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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 not 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
In yesterday's reading, first the ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, came to Him as the crowds thronged Jesus. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live." So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. As they walked, a woman with a bloodflow of twelve years was in the crowd; the Gospel tells us she suffered many things from physicians and had spent all her money on treatment, only to grow worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' " And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." Even as He spoke, servants came from Jairus' house to tell him that his daughter had died. But Jesus told him, "Do not be afraid, only believe." And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and she said to her, "Tabitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
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 is in His hometown of Nazareth, where He grew up, and is preaching now among His neighbors and those who knew Him.
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. My study bible has a long note here, which I will quote partially. "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. In Scripture the words brothers and sisters can refer to stepbrothers and stepsisters, as well as other relatives."
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 not 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 notes, "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." It's kind of remarkable that this happens among the people who know Him best. But really, it teaches us something about human nature. We want to see what we want to see, what we're used to. Prophecy -- as Jesus notes the lot of a prophet -- is something that calls us to attention, points out something we're missing, perhaps it is "the elephant in the room" nobody wants to see. Jesus' revelation is in the nature of the spectacular, even to those who have only known His ministry. But here, those who know Him only as the carpenter and relative of the family members who are there with them cannot open their eyes; indeed, they are offended at His change in status and identity in the revelation of His ministry.
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. My study bible says, "This is the first time the twelve are sent out, as it were, on a training mission, preparing them for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. They go two by two for mutual support." What's quite interesting to me is the investment of His power within them. The Kingdom is growing; Christ's power is shared with His disciples. While His power and capacities have just been resented in His hometown, the action of the Kingdom is simply growing and spreading. We are reminded again of the parable of the mustard seed.
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." The actions with which they are to prepare and go upon their journey all tell us about humility. Jesus doesn't want this to be a forceful takeover kind of a mission! This is the Kingdom of peace, where willing hearts in faith create the ground for its existence and work. Not to depart from the first place where they are welcomed to stay in a home indicates that they are not to "trade up" to better accommodations, but remain with those who open their doors to them first, however humble. This is, in some sense, the key to the kingdom.
"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!" My study bible notes here: "Shake off the dust is a symbolic gesture of judgement." While nothing happens forcefully, but willingly and through the humility of the Twelve, we understand this to be the work of the Spirit, where the Kingdom is expressed to others and they are invited in via its Gospel message. Judgment is the purview of the Lord; Jesus doesn't refer to a judgment by the Apostles, but to the Judgment that is to come at the end of the age, by the Knower-of-hearts. Shaking the dust from their feet is a testimony by the Apostles to a rejection of grace.
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. Repentance is also connected to judgment; we just don't know what true change of mind people will have throughout their lives. We don't know what true works of faith may come from repentance. This is why we understand so carefully that true judgment is in the hands of a loving God, who knows us more intimately than anyone else can, than we even know ourselves. My study bible notes: "Preaching is an earnest proclamation, and this present proclamation of the need for repentance is momentous. This is the first time the Twelve perform miracles. God gives His power, His energy, to human beings and through human beings -- to and through those who repent. He shares with us by grace what is His by nature. The disciples anointed with oil as part of the act of healing, for by the Incarnation of Christ creation is renewed: oil and water become instruments of healing and renewal for the human race."
Throughout the readings of today and yesterday, we are informed about how faith works: there is this connection that faith in us sparks with the power of the Divine, with Christ's power for healing and redemption. It was there also in the earlier reading of the Gadarene demoniac. Although he was occupied by a "legion" of demons, he worshiped Christ. Clearly, as my study bible points out, this power is shared with us where faith is present. It can work through oil and water, and all the things of our world, and of course through ourselves, through human beings. Where it is cut off, we observe, is in cases of jealousy and refusal for whatever reason. Either way, our faith is what determines where this power goes and what it does, where it is cut off and where it is limited. At least, this is what these stories about Christ in our recent readings seem to tell us. And there is more: we are offered this grace no matter what the obstacle. No one is cut off -- even one living among the tombs, occupied by a legion of "hostile troops" so to speak, in a desolate place among the unclean (in the Jewish perspective, where swine are raised), far away from the people of God. No one is exempt from this active offer of grace. Christ came to each of these people, to these towns, and He comes via His Apostles, the ones whom He has "sent out" (the literal meaning of "apostle") and invested with His power in order to spread His kingdom. And we still have that choice presented to us each and every moment. It doesn't really matter where we are or what are our circumstances. We recall St. Paul on the road to Damascus, a zealous persecutor of Christians. That grace makes itself present to us, it knocks on our door, it finds us in the most desolate of circumstances even among the dead, where we may be shackled in chains we can't see and know and no one else can help. This is what the Gospels tell us. Even when we are unable to help ourselves, help is available, a power has made itself present for us. But it comes to a willing heart. Our option is faith. In the Greek, we remember that faith is akin to trust, and trust is the true stuff of love. When we don't know who to trust or where to place that trust, there is always the One place our hearts can go to find His Way.
