7 And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. 8 He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. 9 He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. 10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. 11 But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” 12 So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. 13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. ~ Mark 6:7-13
Today, we continue our study of Mark 6 where the emphasis is on the message of Christ. This chapter divides into three sections: the first is found in v.1-20, the second in v.21-34, and the third is in v.35-43. The emphasis on this first section is on the fact that the unbelief of the people limited the work the Lord Jesus could do in that area.
In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits."
The Lord Jesus sent out the disciples in twos, partly for the accountability. But, also, as the Scriptures have established, it is by the mouth of two witnesses that every word is established. The Lord Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. So two witnesses were enough to substantiate the message. The disciples were there to witness the event and supply the name and the power of God and their mutual testimony to the people of that place.
The disciples knew, based on what the Lord Jesus has told them in Mark 4:15, that "Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching" from some. However, in Mark 3:27, they had also heard the Lord Jesus say that He had bound the "strong person," meaning Satan himself. They had watched the Lord Jesus preach, cast out demons, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. By teaching them, while using His parables, the Lord Jesus had taught them to expect rejection but to believe that the kingdom of God is moving into the hearts of men, regardless of how things might appear.
Putting up an image or the appearance that we have it all together is dangerous. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are often tempted to put up the image that everything is good, and, choose not to be real. It is dangerous to lead people to think that we have no troubles. In fact, I have discovered that my troubles advance the gospel. Especially, if I walk with Him each day. And, when I do not walk with Him, those opportunities are often missed.
The Lord Jesus orchestrated the disciples’ transition from being spectators to being participants. Based on the parables and on the rejection the Lord Jesus received in some places, the disciples had been prepared to expect the worst. Some would "hear the word and accept it," while others would "not receive" or "listen" to the disciples.
In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. 9 He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes."
Without provisions, the disciples would be dependent on the hospitality of the people in the villages they visited. The Lord Jesus’ instructions forced them to believe in Him to open doors. Often, God chooses leanness for us, so that we will not mistake the origin of His provision. We must be careful to recognize His curriculum for our lives.
In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 'Wherever you go,' he said, 'stay in the same house until you leave town. 11 But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.'"
Hospitality was huge in biblical days. A traveler back then, didn't have to look for a hotel when he arrived in a town. It was the responsibility of the town to show hospitality and to give what was necessary for those who were traveling. A stranger was always invited into the people's homes for a night of two.
To "shake the dust off of their feet" meant if the people refused the free gift of salvation, the disciples were to make a statement of what will happen to those who refuse to believe in the grace of the God of the Bible. As the Lord Jesus would later say in John 3:17-18, "17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son."
In v.12 of today's passage we read, "So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God."
Now, when the disciples went out, they went out with the gospel to inform the people; "Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus will not be separated from God for eternity, but, will have everlasting life." That was the message these disciples took to these towns around Galilee. And, their trips were only overnighters, so they did not need any supplies. They were to trust the Lord as they went. As a result, they saw the Lord open doors, and they walked through those opened doors, and, they shared the message of the gospel with the people who were receptive to them and the gospel. It was a message of God's love and salvation. It also included telling the people to repent or to change their mind about salvation, that it was a free gift for those who had long tried to earn God's favor. This enabled them to enter into that which God had in mind all along, a personal relationship with Him.
The seeming ineffectiveness of the Lord Jesus in His hometown was overshadowed by the disciples’ effectiveness in the surrounding villages. Sometimes, embracing the Lord Jesus involves facing the rejection of people we love. If we follow Him, however, rejection always has the ability to turn into an opportunity. He orchestrates our transition from being spectators to being participants, sharing His mission with us, sending us into a resistant but needy world.
In v.13 of today's passage we read, "And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil."
Miracles accompanied the gospel message in order to authenticate the message. Also, in the Old Testament, olive oil was a symbol of God’s presence. When someone of note was anointed, they were anointed with oil which was symbolic of God's blessing and presence. This was a reminder to all present that they weren’t the source of the power, they were just the channel of it. And by that simple symbol, they, in a familiar way, passed the glory back to the Lord.
