Among the Villagers
Opening Prayer
Jesus, raise me up and send me out even as You sent Your disciples.
Read Mark 6:6b-13
[6] He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. [7] Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure 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 shirt. [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, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet 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. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What does Jesus send them to do?As Jesus’ time in Galilee comes to a close, he sends his disciples out on a specific mission to outlying villages, armed with the kingdom message of healing and salvation. The twelve disciples, symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, represent God’s renewed people. They have seen at first hand the miracles Jesus has performed, they have heard his teaching and, away from the crowds, he has explained to them the meaning of his parables (4:34). Now they go out “two by two” (7) as his qualified representatives in a precursor to their later Spirit-filled mission to the world. While this is a specific mission, for a specific context, what is required of them is the same dependent faith required of Jairus and the woman with a flow of blood (8,9) – a dependency on God for their needs and provisions, and an acknowledgement that he is in control and will provide for them. Many of us live in a world where we enjoy high levels of control and comfort, but we need to constantly acknowledge that, as the Lord’s Prayer reminds us, it is God who gives us “our daily bread”.
Apply
The disciples are to become Jesus’ representatives on earth. Represent Jesus in your context today.
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