real job on his own after he had been taught and shown how to do something.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:9 refers to the power of God shining through our weakness. 9 But he ( God ) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When we do something for God we do not need to be confident that we can do it in our own strength. Indeed, our confidence can be a barrier to God working, or to him getting the glory for what we do. We are called to minister in his name and totally trust in him and his power.

This trusting in God, and nothing else, is shown by the instructions that Jesus gives his disciples. 8 "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
They could only take a staff, a tunic, and wear sandals. The absolute minimum that was required. No bread, the staple food of the day. They couldn't even take sandwiches, not that they had been invented then ! The bag that they were prevented from taking was probably a begging bag used by travelling teachers at the time. The word for money refers to small change, so they could not even carry some coppers. The extra tunic would have been like an overcoat to wear during cold nights. The disciples had to depend totally upon God's sovereignty. The ability of him to provide for their needs and find them lodgings every night.

Jesus next instructions are to prevent the disciples from offending people...10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
Travelling missionaries depended on local hospitality and there were few inns. There were certain customs that would be observed when offering and receiving hospitality. The Didache, an early Christian document records some of these, "But concerning the apostles and prophets, so do you according to the ordinance of the Gospel. Let every apostle, when he comes to you, be received as the Lord; but he shall not stay more than a single day, or if there be need, a second likewise; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. And when he departs let the apostle receive nothing save bread, until he finds shelter; but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet."
In Jesus day there was competition to see who could host the latest, most interesting speaker, called a 'sophist'. Some richer hosts could have tried to tempt the better 'sophists' away from their current host by offering improved accommodation and meals. Jesus is saying to his disciples, 'Accept what is offered to you first of all. Don't look for better accommodation, even if it is offered. In doing so you may offend people.'
Underneath this is the Christian teaching that we should not pursue riches and comfort at all costs, but accept what God has graciously given us.

Jesus continues the theme of the rejection of the gospel. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." In Jesus day a devout Jew would try to avoid travelling on foreign soil. If this could not be avoided, they would rid themselves of the foreign dust they had accumulated in their clothes and shoes as soon as they returned to Israel. This was seen as a judgment upon nations that had rejected the true God of Israel.

Jesus tells his disciples to do a similar thing. Again we have the expectation that some of the Jewish people would reject Jesus. It refers to the judgment that will come to those who do not accept him. It shows that, from now on, the people of God will not be determined by their race or religion, but through a personal acceptance of Jesus.

12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Mark's summary of the disciples' preaching echoes his earlier summary of Jesus' preaching. 1:14f. says: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'"
Verse 13: Olive oil was regularly used as a remedy in the ancient world. In Luke 10:34 , it is used by the good Samaritan in treating the wounds of the man who fell among bandits. James 5:14 says that "the elders of the church" to pray over the sick person and anoint him or her with oil.

When we looked at the earlier Chapters of Mark we saw how the words and miracles of Jesus went together. For example, the casting out of demons authenticated Jesus' claims that he had come to defeat evil and bring the rule of God to earth. His healing showed that he had the power to undo the effects of sin. Not that every person's illness was due to a specific sin, rather that we have sickness in the world because sin is in the world.

General William Booth, the founder of the salvation Army had lost his eyesight and his son Bramwell was given the difficult task of telling his father there would be no recovery. "Do you mean that I am blind?" the General asked. "I hear we must contemplate that," his son replied. The father continued,"I shall never see your face again?" "No, probably not in this world." "Bramwell," said General Booth, "I have done what I could for God and for His people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God without my eyes."

Jesus has not returned yet. He continues to call those who are his disciples to minister in his name, calling people to repent and believe the good news that he has revealed to us.
PRAY