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

In yesterday's reading, we read that after having healed the Gadarene demoniac, Jesus and the disciples returned across the Sea of Galilee to Jewish territory.  Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him, and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  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.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew 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."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "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 said to her, "Talitha, 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.  Jesus and His disciples have come to His hometown of Nazareth, where His family live.

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.   We've read consistently in recent readings in Mark's Gospel how Jesus is acclaimed and thronged by crowds elsewhere.  Here, Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath as has become His custom.  But this is His hometown, and it is filled with people who know Him as the carpenter's son.  My study bible says, "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 (see, for example, Abraham and Lot; compare Gen.. 12:5 with 14:16).  There is no New Testament evidence that Mary had other children besides Jesus.  That Christ from the Cross committed His mother to the care of John suggests that (1) Joseph was by now deceased and (2) Jesus was Mary's only child."

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.    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.

Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  Whatever His setbacks, this ministry continues and expands.  Again, we return to the parables of the Kingdom which Jesus has taught in Mark's Gospel:  the Sower sowing seeds, and the tiny mustard seed that grows into an extraordinary plant.  Like the farmer who scatters seeds which grow into a harvest while he sleeps, Jesus does the work He is here to do, trusting in the Father for the proper growth 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 tells us, "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."

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!"   My study bible explains that shake off the dust is a symbolic gesture of judgment. 

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.  A note here says:  "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 renewal for the human race."

Jesus' recent teachings have given us many different levels and examples of faith.  In yesterday's reading, we observed how Jesus put out from the house those who ridiculed Him when He said the young girl was not dead.  He put away from Him those who made a calamitous noise in mourning and weeping, in order to heal the girl.  He brought with Him only the disciples of the inner circle, and the two parents of the girl.  What we observe is that to strengthen and shore up faith, Jesus is willing to separate Himself and others from those who do harm, somehow, to that faith.  In today's reading, we get a picture of others without faith in Him, and they're members of His hometown, people He knows and has most likely known all His life growing up in Nazareth.  But it's envy and jealousy that keep them from accepting Him.  Although the world elsewhere in Jewish territories of Galilee throngs to Him, and He's known as a healer, He can do nothing here because of their unbelief.  So we get once again a very strong picture about the nature of faith.  There are things that harm it.  Most prominently in the Gospels, it is envy that gets in the way of really seeing and perceiving.  When we care more about our position in light of another, we run the risk of spiritual blindness.  In the second half of our reading today, Jesus sends out the apostles on their first mission.  In yet another step in the remarkable growth of this Kingdom, Jesus' power is invested in them and shared in them with the world to which they go, two by two.  Their power works over unclean spirits, they heal and anoint others, they preach.  But again, there's a kind of separation from those incapable of receiving.  The symbolic gesture of judgment is just that, a symbol.  It's a way of walking away from that which cannot support the truth of the Kingdom.  Judgment belongs only to God, vengeance has no place here at all.  But they separate themselves from the place where the Kingdom cannot grow, where there is no faith to build upon.  Let's observe how even among His kin and neighbors, Jesus could do absolutely nothing of the works He's done elsewhere.  The faith He's talking about, the trust in Him, the perception of what He is and what He's offering, is something that cuts through all other relationships.  Every worldly institution comes second to the truth that's in the heart, that which we need to truly heal.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we spoke of the need many people have to separate themselves from environments and people who cannot support their healing, their faith in what can be.  Christ gives us a picture here of just how deep the bonds of faith can go.  Family values are important, because they tell us about love.  Abuse, however, isn't love and it isn't a family value.  Let us remember, faith comes first.  We know love because we are loved.  Our healing depends on that truth.  When everything else fails you, it's there we rest and take our strength.  Love comes first, everything else second.  The apostles go preaching repentance.  Unloving relationships call for repentance, not a cover up.  It's in His truth we find our healing.