A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts--but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

Yesterday, we read the story of the healing of both Jairus' daughter, and of the woman with the years-long blood flow. Jesus takes His time, after hearing of Jairus' daughter, to turn to find the woman who touched His hem. He said He felt the power go out of Him. When the woman told Him the truth, He said, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." He then proceeded to Jairus' house, where all are saying that by now the child has died. He tells Jairus "Do not be afraid, only believe." Only Jesus' closest disciples and the girls mother and father are allowed in the room. Jesus tells the girl, "Talitha cumi" ("Little girl, I say to you, arise") and she immediately got up and walked.

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. Jesus goes to His home country of Nazareth, after travel back and forth across the Sea of Galilee, and preaching and great healings both in Jewish and Gentile territory -- and gathering an extraordinary fame.

And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him. Despite His tremendous fame for what He has already done, His hometown neighbors and those who know Him cannot believe the quality of authority with which He speaks. They cannot accept Him outside of the role in which they knew Him before His ministry, and growing up. The familiar is too powerful. They know of His "mighty works" - but what they feel is envy, not faith. As my study bible puts it, "Jesus' teaching, wisdom, and miracles do not overcome the disbelief of those in His hometown. The people see Him as one of them, the carpenter they know. They are offended because they can do none of His works, and they are unwilling to accept a far greater role and dignity for Him." The root word used here for "offended" in the Greek is literally the verb "skandalizo" - to be scandalized, to stumble (as over a stumbling-block) or fall into a trap. Of course this will be the same word used to describe the "stumbling block" of the Crucifixion. There is a powerful message here about what it is to insist on the familiar, so that it "blocks" our spiritual eyes and ears from perceiving the work of the Holy in our midst. It would seem also to apply to the message we read in recent readings, about whether or not we let fear keep us from the message of faith. In Scripture, "brothers and sisters" can also mean extended family, such as stepbrothers and stepsisters, and other relatives. It is still commonly used in the Middle East to apply to cousins.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. My study bible says, "Jealousy affects faith. Every person could have been restored. But in the absence of faith, Jesus does not release the divine power which is always His." And so, we remember the element of faith that makes the connection with His power, as in yesterday's reading -- especially in the healing of the woman with the years-long blood flow. I always find it notable when Jesus "marvels." What we call His "miraculous" works or signs are in some ways the inverse of Jesus' marveling here: the lack of faith is a "wonder" to Him. We note that Jesus keeps moving on, in the circuit of those to whom He must reach out, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. After we are told of His rejection in His hometown, the Gospel teaches us that Jesus expands His ministry. The twelve are now ready to be "sent out" -- becoming "apostles." He shares His power with them; it is a kingdom coming into the world, to replace the "ruler" of this world.

He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts--but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. This is their "training mission," so to speak. My study bible says they go out two by two for mutual support, an important understanding. We note the peaceable quality of this mission: they do not prepare -- no bag, no bread, no copper coins. They wear sandals and a single tunic. They are not to change homes (presumably to a better accommodation) but to stay with whomever welcomes them first. In rebuke to those who do not wish to receive them, they are merely to "shake the dust off their feet" as a testimony against them. And the judgment is in the hands of the Lord. It is a clear contrast between the two kingdoms we've been reading about through Jesus' healing signs in the Gospel, and especially the work in casting out demons. There is a clear division of one kingdom or another: that of the demons which torment, and Jesus' kingdom in which He is judge, and the refusal to hear is met with a rebuke by the apostles. At the same time, we are to understand the refusal of this kingdom as one that refuses its law of love, and remains outside. But all of that remains for the day of judgment; in the meantime, the preaching is for repentance, turning around to God, changing one's mind; and this is what we have the time of our lives for, so that we may hear and change. The apostles heal, and anoint, and cast out demons, doing the work of the kingdom. We should note that to anoint, with "olive oil," is identical in sound to the word for "mercy." This anointing, to those who would hear the word in the original Greek, strikes the same chord as an anointing of grace, of mercy, via the Holy Spirit.

And so, after Jesus' rejection in His hometown, He moves on to the other villages in a circuit, and then sends out the apostles on their first mission. He shares His power with them, and they are to anoint, to heal, to preach and to cast out demons. It is the spread of this kingdom into the world; and those who "repent" turn from one perspective to another, one perception toward that of the kingdom and its promises and its ways. In some sense, the reading for today shows us Jesus' lack of partiality: no matter what the rejection by those whom He knows, He will move on with the message, and the results will be the same for all. He welcomes those who come to Him in faith, and those who do not -- who do not choose to hear, to listen, to turn to this kingdom breaking through -- will be reserved for the day of judgment. We choose to participate. We are reminded of true relationship, that His brother and His sister and mother are whoever does the will of God. All in all, we have the perspective of a peaceful kingdom coming into the world, not like the kingdoms of the world, in which a rebuke is simply that: shaking off the dust from their feet, and moving on, a true symbol of our separation from God. But we have time, time in our lives, to turn and to hear and be healed, and lose our separation. What do you hear today? Will the familiar get in the way? or the familiar stumbling blocks of envy, doubt, indignation? I find that faith is an ongoing, daily process of turning, and hearing, and losing the familiar for something better. His Way never ends.