Eternal God: send us your Holy Spirit so that we may receive your preached Word and believe it. Glorify your Word in our hearts and comfort us by it to eternal life — for the sake of Jesus, your Son. Amen.

Introduction

I remember the first time I drove a car by myself — it was just after passing my driver’s license exam. It was the first time I had driven with only myself in the vehicle. The whole time I had my learner’s permit I’d had either my Mum or Dad sitting next to me: helping, instructing, encouraging. But now I was sent out on my own. My heart was pounding loud in my ears. I triple checked everything. I think I took a short trip to the shops to buy some groceries for Mum. It was exciting, yet scary, all at the same time.

(I imagine it’s slightly different out here, with some young people driving around the fields in paddock bashers from a young age! But I’m sure there was still a time when you drove by yourself for the first time.)

Do you remember the first time you went driving by yourself? How did you feel? Excited? Nervous? Unsure?

In our gospel reading today, the disciples get to “drive by themselves” for the first time. Jesus sends them out to do the kingdom work in pairs, but he’s not sitting in the passenger seat beside them this time!

There’s four things to note about the disciples’ mission.

1. Jesus is the subject

We read:

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. (Mark 6:6–7)

We have three action words here: called, sent, given. Jesus called the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two, and he gave them authority to do the work of God’s kingdom.

When we have an action word, there’s (almost) always a subject and and object: someone does the action to someone else. e.g. “The man threw the ball.” “The man” is the subject, the important thing, the initiator of the action. “Threw” is the action. And “the ball” is the object, the secondary thing, the receiver of the action. We could rearrange the sentence slightly to see the difference: “The ball was thrown by the man.” See how now “the ball” is the subject, not the object?

In our reading we have the following: “Jesus called, sent, and gave authority to the Twelve.” Jesus is the subject. Jesus is the initiator of these actions. Jesus is the important thing. In contrast the disciples are the object, they receive these actions from Jesus: they receive their calling, they receive their sending, they receive their authority, all from Jesus.

As we think about being a disciple of Jesus, as we think about what we are called and sent to do, it is important to always remember that Jesus is our source and strength — he is the subject of all mission and we are the object.

Jesus has called each and every one of you to him. Jesus sends each of you out into the world to be his witness. And Jesus gives you everything you need to accomplish this task: Jesus gives you his authority to do his work.

2. Why? It’s urgent

So what work are you and I meant to do? And why are we doing this work?

Jesus gives the “why” when he speaks some final instructions to his disciples:

⁸ “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.” (Mark 6:8–9)

I don’t know about you, but when our family goes on holiday we seem to have trouble packing light! Even for just a couple of days away we seem to need a whole boot-load of stuff: suitcases full of clothes, shoes, food, toiletries, and so on!

In contrast Jesus tells his disciples to travel light. He doesn’t want his disciples to be weighed down with stuff. They need to strip every thing down to the bear basics.

Why? Because their mission is urgent, and God will provide everything they need. The kingdom work that Jesus initiates is on a critical timeline and Jesus’ disciples need to keep moving.

A few months back we meditated on the journey of Moses, and heard something similar: the Israelite people were to “eat [the Passover] in haste” (Exodus 12:11). Do you remember?

¹¹ This is how you are to eat [the Passover]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. (Exodus 12:11)

Notice the parallels with what Jesus says here:

Jesus’ instructions (Mark 6)	Exodus event (Exodus 12)
Take nothing for the journey except a staff	Staff in your hand
Take no bread	Manna provided daily (Exodus 16:4–36)
Take a belt with no money	Cloak tucked into your belt
Wear sandals	Sandals on feet
Wear no extra shirt (a single shirt)	Clothes that did not wear out (Deut 8:4; 29:5)

Jesus wants to evoke the same urgency that the Israelites of Old had. His disciples then and now are on a critical timeline because the kingdom of God has come near (Mark 1:15).

I wonder what work God has called you to that is urgent? Is there someone you feel God is sending you to talk with or pray for? Is there something niggling you, a question or a problem to be resolved? If so, perhaps now is the time! Remember that your mission is urgent. Take nothing for your journey except a staff, no bread, no money. God will provide what you need. Jesus is saying, “Put on your shoes and get out the door!”

3. Where? To those who are hospitable

So we know that Jesus has initiated his mission here on earth. He calls, sends, and gives to his disciples what we need. And the mission we have is urgent. So then where are we to go?

Jesus’ instructs his disciples on this topic also. He says:

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.” (Mark 6:10–11)

Here Jesus gives some simple, yet profound, advice for his disciples. He says, “Go to the people who will receive you. Go to the people who will be hospitable to you. Go to whoever will let you enter their house.”

Now this can sound a little upside-down. As Christians, aren’t we meant to be hospitable to others? Aren’t we supposed to welcome and receive others? Well certainly, in other Bible passages, we are encouraged to be hospitable, but here Jesus says that we are to receive hospitality.

If we think about this it makes perfect sense. If somebody is hostile to the Christian faith, there is often little that can be done to help them see otherwise, the timing is not quite right for them just yet. But if a friend or family member is asking questions, if someone is curious about why you go to church every week, if they’re going through a crisis and seeking help, if they accept and welcome you, if they let you in their front door, then Jesus invites you to receive their hospitality!

For those who are hostile, Jesus says, “Leave them (for now) and shake the dust off your feet. You tried but they were hostile, they’re just not ready yet. Don’t let their stuff stick to you, don’t let what they said bring you down. Rather, shake the dust off your feet, move on, keep going, keep trying, find those who are hospitable, find those who are welcoming to the good news.”

Jesus says very simply that “A good place to start my kingdom work is with people who are open to receive you!”

So I wonder, who in your life is welcoming to you? Who is asking the tough questions about life? Who is needing to hear the good news that Jesus has come to bring peace with God? Picture this hospitable person in your head right now. Remember that the task is urgent, but that Jesus has called and sent you, and that he promises to give authority as you walk with them. Ask God for an opportunity for them to welcome you this week, and the courage for you to accept their hospitality.

4. How? Humbly

Lastly Jesus instructs his disciples how to go. We are to go humbly. He says,

¹⁰ “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.” (Mark 6:10)

In other words Jesus is saying, “Live like the people to whom you are sent. Visit in their homes, stay where they live, dwell in their community.”

When we think about this work we are called and sent to do, we see that Jesus practices what he preaches. Just as Jesus calls, sends and gives to his disciples, God the Father also called, sent, and gave His authority to His very own Son. God’s Son was sent to earth on an urgent mission: to bring peace and forgiveness through his death and resurrection. Jesus regularly prayed and received all he needed from his heavenly Father. He travelled light, moving about the region. He received hospitality: he ate with people in their homes e.g. remember he had dinner at Levi’s home (Mark 2:13–17); he taught in the community, in their synagogues (Mark 3:1); he even went back to his home town, even though they turned out to be hostile (Mark 6:1).

Most of all Jesus was humble. He humbled himself to the point of living like the people to whom he was sent. “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.” (Mark 6:10). Or as John says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Or as St Paul says in Philippians chapter 2:

⁶ Christ Jesus did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being born in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place. (Phil 2:6–9)

Blessing

So as you go this week, know that you go because Jesus has called and sent you. Jesus is the initiator, and he promises to provide you with everything you need. No need to bring bread or money — God will provide. Jesus sends you on this urgent mission to proclaim the good news that we have peace with God through his Son. So put on your shoes and go out to those who will welcome you. Receive hospitality from those willing to hear this good news. Amen.

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