MARK 6:6-13 NRSV
Then he went
about among the villages teaching. He
called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them
authority over the unclean spirits. He
ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag,
no money in their belts; but to
wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
He said to
them,
"Wherever
you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.
If any place
will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you,
as you leave,
shake off the dust that is on your feet
as a testimony
against them."
So they went
out and proclaimed that all should repent. They
cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
***
In my life, I
have been outside the faith. I was an odd mix of Southern atheist and child of
the church. People proselytized and evangelized; I was both pushed away and
welcomed in. I was told I was wrong with the punishment of hell, and also told
faith was a journey always circling between different stages of belief. I was
condemned for my lack of faith and loved as church family. I saw the painful
hypocrisy of exclusion and the Christ-like love of inclusion. I witnessed the
type of witnessing that works, and the type that breaks whatever was once working.
As a Christian I still see this pattern of
condemning proselytization vs. persuasive evangelism. Since becoming one inside
the faith, my call has often been to those, ‘outside.’ I tend to agree with
these, ‘outsiders,’ more than many of my fellow Christians. As a window between
the in and outside, I often explain the inside with phrases such as, “Not all
Christians believe that.” or “Being a Christian is the goal, being a sinner is
the reality,” or simply, “I don’t think anyone really knows the answer to x, y
or z.” I take the role of trying to balance the boundlessness of God’s divinity
with our bound human reality.
As one who loves this Christian calling, I must
acknowledge the pain Christianity has caused others today and throughout
history. I must also acknowledge my own part in both the grace of my calling,
and the sinfulness of my being. In order to hold this weight, I pray my words
and my life reflect my faith, and my sinfulness reflect my common humanity. As
a church leader, my call is to the proclamation of the gospel, yet, I am, just
as much as anyone, prone to mistakes and failings. Therefore, I, just as much
as each you, must attempt to be humble, to listen, to speak carefully, and to
wipe the dust off my feet in pursuit of the proclamation of the gospel. This
the call of the 12 in this Mark passage: humility, listening, speaking
carefully, wiping off the dust, testifying against, repenting, casting out,
healing, anointing, curing.
The disciples are called first to humility. First
they are to be humble before Jesus. Jesus calls them to him, and Jesus sends
them out. It is he to whom they come, and from he they are sent out. Likewise,
are we are to come to Jesus and be sent out. Have you come to Jesus and stood
ready and open to be sent out in whatever direction he may point? This itself
is an amazing feat of obedience. I am sure the disciples each had their own
ideas of where they wanted to go, and with whom they would travel best. I
wonder if Jesus paired them so they would share authority. I can just imagine
one disciple reminding the other it’s about Jesus, not us. I can imagine them
also supporting one another along the way.
I wonder too if his directions and destinations for
the pairs was in order to keep remind them of his authority? I am sure some
wanted to stay where they were, and others simply wanted to follow beside
Jesus. In my own call process, I ruled out huge swaths of the Deep
South. Can you imagine the Disciples similarity negotiating with
Jesus? What negotiations have you made with our Lord? How might these
negotiations put your wisdom before his? If we are unwilling to put Jesus
first, how can we be sure it is his
call we are following? If we are unwilling to put Jesus first, how can we be
sure it is his Wisdom we are proclaiming?
When we speak to others about our faith, they all too often see our hypocrisy.
When we speak to others about our faith, they all too often see our humanity
and not God’s divinity. The first step to the proclamation of our faith must be
our humility before Jesus in our own life. The second step to the proclamation
of our faith must be our humility to recognize our own humanity, which so often
stands against Jesus’ wisdom.
Jesus’ second set of directions to the disciples was
to practice humility in their relationship with others. He striped them of
their worldly power and forced them to rely on the generosity of those to whom
they were to proclaim the gospel. The disciples had neither food, nor money;
they carried nothing except for a staff and the clothes they wore. Can you
imagine? I just got back from a trip, and although I had no more than a
carry-on and a purse I had tons more than the disciples. I had gifts for my
hosts, money for expenses, snacks for when I was hungry, and clothes for different
days and weather. I imagined if I were a disciple I would have to show up empty
handed. I would be homeless, hungry and walking. I would be praying for the
welcome of others, possibly strangers. I would need shelter, food, and even a
change of clothes to wash my own. As someone who has never taken the homeless
in my own home, it is hard to imagine my being homeless and welcomed in. I
would be humbly, even helplessly, asking for my basic needs. This is the power
structure of the disciples and those to whom they disciple.
I wonder if we too disciple best when we are not
ones in power. What if instead of proclaiming the gospel from our own homes, or
even our church home, we instead went out seeking to be welcomed in another’s
home? This switched paradigm strips us of our power both of place in these
walls, and number as a congregation. This switched paradigm gives the other,
the outsider the power. They are their place of comfort; they are head of the
table and the conversation; we, as a humble guest, we must learn about them,
and watch their social cues in order to share our story. We also are graced
with their kindness as our host, and therefore, with thankfulness, we can share
our faith in love. The outsider should become someone inside your heart, someone
you respect, and see as an equal, before you can share your faith with them. If
not, the power you hold over the other will easily push them away. So what if
our outreach was not only how well we welcome those who come through our
sanctuary doors but also how well we are welcomed in doors of others? What if
instead of a strong handshake and a good Presbyterian sermon, we went out two
by two, seeking to be welcomed by others.
It’s a lot harder of a paradigm; we are not in
control. We must be the guest, rather than the host. We also must be willing
also to face rejection. The disciples were told, “If any place will not welcome
you and they refuse to hear you…” The
disciples were reminded that they, at times, would be un-welcomed. I like that
Jesus did not say being refused was always the host’s fault. Jesus leaves the
refusal open for the disciples to be able to question their own motives and
actions. It serves as a reminder that with the responsibility for proclaiming
the gospel comes the responsibility for how
we proclaim the gospel.
How we deal with rejection also allows us to proclaim the gospel. Jesus
tells the disciples, “as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony
against them." The disciples are
not told to cause violence, verbally degrade, or publicly humiliate someone.
What they are told to do is in fact not for the other person at all. Shaking
the dust from their feet was a way for the disciples to testify to what
happened and move on without making a mark. Jesus recognized the hurt of
rejection, especially when we make ourselves vulnerable and share our faith,
something close to our heart. Jesus allows us to testify against those who
reject us, yet we must do this without rejecting them. We must leave and wipe
the dust from feet. We must keep following Jesus’ direction for us and remember
his authority. This type of reaction is not submissive but subversive. Perhaps
in leaving in this way, the disciples proclaimed the gospel and offered those
who rejected them another glimpse. I know in my own life as an atheist, I was
more willing to listen and be open with those who did not reject me, or leave
bashing me. I know in my life as a Christian, those who are outside are more
willing to remain in dialogue with me when I do not reject them or their
beliefs. Perhaps how we deal with rejection can be a way of proclaiming the
gospel. Perhaps as we move in the direction Jesus sent us, we show whose
authority we live under.
Lastly, the disciples used Jesus’ authority to serve others. He gave
them authority over unclean spirits and they cast out many demons, and
anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. This was their call. This
too is evangelism. Evangelism is not only about talking the talk, but also
about walking the walk. So often our service in the world is what brings people
to Jesus. Quiet a few of our newest members were brought to this church because
of work in mission of some of our members. For my own faith, I saw my home
church doing good in the world and in their community, and even as an atheist I
knew something transcendent was going on. Let them know about Christ by our
love. Let our service be our proclamation of the gospel. Does your call in this
life, your job, your time spent in retirement, your life at home, your life
outside your home reflect the call of the disciples? What unclean Spirits and
demons to you cast out? Who do you anoint with oil? Who do you seek to cure? Is
your tithe to the church enough, or do you need to go out of your comfort zone
with only a friend, a staff, and a tunic.
This the call of the 12: humility before Jesus and
before neighbor, listening, speaking carefully, wiping off the dust,
testifying, repenting, casting out, healing, anointing, curing. This is our
call to proclaim the gospel.
