Mark 6:8-12 … To proclaim Repentance (03/15/17)
“He ordered them to take nothing for their Journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts … So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.” ~ unknown (Mark 6:8-12)
It will be of initial interest to note that while Mark (the original Gospel – penned first, and from which the authors of Matthew & Luke clearly borrowed) allowed for the disciples to take a staff with them on their journey, the Gospels of Matthew & Luke had Jesus quite clearly telling them not to do so (see Matthew 10:9-10 & Luke 9:3). While it is not clear why the authors of these later Gospels made this change (maybe they were describing the outset a different missionary journey altogether, or maybe they felt that the disciples taking absolutely nothing with them evidenced a greater Faith in The Way of Christ), it is consistent among all three accounts that the disciples were instructed to “walk on faith” – to take nothing with them when they departed and to ask for no assistance while underway …
My personal experience (having lived “on faith” for many years and having even once “walked on faith” from Chattanooga to Miami as well) has shown that such an order served many purposes … Consider:
A) It dramatically enhanced the difficulty of the journey, and thereby dramatically intensified the Faith of those taking it — which thereby dramatically intensified the power of all their subsequent words & deeds …
B) It “preached” the Truth of Providence (i.e. that giving one’s life to selfless service is almost always “rewarded” with a shower of serendipities) to others without a single word needing to be said …
C) It inspired those witnessing the same to remember the Joy of Giving in their own lives — a Giving without expectation of reward or hope for reciprocity …
D) It encouraged others to be open-minded and interact with the disciples more humbly (and thereby Hear what they were saying more clearly) … and,
E) It lowered the inner wall of “friend or foe” in the minds of all passersby – allowing them to more readily approach the disciples, instead of the disciples having to do the approaching.
Most importantly of all is the fact that what the disciples were to proclaim was “repentance” (the Greek word “metanoia” — Strong’s #3341); not that Jesus was Master or King or Savior (see Mark 10:18, John 5:41, John 6:15, John 7:16, John 8:50-54, John 12:44 et al), but rather that Salvation came from “becoming again as a very young child” (Matthew 18:3-4) and completely shifting one’s behaviors (“repent” = metanoeó Strong’s #3340) by extending selfless Love to others (John 13:15-17) – especially one’s enemies (Matthew 5:40-44) &/or the downtrodden (Matthew 25:35-40).
Amen … Let it be so.
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