Chapter 6

Apstello: “The Sent Away”

Mark 6:1-13

MARK 6:1-13

1 Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.

And He was going around the villages teaching.

7 And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff — no bread, no bag, no money in their belt —  9 but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” 10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that men should repent. 13 And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Overview: An Uncomfortable Jesus

Here is a story of second chances, lost opportunities and miraculous healing — all in the space of thirteen verses.  In this reading, Jesus returns to his hometown and they still fail to see him as more than a carpenter’s son.  They humanize Jesus and the result is they are unable to see the miraculous in the almighty hand among them.  I am saddened by the work of so many theologians today who try to humanize the Son of God; “An exceptional man maybe… but still just a common laborer’s stepson.”  Like the Nazarenes of Christ’s time, their lives lack the miraculous so the miraculous must not exist.

In this reading, Jesus performs miracles in villages all around Nazareth and then preaches a harsh condemnation of the Nazarenes. He tells his apostles to “shake the dust off their feet” from towns who, like Nazareth, will not believe in the raw Jesus; the miraculous Jesus.  This was an act of utter condemnation. An intentional and public act of saying; “I don’t even want my sandals dirtied by the stain of this town.”  It was literally dooming a person to his/her own folly. It would be like leaving a man to revel in his own cynicism or saying; “You scoffed at God’s most sacred gifts and chose the mundane over the miraculous. You made your universe — now sleep in it.”

Here’s a Jesus we may not “like.” A Jesus who insists on a choice, who demands a commitment.  He is not an all-inclusive Jesus.  We are wrong to assume that if we make Jesus more available, then heaven will become more accessible. Throughout scripture, there are attitudes that God disdains:

·      The person who puts himself above others

·      The apathetic believer

·      Those, who like these Nazarenes, are in love with their own sarcasm

If my viewpoint of Jesus is similar to these Nazarenes and I say, “Well, he can’t be that great because he comes from my neighborhood and no one from my neighborhood ever made a difference,” then Jesus will simply move on. He doesn’t need our affirmation to be the Son of God. He offers us the miraculous but doesn’t perform for us. He doesn’t try to impress the Nazarenes. He offers salvation to his own neighborhood before going on to anyone else. Sadly, they would rather hold on to their own monotonous mindsets.

If I bring Jesus down to my mundane level then, of course, I will never see the miraculous Jesus.  In like manner, if I see others by their mere human titles (prisoner, homeless, alcoholic); I will never see the miraculous potential in them either.

Jesus visits us at Nazareth everyday.  The Nazarenes wanted someone familiar to excuse their shallowness not someone divine whose very life illuminated their lack of initiative.  They wanted Jesus to remain the child of questionable descent whom they had ignored.  In what way am I like the Nazarenes? In what way am I uncomfortable with the Christ who might illustrate my own  lack of faith and initiative? In what way do I try to take the miraculous out of Jesus and make him “more like me?”

Are there ways that I renounce the uncomfortable Jesus? Are there ways that I try to bring him from the miraculous to the monotonous? It is a risky tact, how can I change my expectations of Jesus?

 For me, I find that if I go to places that miracles are really needed; miracles really happen. They are — unfortunately — places where I rarely have an escape plan. I can’t fall back on my wiles and my formulas. Where are those places in my family, my neighborhood, city and world?

MARK 6:1-3

1 Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.

And they took offense at Him

Jesus leaves the fishing village of Capernaum with an indelible mark.  His preaching and healing affected the entire region.  Thinking perhaps that word would travel ahead of him; he walks again the twenty miles southwest from Capernaum to his hometown of Nazareth.  This was not our Lord’s first outreach to the town where he was raised.  Luke tells us that Jesus went there almost immediately after his days of fasting and temptation:

Luke 4:14-16

14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

During that trip, the townspeople were so offended by Jesus’ teaching that they tried to kill him:

Luke 4:28-29

28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.

Remarkably, Jesus returns to offer the city of his childhood, his neighbors and relatives, a second chance at salvation.  Even more remarkably they reject him again.

They had heard of his miracles, they were stunned by his preaching, but they were unwilling to let Jesus be anything more than themselves: Apathetic, indifferent, and cynical.

Nazareth was a town with an attitude.  It was a major outpost for the Roman army and radical Galileans from around the region saw the townspeople there as worthless pawns of their parasitic occupiers.  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth,” says Nathaniel chiding Philip about Jesus’ hometown [John 1:46].

The people of Nazareth seemed similarly cynical about their own lot and were not going to let one of their own catch the limelight — particularly someone with such a questionable birth history.  The problem was even more personal to Jesus as his own family seemed at one point unwilling to acknowledge Jesus’ heavenly title.  Jesus threatens to disown his own relatives saying that being his family is not a matter of birthright but an act of obedience.

Matthew 12:46-50

46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” 48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

There are a number of warning lights that should flash in our minds as we read this passage.  First, we need to examine the difference between intimacy and familiarity with Jesus.  Intimacy with our Lord leads to awe and humility.  Jesus constantly invites us into intimacy and the closer we are to him the more we are indebted to him.

Alternatively, familiarity breeds contempt and pride as we allow our egos to undermine Christ’s divinity.  As long as we want to share the throne with Jesus we will not experience the divine Christ; the miraculous Christ.  Only one of us can be God.  It was that attitude of mediocrity and familiarity that the people of Nazareth displayed towards the Savior who offered them a second chance. 

Are we too familiar with Jesus for him to work in our lives?  Do we miss the divine because we have no expectation of it?  Have we boxed Jesus into our humanity and in the process missed his divinity?  Always, with Jesus, we get what we look for.  He is not limited by our beliefs — we are.

MARK 6:4-6

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.

And He was going around the villages teaching.

A prophet

Jesus does not use his specific title as God’s begotten heir in this reading.  Some theologians believe that this is because Jesus was not yet fully aware of his vocation.  Personally, I believe that when Jesus speaks in this manner, he is not speaking about himself in particular but about all obedient followers of God, past and present.

The word for prophet [G4396 Prophetes] is a compilation of two words that might best translate as; “to speak about what is to come.”

What better definition of a follower’s role?  The “Prophetic” are to speak about what lies ahead of all people in two dramatic ways:

1.        The sorrow of separation from God.

2.        The joy of living fully in his will.

Prophecy is not something attained through an advanced degree program at an exclusive seminary.  It is part and parcel of every faithful response to Jesus Christ.  We don’t need to be a scholar of the books of Daniel or Revelation to tell someone how much joy God can bring to his/her life the very moment he/she chooses freedom over willful enslavement to sin.

Without honor

Whenever a descriptive Greek word begins with the letter “A” it is usually means “without” or “the opposite of.” For example, apathy would be the opposite of pathos (passion or intense feelings).  It is similar in this phrase.  The word for “without honor” [G820 Atimos] means “devoid of honor [G5092 Time],” dishonored, without value or respect.  It reminds us of Jesus’ birth, the specter under which he must have been raised and why he was so conscious of the outcast, the “religiously unclean,” and forgotten children.

Jesus speaks both specifically and generically about being a prophet and the treatment they have received and can expect to receive in future generations.  Jesus says that we should expect to be without value or honor by three distinct groups:

1.        Our nation (fatherland) [G3968 Patris];

This term applies to one’s race or region.  It is not unusual for someone of a majority race to be hated by his/her own people because of a special commitment to others of a prejudged group.  Jesus obviously confronted Nazareth — in his pronouncements — but also by healing one of the outcasts in his hometown.  That is why the story of Naaman the leper would rankle them so deeply (to the point of trying to kill Jesus [Matthew 4:25-27]. Naaman was a foreigner, in fact, he was an acclaimed warrior against Israel who was healed by the prophet, Elisha [II Kings 5:1-14.

Jesus essentially tells the Nazarenes; “You don’t see miracles anymore because you have forgotten how to wonder at God’s hand. You’ve replaced his miraculous with your mendacity.  You are cursed by a belief no larger than your prejudices.”

2.        Our kinsmen [G4773a Suggenes];

In Christ’s day, this would imply his extended family which, in a close-knit pastoral society, would apply to his “village.”

How might a prophet be rejected by his own community?  One dear friend of mine (who runs a nearby homeless shelter) made this remark to me; “I have worked here for eight years standing like Nehemiah on the wall of Jerusalem.  I have carried my sword in one hand and my spear in the other; where are my Ezras?”

Of course he was speaking about the lack of pastoral presence in justice or rescue work in our community.  Churches often seem quite content with worship and social events but totally ignore the scriptural imperative to restore the oppressed.

Psalm 9:9

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 10:17-18

17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 146:7-9

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Can I declare that my church is a stronghold of the oppressed?  Does my church watch over the alien, sustain the fatherless and frustrate the wicked?  The truth is that churches that pursue this course would be much less concerned about membership and much more concerned with mission.  The passion of the church would be rightly focused outward with worship and ritual a singular, coherent whole.  The Gospel would be radiant in raw sincerity.

3.        Our closest relatives [G3614 Oikia];

This is the term for one’s closest relatives.  Perhaps no one has a harder time believing in a prophetic call than the ones with whom the prophet was raised.  In other studies we have examined the probable difficulties of Christ’s childhood.  We know from Matthew 12:38 and Mark 3:32 that Jesus’ family (or at least his brother James) did not recognize Christ’s call until late in his ministry.  In the earlier stages they even attempted to force Jesus to return home.

Did Christ feel the jealousy of Joseph’s other sons or the protective fear of a loved one for a sibling that places himself directly in harm’s way?  Perhaps it was a confusing jumble of both feelings; jealousy and protectiveness.  Truthfully, all of us must deal with this intimate response to our brother Jesus.  We want him to be warm and supportive to us without being assertive and challenging to the world.  Like Peter, we like Jesus doing the miraculous close to home, but we don’t want him to turn towards Jerusalem. We want a domestic Jesus; a safe Jesus.

We like our prophets tame, just as they did in the town of Nazareth.  Yet, we must choose between a tame Jesus and a miraculous Jesus, for we will not experience a miraculous God in the confines of our comfort zone.  The miraculous belongs in the realm of the extraordinary; not the familiar.

A prophet does not seek to be liked (but neither do they seek to make enemies — there are plenty who will seek them).  A prophet seeks to reveal the truth of God’s compassion.  How others respond to that truth is out of the prophet’s hands.  One might go so far as to say that a disciple of Christ does not experience opposition — and even anger — about their Gospel work for justice may well be diluting the Gospel.  This especially applies to the prophetic role of the body of Christ as advocates for the outcast (See Matt 25:41). All too often church theology is like church coffee: it’s so diluted that it doesn’t offend anyone’s palette or even serve as a stimulant to energize those who taste it.

Conversely, Christ himself was good news to the poor and outcast:

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus’ radical preference for the poor identifies them as the prophets who will replace him when he is gone.  Poverty and injustice must always remind us of our duty before God:

Matthew 26:11

“For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.”

It is the role of the prophet to make us uncomfortable with the complacency of our world.  That role has now fallen to the elderly, the mentally ill, the addicted, the incarcerated, and the children of poverty. Are we listening to their cries?

We are “the rebellious” when we feign praising God in the midst of poverty:

Amos 5:21-24

21 “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.

23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Do we honor the prophetic in the guise of the poor today?  Do we accept them in our nation, village, and families?  Or, have we become too familiar with them so that we are no longer uncomfortable in the presence of systemic poverty?  Do we — like Christ’s village — try to chase away the prophetic or — like Christ’s family — try to hide them away?

MARK 6:7-9

7 And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff — no bread, no bag, no money in their belt —  9 but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.”

(He) began to send them out

Christ’s timing is interesting; how many of us could go from rejection by family and peers to commissioning disciples in the space of a few hours?  The rejection must have been a setback to Jesus for we see that he was amazed [G2296 Thaumazo] at their persistent disbelief (see Mark 6:6).  Yet, Christ’s response to their hostility was neither timidity nor disorientation.  Rather, he begins sending out his disciples with authority.

Jesus consistently responds to rejection with a growing intensity of purpose.  How can he do this when many of us would be recoiling in humiliation?  Because our Lord knows that the rejection of the masses is the validity of a prophet.

Matthew 10:37-39

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

Instead of retreating, Christ takes his ministry on an intensive tour of villages all around Nazareth and summons the twelve to his side.  He gives this band of twelve the name by which we recognize them; the Apostles [G649 Apostello].  The name means the “Sent Away” and it should be the nom de plume of all Christians: We are “The Sent Away!”

Ministering in County Jails has taught me the importance of this missional title.  Sometimes I will see a person only a few times. Sometimes I may be in touch with them for over a year.  Sometimes I can get behind the Plexiglas to pray with them. In other situations I have ministered to men where our only contact was our palms pressing against opposite sides of the glass.  I cannot keep these men, I must immediately prepare them to be sent; whether that be to another cell, another jail, or back to their neighborhood. I only have them “in passing.” They will never be members of my congregation.

Like the modus operandi of Jesus’ ministry we must always be apostello — sending.  He sends the Geresene demoniac to his village even though he wants to “stay” with Jesus:

Mark 5:18-20

 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus doesn’t even have to “send out” the flirting woman at the well. She takes it upon herself to go and convert the entire village:

John 5:28-30

 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

How much biblical knowledge did this demoniac and this Samaritan woman have of the scripture or even of Jesus? Well, I guess we could say they had all the knowledge they needed to convert entire communities and all that knowledge was summed up in: “You know what I was, now look at who Jesus has made me. He wants to do the same in your life as well.”

When I remember that I may have only minutes with an inmate or a detained youth, I am buoyed by the power of the Lord’s compassion. It reminds me that every moment I have and every word I say is measured by “the immediate (Mark’s favorite word).”  If the guard, “rolls this man up,”  at 0400 tomorrow morning will I have given him enough strength to take up the Gospel of Christ wherever they send him?” (Inmates use this term for when the guards tell them they are leaving — they tell them to “roll up” their mattress).

Our lives are more immediate than we ever realize.  Not because of the judgment approaching someday; but because of the joy we are missing today!  How can I be satisfied with anyone around me living in sorrow when joy is just a breath (God’s breath — the Holy Spirit) away?

Where’s my sense of immediacy? As we read this section about “being sent,” do we understand that being sent by Jesus was prefaced in every case by being in the “proximity [G4341 Proskaleo]” of Jesus? Am I close enough to Jesus to be sent? That doesn’t mean in prayer or worship. Plenty of people were praying and worshipping God in Jerusalem that were never “sent” by Jesus. Jesus sent those who were “in the harvest” with him.

Luke 10:2

And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Am I ripe to be sent? Am I “in the harvest?” Am I near (in proximity) to where Jesus would be in my community? 

Can I cry out with Isaiah; “Here I am, Lord!  Send me!” 

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

“Lord, make me an ‘Apostello’ to you people!”

Gave them authority

Authority is both the power and the right to act.  When Jesus sends us out it is with the ability and the right to do God’s work.  We are a sent people and he will give us all we need to do his work in each and every situation.  The results may not meet our expectations, but being faithful means substituting our petty expectations with his grand promises.  We must ask God to make us his instruments but we must also let his fingers play the tune.  We put aside our need for accomplishments to make ourselves more available for his work.

In particular, the Apostles receive the power and the right to cast out what are called unclean [G169 Akathartos] spirits [G4151 Pneuma].  Some theologians state that people were less sophisticated in Christ’s day and were thus more prone to believing in spirits.  Conversely, I believe that they were more aware of the spiritual world than we are today.

God is able to cast out the disobedient spirit and give us instead a heart for obedience.

Romans 6:16-19

16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

The disobedient spirit is perhaps the most difficult of our demons to exorcise.  Paul tells us that we must “present our members as slaves to righteousness,” in order to receive the grace (blessed gift) of obedience.  Without grace the disobedient heart rejects discipline (pruning) and without discipline and obedience we cannot know eternal life:

John 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

If we are willing to present ourselves as servants to Christ, he will give us the necessary discipline to become obedient.  It is through obedience that we too receive the power and authority of the “Sent Ones.”  We too can pass on the pruning power of Christ. We can cast out disobedient spirits through the greatest power in the universe, the overwhelming power of God’s love.

Take nothing for their journey

Some theologians say that Jesus initially sent his people without possessions because it was only a temporary commission; a practice run.  I disagree with this.  It certainly wasn’t a practice for those healed of unclean spirits.  In many other verses Christ tells his followers that the perfect follower (Telios [G5056], which means telescopically focused) leaves everything behind to follow him.  Look only at the references from Matthew regarding Christ’s call to follow him:

Matthew 4:19-20

19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Matthew 8:19-22

19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the  air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

Matthew 10:37-39

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:24-25

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 19:20-21

20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

I think it is wishful theology to believe that Jesus “lightened up” his call for the rest of us after that initial sending.  There are two reasons why he calls us to follow “unburdened”:

We can never be prepared for where God will send us.  To try to prepare may even be limiting the Holy Spirit’s ability to move in us:

Mark 13:11

“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

There is a significant humility that comes with admitting that we are totally dependent upon God — and we are — it is just that most of us do not realize it.  When my family made a recommitment to full-time, independent, mission work, we saw a radical change in income in three ways:

1.        We acknowledged that every dime we received was unquestionably a gift from God. Receiving no salary has been a definite blessing.  With this new-found freedom, we also received greater credibility among those in need. Choosing total dependence on God has brought liberation.

2.        We saw a radical drop in expenses. Our radical drop in expenses has not been due to our radical drop in income as some might think.  Rather, we have been blessed with an exciting need for less.  Choosing total dependence on God has brought contentment.

3.        We found increased joy in blessings totally unrelated to possessions or position. Sustaining us on our journey has not been the accumulation of new titles, larger cars or square footage. Instead, it is a letter from a man we helped to meet Christ in a jail, the “bless you” from the ladies who sang with us at a rest home, or the homeless woman who was strengthened by our home study group.  All the money in the world could not replace the “Father’s Day Card” from an inmate who said, “You’re the closest thing to a dad I have ever had.”  Choosing total dependence on God has brought fulfillment and purpose to our lives.

It was a fearful step and the pruning still continues but God is abundant in fulfilling his promises to those who rely upon him:

Matthew 10:28-31

28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

MARK 6:10-11 

10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.”

Shake the dust off the soles of your feet 

These are symbolic words which are frighteningly dramatic.  It was customary for Jewish religious leaders to take this action if they had to pass through a Gentile community.  The meaning was a shocking pronouncement: “I don’t even want the dirt of your town on my feet!”

To “shake the dust off your feet” meant that the people of that town were not worth any continued effort.  They would now be left to account for themselves in the face of God’s judgment.

This was not the “politically correct” Jesus that we would prefer to hear preached.  These are statements we wish we could finesse and say; “What he really meant was...”

Unfortunately, what Jesus really meant was exactly what he really said.  The Jesus who gave Nazareth a second chance never again returned.  He never looked back.  The Jesus who gives his “sent ones” the power to heal the disobedient spirit also gives them the right to dramatically walk away if people do not accept this healing.

Yet, there is more to Christ’s injunction than meets the eye.  For it is often the dramatic action of “shaking the dust off” that also “shakes some sense into” the life of the undisciplined sinner.  This is the “tough love” side of Christianity.  However, we should note that Jesus is not shaking off Samaria’s dust or the Geresene’s dust; he is shaking off the dust of his home town… and, in particular, the religious in his home town.

Was Jesus a “nice guy?” Well, nice guys don’t make statements like this and nice guys certainly don’t end up on the cross as traitors to their people. Jesus frequently made statements like the one in this verse. Statements “nice-guys” do not make.  Yet, they were statements that clarified discipleship and shed a telescopic beam of light on the narrow road to salvation.

Matthew 7:14

“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Just as in the story of the rich young man [Luke 18:18-30]; we do not find Jesus changing the arduousness of his commands just to appease someone who is uncomfortable keeping them.  In other words, he doesn’t chase down the rich young man and say; “Did I say you must give up everything?  I meant you must only give up only ten percent!” 

Instead he says, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God [Luke 18:25].”

Yet, even though Jesus doesn’t reduce the standards to entice the rich young man, he does something far greater. He offers us the Encourager who can help us live a life that is God-full:

John 14:16

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.”

Jesus sets tough parameters as he shakes the dust of Nazareth from his feet.  Yet, there is a “rest of the story” to this story (which Mark shares later).  It is precisely because Jesus holds to “the parameters” that we know what we must do to receive salvation.  Though Nazarene dust is shaken off Christ’s feet, we know of at least one Nazarene who repented and was saved.  This Nazarene was a “rejecter of the prophet” on three levels; he was of the nation of Jesus, from the villageof Jesus and even the family of Jesus.  He was James, the brother of our Lord, the James written about in verse 6:3.

This “Rejector” became a leader of the Jerusalem church and probably wrote the letter of James.  This “Rejector” of Jesus became an “Embracer” of the Gospel on the most fundamental level.  This would not have occurred had Jesus watered down his call.

We do not make heaven more attainable by making it more available.  Life with God can be found not by weakening the commandments but by strengthening the believer.  We cast out the demon that won’t accept God’s discipline and instill a new Spirit that brings us into right relation with God.

Our faith should never strive to reduce the Gospel to our level but to increase our faith to God’s level.  Like the Centurion whose son was dying from disease, our helpless plea should always be: “I do believe; help my unbelief [Mark 9:24].”

Mark 6:14-29

Herod Was Afraid

Mark 6:14-29

MARK 6:14-29 

14 And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20 for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. 21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

Overview

[Mark 6:26] And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.

Herod the Great was a malevolent man.  It was said of him that it was better to be one of his pigs than one of his sons. Posing to be Jewish, Herod would not devour his pigs, however he would kill his own children if he felt they threatened his throne.  The sons that survived him, including Philip and Herod Antipas, grew up to become conniving, weak rulers who seemed bent to rob from each other in order to gain scraps from Rome.

Herod Antipas, the focus of this story, oversaw less than a quarter of his father’s kingdom.  Yet, the ministry of two of the world’s greatest leaders occurred while he was in office — John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Antipas’ response was to behead the Messiah’s prophet and to mock the Messiah himself. Antipas killed and scoffed at God’s Messengers, not to solidify his rule, but because of his unbridled passions and need to gain kudos from his underlings.

I don’t look at Antipas and despise him for his weak-willed behavior.  Instead, I look at myself and am embarrassed at the many times I have made decisions — not based on my love for Christ — but based upon my desired to be liked or accepted. 

Forgive me, Jesus.

Herod Antipas was given a little power for a short period of time.  Yet, within that time span the history of humankind collided.  Antipas will be remembered for knowing that something special was happening in his very presence but he gave that moment away in lust for his niece/stepdaughter and in fear over what others would say.

“Oh Lord, please save us from the Antipas within us all.”

MARK 6:14-16 

14 And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

And People Were Saying 

What Mark portrays to us is a world unable to explain the miraculous when it appeared on their doorstep.  In their idle chatter and unwillingness to accept the claims of Christ they instead attempt to make Jesus fit their own fancies. 

·      The people of Nazareth chose to see Jesus as Joseph’s illegitimate son. They were blinded by their mediocrity.

·      Herod chose to see Jesus as John the Baptist returned from the dead. He was blinded by his culpability.

·      Others saw Jesus as Elijah or an Old Testament prophet. They were blinded by their legality.

Why didn’t they just go to the source and ask plainly, “Who are you?”  Instead of talking to Jesus, they talked about him. Is my relationship with Jesus based on speculation or have I gone right to the Master? Do I talk about him or listen to him?

Our Jesus is faithful. He will reveal himself at ever-deepening levels if we just ask him for revelation:

Matthew 7:7-8

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

MARK 6:17-28 

17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20 for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. 21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

Herod himself

One of the greatest lessons Mark teaches us in this “oh, by the way...” story of Herod is to compare the capriciousness of human authority with the consistency of God’s power. The Herod that is spoken of in this reading is a son of Herod the Great, a cruel and hated despot who oversaw the entire Palestinian region.  When Herod the Great died (in 4 B.C.), Rome split his region into four sections and Rome placed the Northwest area of Galilee under the rule of Herod Antipas.

Herod the Great was a maniacal manipulator of whom the Romans said; “It is better to be one of Herod’s pigs than one of his sons.”  This was both an insult to Herod as well as the Judaism he practiced (when expedient). As a Jew, Herod would not touch a pig, yet he had no difficulty killing his own sons if they moved too close to his throne.

Antipas was a cowering survivor who outlived his father.  A brief study of his character reveals that he maintained his position not with strength but by appeasement and manipulation.  The historian Josephus, tells how he won his seat begging before Rome and later lost it in like manner.  Scripture tells us that he stole his half-brother’s wife (she was also his own cousin) and appeased her by sinking to her frivolous whims while simultaneously lusting for his stepdaughter (who was also his niece).  What a contrast this man was to the daring and committed John the Baptist whom Antipas ordered beheaded.  What a sad excuse for the use of authority compared to the power of Jesus Christ’s love whom Antipas scorned and mocked in the mid-morning hours of our Lord’s crucifixion.

This is the story of one of the greatest juxtapositions in the whole bible: The Herald of the Lord sacrificed for the whims of a deceitful woman and her spineless husband.  It is a story at the vortex of human suffering into which we are sucked whenever we choose to live by deceit and manipulation instead of service and love.

Perhaps the most revealing truth of this story is this: “Self-importance is the greatest enemy of relationship or community.”

As we study this reading, let us ask God for the ways in which we strive for self-importance instead of self-sacrifice. Let us abandon ourselves to him so that our children might have leaders who model the compassion of Christ’s command: “But the greatest among you shall be your servant [Matthew 23:11].”

Because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her

Herod provides us with a sorrowful example of humanity’s frail politics.  It gives us a stark contrast to the reign of God.  Yet, it also shows us how God can use even a despot to his own ends.  Herod Antipas played a key role in both the deaths of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.  Herod believed that the drama of life revolved around him and his obsessive lusts. Little did he know that he was merely a bit-player on a stage much wider than his greedy paradigm could encompass.

Let’s contrast the rule of Herod, with the reign of Jesus.

Antipas sought only to promote himself. His rule did nothing to further his own people.  He left them downtrodden while he himself lived in idle luxury.

Antipas had no vision and lived a reactionary life. Antipas stayed alive in his father’s house by both hiding from and reacting to his father’s whims. It must have been a precarious existence.  As an adult, Antipas continued to react to the whims of those around him (Rome, Herodias, Salome).  Herod’s vision was limited to reaction and avoidance. His modus operandi for leadership was to get what he wanted without getting caught. That is perhaps, the greatest temptation of power. Satan himself used the same temptation with our Lord in the wasteland of Gehenna.

Antipas was ruled by his own lusts. Herod sold out the prophet of the Messiah for his own illicit lust!  First, Herod arrested John because the prophet confronted Herodias publicly with her sinfulness.  Then, Herod killed John because of a promise made to his step-daughter while in front of his associates and military leaders.  Herod’s agenda was dictated by lust and pride.  His power was limited by his avarice.  The inability to control immediate gratification is one of the most limiting factors in life.  The less we can control our desires the more enslaved we are by the present-and-the-immediate and the less we will be available to God.

Antipas would do anything for respect and wound up respected by no one. Antipas killed John the Baptist because he worried what his guests would think if he reneged on his lustful pledge to his niece/stepdaughter.  However, Herod’s associates only respected what they feared and only craved what they didn’t possess.  The truth is that leaders like Herod are never respected by their overseers and peers or by their underlings and subjects.  Like crocodiles in a muddy river, Herod’s associates respected whoever was the strongest and fed on whoever was the weakest.

Antipas over-inflated himself and promised what he could not deliver. Herod promised his stepdaughter/niece up to half of his entire kingdom.  Herod was grossly overstating his position for he actually had no kingdom of his own.  He managed Galilee at the whim of Rome.  To promise any part of his kingdom would be like a man selling a rental car.  Any of Herod’s guests would recognize that he was either drunk with lust and self-importance or taking advantage of his stepdaughter.  His pride and stupidity failed him as Herodias used Herod’s lusts for her own daughter to publicly demand the immediate execution of John the Baptist.  Trapped by his own belligerence, Salome’s abrupt request forced Herod to do something that haunted him for the rest of his life.

This is power according to the world. It is a spider web of manipulation. Peers using peers, associates and leaders using manipulation as their primary leadership tool and even family members maneuvering each other. This is the forever that Satan offers his followers.

Herod Antipas killed the only man who would tell him the truth. Herod was intrigued by John’s message and power — which was about as close as a man like Herod could come to experiencing a sense of respect.  He feared John for his boldness, yet admired John for his authenticity.  To Herod (as with Pontius Pilate) truth was relative to political acuity. If the actual truth was politically inconvenient than the truth would have to change, not his beliefs. 

Conversely, John spoke in absolute truth with scripture and the Holy Spirit as his foundation.  Truth did not change for him merely because it was inconvenient.  John told the truth about Herod and Herodias.  Neither of them was formally divorced and they were first cousins. Their marriage was illegitimate on multiple levels. John publicly challenged the two on their sin.  Herodias would not stand for John’s public reproach but the best she could do was force Herod to arrest John.  Herod would publicly silence John but he could not bring himself to kill a man he suspected might actually be a prophet.

It is clear that Herodias never let go of her hatred and then even used her own daughter to avenge her wounded pride.  This royal family was not bound by love but by manipulation and deceit.  Where there is no truth, there is only deceit.  Where there is inconsistency in character, there is only sickness in relationships. Our households, churches and nations will not be healthy as long as we have a relative truth.

Finally, Herod Antipas left no legacy and was stripped of power and title before dying a miserable death in exile. Herod’s life is a story of tragedy and sorrow. It is the story of a man who was given a little power for a brief span of humanity but who used it only for his own gain.  It is the story of a man who was eaten by his own lusts and died worthless and forgotten. Remembered by history only as a model of depravity.

In the end, Herod Antipas was deposed by the Emperor Caligula who stripped Herod of his title and wealth then sent him into exile in the mountains of Spain.  There, Antipas died in disgrace and poverty, haunted by the bloodguilt of both a prophet and a savior.

Herod models a life of avarice.  It is tragic to have so many resources and yet use them only for personal gain.  Herod ended his life as a bitter and angry man, blaming others for his tragedies and weeping over a life of “what-if’s.”  Herod is an example of a man who started to forge his own hell while on earth, never availing himself of God’s intimate offer of salvation even though salvation was close enough for him to physically embrace.

The Power of Jesus

In contrast to Herod’s use of power, let’s look at our Lord’s:

 Jesus lived only to serve God. Satan tempted our Lord with immediate gratification, approval and worldly power. Christ rejected all these enticements choosing instead to lay his complete trust in God.  Only when we give up our selfish desires do we become available to Christ.

Jesus lived a visionary life and others had to respond to him. When someone lives by a vision they are not victims of the immediate or the inconsequential.  They are far less likely to react to the actions or whims of others and far more likely to live in such a way that others must respond to their lead.  Is my life ruled by the whims of others and my own daily desires or am I directed by the vision of God’s call?

Jesus did not seek human respect, instead the way he lived led others to respond to him with an intense love or hatred. A person stands out as a visional leader if his/her life demand a response from others.  You can never be too comfortable around a saint or a prophet because their lives demand a response.  Christian leaders stand out as different — not by belligerence but by humility, service and honesty.  They have an intense mission and drive and feel pressed to accomplish all they can in the time that God has given them.

 Jesus made himself into a servant and was vividly clear about the rewards and costs of being his follower. Jesus never left his disciples or his opponents doubtful about his mission.  He explicitly informed them of both the rewards for following him and the costs of that decision.  He told people that there was nothing harder than following him, that it would demand everything and that it would lead to contempt and even death.  Yet, he modeled a life that exemplified the intense and unwavering joy that comes from devotion to God.  It was not a life of giddy laughter and frivolity. It was a life of devotion to a cause. A life of intense trials but substantial rewards.

Jesus never wavered from the truth as found in Scripture and under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Herod could not tolerate truth because it clashed with his lifestyle.  However, a Christian leader constantly seeks truth as based in the compassion of Christ and the truth of scripture.  If the way that a leader lives is not in agreement with scriptural truth than a leader changes his/her behavior. He or she does not attempt to change the truth because it is inconvenient.

Jesus could not be manipulated because his center was in God and not himself. Throughout Jesus’ life there were multiple attempts to prompt him to change his mission.  First, there was Satan in the wilderness. Then there was Nicodemus, Peter (when Christ turned towards Jerusalem) and Pontius Pilate (who offered Christ freedom if he would just bow to Rome's authority). However, Jesus could not be manipulated because this world held nothing that he desired.  All that he longed for was in the hands of God and humanity could never offer him that reward.  The person who seeks only to please God cannot be manipulated by man.  When one chooses humility in service to God, all of life comes together to take him or her closer and closer to salvation.

Psalm 86:11-13

11 Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name. 12 I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever. 13 For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great, and Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Jesus never left anyone behind. Jesus modeled of scriptural leadership.  Since the days of Abraham and through John’s last letter to the churches the measure of scriptural leadership is that we leave no weary person behind.  While our culture measures leadership as how "far ahead we can get"; God’s model of leadership is measured by not leaving anyone behind — especially the widowed, orphaned and the stranger (immigrant).

Zechariah 7:9

"Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”

Sadly, our economic system is measured by the creation of wealth and not the alleviation of poverty.  Even our churches are often measured by the size of their membership as opposed to the effectiveness of their outreach.  Yet, our God has a radically different standard by which to measure success:

Deuteronomy 10:17-19

17 “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. 18 “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. 19 "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”

MARK 6:29

When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

When his disciples heard

John had many followers who had been attracted to his laser-sharp vision and his radical response to God.  We know that some of John’s disciples immediately followed Jesus the moment John pointed at him and said; “Behold the Lamb of God [John 1:36].”

Still other disciples of John seemed to be confused about Christ’s role. We see this when they ask Jesus on behalf of John if he is truly the Messiah [Luke 7:20-22].  We also know that — following the Baptist's death — a sect formed around John that focused on his austere lifestyle and the ritual of baptism. They concentrated on the rituals of John, not on the focal point of John. The Baptist pointed to Jesus saying; “He must increase, but I must decrease [John 3:30].”

All of this tells us that even our best efforts to follow the truth can be misdirected if they do not lead us to serve Christ.  It is sorrowful to think of these disciples of John who came so close to the truth but then were waylaid by the rituals of John the Baptist. Rather than finding the joy of a relationship with Jesus Christ, they found a life of strict rules and asceticism for asceticism’s sake. Austerity, devotion and piety are irrelevant if they only lead us to ritual and not to the focal point of John’s dedication.

I am a firm believer in the habits of prayer yet, how often I have seen ritual take precedence over relationship with God.  Ritual can easily become a god in itself.  The means can become the end and the end can be completely forgotten.  Let’s make sure that all of our rituals draw us closer to Christ and not into merely more ritualism or even asceticism for its own sake.  Let Christ be the aspiration behind all of our actions.

Ritual has a place, personally and communally, when it points inward towards the light of Christ and outward to bear that light in the darkness. Yet, when ritual becomes a focus — in and of itself — it becomes exclusive. How do we know when that is occurring? The more complicated the ritual and the more it takes to initiate the novitiate; the more exclusive it is. To put it bluntly: If it ain’t simple; it ain’t Jesus.

What Herod feared was the simple, uncomplicated power of first John the Baptist and then Jesus the Christ. Their simple call of love influenced lives. Like Satan, Herod could not comprehend simplicity or love. Someone who has to give half of “his” kingdom away to gain his step-daughter’s attention will never understand unconditional dignity.

No wonder Herod was afraid, he was witnessing a power he would never possess. Between authority and influence, authority will always lose in the long run.

YOUTH SUPPLEMENT

“What shall I ask for?” — Mark 6:24

Salome was a young teenager in a very dysfunctional blended family.  Her grandfather was Herod the Great who ordered the slaughter of all the babies in Bethlehem in order to find and kill the infant Jesus.  Herod the Great was known for following the rituals of his faith while killing off his own sons if they became too powerful. 

Salome’s real father was Herod the Great’s son, Philip, who inherited a quarter of his father’s kingdom to manage for Rome when his much-hated father died.  However Salome’s mother, Herodias, left Phillip and ran away with his brother, Herod Antipas.  Here is where the whole thing gets really weird. Herod Antipas was the first cousin of Herodias, both were already married and neither divorced their spouse to wed the other.  That made Herod Antipas both the illegitimate stepfather and the uncle of Salome.  If you think that is strange, read on!

Herod Antipas threw a party for his military leaders and associates and — for entertainment — he had his own step-daughter/niece do an indecent dance in front of them.  Now, it gets even worse!

To say that Antipas had bad intentions and the inability to control his urges would be an understatement.  However, in addition to being weak-willed, he was also a liar who overestimated his own place in the world. He publicly promised his stepdaughter up to half of his kingdom for her dance.  The problem was that Herod Antipas actually had no kingdom.  He merely managed property for Rome; he had no personal ownership over the territory whatsoever.  To make such a promise to Salome was extreme arrogance at its worst.  It would be like giving your parent’s car to someone you were trying to impress.  He promised what he did not own.

Salome had no idea what she should ask of her warped Uncle/Step-Father, she may not even have known that she was being manipulated by both her mother and her stepfather.  So Salome went to her mother — who was as emotionally crippled as her stepfather — and asked; “What shall I ask for?”

Salome’s mother uses her daughter’s naivety to satisfy a personal grudge.  John the Baptist had confronted Antipas and Herodias publicly and she wanted him dead for embarrassing her with his prophetic honesty.  Herodias uses her own daughter to ask for the head of the Messiah’s prophet!

Salome never really stood a chance.  She was a pawn in a larger game of deceit and indecency.  Sadly, I meet a lot of young people who would be able to identify with Salome.  Their lives feel so out-of-control under the oppressive hands of abuse or neglect.  They often make sorrowful choices to get the attention that they would otherwise never receive.

Do you think that John the Baptist hated Salome for what she did?  Do you think that Jesus would have condemned her?

I don’t.

Everything that I read about our Lord and our God tells me how much he loved the lost, the abandoned, and the abused.  He would have left 99 sheep in someone else’s care to find the one that was lost.

Matthew 18:12-14

12 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 “And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 “Thus it is not {the} will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

Perhaps you know someone like Salome.  Perhaps you might feel like her at times.  You might feel like your life is out of your control and that you are manipulated by those around you.  There is an eternal promise given to Salome that her parents never gave her… but Jesus does.  “I will seek you, I will scour the mountains until I find you.  My little lamb, I will bring you home!”

Going Deeper

1.        There are many people like Salome in our schools and even our churches.  Do you know how to help them if they confide in you?

2.        Ask your youth minister to bring in someone who can talk about helping friends who are experiencing abuse.

3.        Can you find verses in Scripture where Jesus promises to reach out and find the lost?

4.        Can you find verses in Scripture where Jesus tells us that we must also reach out and find the lost?

Mark 6:30-56

Sheep Without a Shepherd

Mark 6:30-56

MARK 6:30-56

30 The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35 When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." 37 But He answered them, "You give them something to eat!" And they *said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?" 38 And He *said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look!" And when they found out, they *said, "Five, and two fish." 39 And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.

45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

MARK 6:30-32 

30 The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

All that they had done and taught 

I can hardly wait for the day when we will be able to share face to face with Jesus.  When we — like the Apostles — can tell him “all that we’ve done [G4160 Poieo] and all that we’ve taught [G1321 Didasko].”  Yet, until those days, Christ has given us the church in which to share “all that we’ve done and all that we’ve taught.”

Many churches have strayed from this vital function. Attendees are often entertained by multimedia displays and suave salespersons selling theo-materialism or they observe ritual with little or no meaningful participation. Few are rarely asked; “Where did you find Christ this week?” or, “Where did you accompany Christ this week?”

Wouldn’t it be interesting if our churches initiated testing at the end of each week?  What if we were asked to report like the Apostles did to Jesus in Mark 6:12-13: “They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.”

Perhaps we fear doing this because we are concerned we would lose members — even pastors — if we held people accountable to Christ’s commission.  Yet, at some point, spiritual leaders must ask themselves if they are seeking to appease members or disciple apostles.  Do we prepare people to be “sent away [Apostolos]” if we do not also demand that they put into practice what they are learning?

In the end, Christ demands fruit from our efforts and spiritual leaders are held to a higher standard than others.  We are called not only to produce fruit, but to produce fruit trees!  We need to ask a legitimate accounting of those whom God sends us.  Do the blind see and the lame walk? Are the homeless fed and the abused restored?

As Christian leaders, we must remember that our Lord was harshest on the trees that didn’t produce fruit and the shepherds that disregarded their sheep:

Matthew 21:19

Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

Christian leaders are held to a higher degree of accountability.  If our sheep are lost or our trees are not producing fruit, then we will be held accountable.

James 3:1

Let not many {of you} become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

Come away by yourselves

After miraculous experiences and life-changing teaching all around the city of Nazareth (indeed everywhere but Nazareth), the disciple’s return to Jesus charged with new enthusiasm.  They experienced the power of God alive in their words and works!  There is really nothing like seeing a person you have mentored return from a task with that light burning in their face — no matter what their age or situation in life.  I have seen it occur in the faces of street youth who chose sobriety and hardened criminals who took the Gospel to their cellmates.  The experience that, “God can use even me!” is an awesome revelation for each of us.

No doubt the apostles wanted to rush out to “do and teach” even more.  Yet, Jesus reels them back in for a period of seclusion and rest.  We might have thought Christ was nuts.  His apostles are on a roll, sales are hot, “Get it while you can!”

Yet, Jesus literally tells his disciples; “We must commit ourselves ([G2596 Kata] cast ourselves aside] to solitude([G2398 Idios], to specifically set something aside) for rest ([G373 Anapano] literally, a time to refrain from action).”

There are a couple of very important lessons we can learn from this:

1.        Jesus was teaching balance to his disciples.  He wanted them to learn the delicate balance of reaching out to God’s people and reaching inward to God’s sustaining power.  Power without purpose is violence and it is resting in God that restores our purpose.

Often, we can be so focused on reaching out that we forget that God doesn’t want our works; he wants our relationship.  Our works are essential only because they deepen our love and commitment to God.  But, God does not love us for what we do, he loves us for trusting him.  When we go out to accomplish the miraculous or teach the Gospel we can become increasingly reliant on our Creator — but only if God is at the center of our actions. We should not be surprised if Christ dries up our fruit and our hearts if we do not center our focus on him.

2.        Jesus was not focused on the miracles the apostles were doing as much as he was committed to showing them a) how to be in relationship with God and b) how to lead others into that relationship as well.  Jesus did not “perform” the miraculous so as to impress others. He was focused on teaching his disciples to have a living and breathing faith.  If Jesus had been focused on earthly gain — popularity, wealth, or worldly power — he would have given a pep talk to the Apostles and told them to capture market share before “the other guy blinks.” However, the kingdom of Christ was not of this world and our Lord knew he had a short time to build a lasting church.  Jesus did not focus on entertaining his followers but on deepening their dependence on God.  His knew that his time was limited — as is ours.

MARK 6:33-34

33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

Ran there together on foot

Mark seems to design the stories of this chapter to present us with four varying responses to Jesus and four varying responses by Jesus.

1.        The people of Nazareth

The people of Nazareth saw Jesus as a carpenter’s son. They saw him as “one of them.”  Treating Jesus with familiarity, they missed the potential of the Savior among them.  As long as we see Jesus as “just one of us” we will never know the resurrected Christ who died for our salvation.

2.        Herod Antipas

Herod’s eyes were clouded with the guilt of John the Baptist’s blood.  He could not see past the cloud of his own sin so he saw Jesus as the spirit of John in another man’s body.  Unless we seek forgiveness the life of Christ will only remind us of our sin.

3.        The crowd

The crowd was confused until they saw the miraculous Jesus.  At that point, they followed after this wandering Rabbi to alleviate their earthly suffering.  As a result, they missed Christ’s most important purpose; the Savior who would die for our sins.

Instead of following Jesus, they sought full stomachs or healing from disease but returned to otherwise meaningless lives.  We only get a piece of Jesus if we seek him solely to alleviate our “problems.”  We miss the fullness of Jesus when we treat Jesus as a heavenly “honey-do”; “Jesus do this, Jesus do that.”  This is exactly what Paul refers to when he tells the Hebrew Church that they are still babies in Christ:

Hebrews 5:12-14

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes {only} of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

When we turn to Jesus only to meet our needs we completely miss the Jesus who can give us incredible purpose and power and radically change the humdrum of our lives.

4.        The Apostles

The Apostles saw Jesus as their Rabbi (master and teacher) and gave up everything to follow him.  In response, Jesus gave everything to them.  They received salvation, power and the authority to preach, teach and heal.  At first, they too were confused about who Jesus was: Prophet or messiah.  But, as they dedicated their lives to him, he revealed himself to them.  Soon, they would come to know that the life-changing power of Christ was not merely to be observed, but absorbed.  Unlike the people of Nazareth, who only saw the human Jesus, unlike Herod, who only tolerated Jesus because of his guilty past and unlike the crowd, who only sought to take from Jesus, the Apostles gave everything to follow Jesus.  In return, they received the complete Jesus, the divine Jesus, the forgiving Jesus, the miraculous Jesus, but even more; the Jesus who would live within them.  When we leave behind our life for his, he moves in with us.

Sheep without a shepherd

How is it that the people of Israel — the very children of God — were so completely lost?  Were they not The Chosen?  Did God not set them aside solely as his people?

“Sheep without a shepherd,” is an interesting term.  The word, “without” may seem obvious to us but it has a very complex background.  Mark actually uses two words for without: Me [G3361] and Echo [G2192].  Together, these words mean; “to have no ability or knowledge.”  In today’s vernacular we might say the people were “clueless” about God.

Yet Jesus does not blame them, he feels compassion [G4697 Splagchnizomai] for them.  It literally means that his stomach hurt or “his bowels turned to water” in pain for them.  In his eyes, they are sheep [G4263b Probaton] without a shepherd (bishop or pastor) [G4166 Poimen].  The image I get when I read this description is of the many street orphans I have seen begging on the streets of Mexico City.  They were completely lost with vacant stares, acting skittish and living with a gnawing emptiness of hunger; both for food and hope.

Where were their leaders, their shepherds?  Where were those who could organize, direct or give vision to the lost sheep of Israel?

We know where Herod was.  He was too involved in playing politics and pandering to his own lusts to care about his people.  But where were the priests, the anointed of God?

The prophets consistently condemned the priests of Israel for becoming too enamored with their roles instead of their people. They disdained the needy and blamed the poor for their plight.  When the long-awaited Messiah finally arrived they were too full of their own importance to recognize his significance.

Have we — as leaders — changed that much?  Will we be recognized as a “mouthpiece for the hungry” and “shepherds of the lost?”

The fullness of Jesus’ words was that they translated into food for the hungry, healing for the sick, and hope for the lost masses.  We are told to measure our leadership by the fulfillment of these actions.

MARK 6:53-56 

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

They came to land at Gennesaret 

Jesus and the disciples had been headed for Bethsaida when the evening’s storm blew them to Gennesaret instead.  Notice our Lord’s response.  He does not tell the Apostles to set out to sea and try again.  Instead, he disembarks and begins to minister to the people around him.

Christ’s response is to see the storm as God’s will and to minister appropriately wherever he lands.

How do I respond when my day is blown off course?  Do I respond to daily “inconveniences” (or even major life-changing events) by looking for God’s purposes or do I become angry and frustrated at the “interruption” of my plans and purposes?

I have found that the higher my personal agenda; the less I am able to see God’s purpose in my daily “interruptions.”  Yet, I have also found that when I make myself available to “Deus Interruptus,” incredible and miraculous things consistently happen.

Have you ever considered beginning your day by “giving God permission to alter your agenda at any moment and any time?

“Dearest God, feel free to interrupt my agenda today with yours — at anytime or in any place.”

Just touch the fringe of His cloak 

Why touch the fringe of the Lord’s garment when he longs to give us his complete love?

So many people just turned to Jesus because he could fill their stomachs or heal their physical maladies.  That’s like a businessperson going to church merely for the professional connections.  Meeting your physical needs is the least common denominator for experiencing faith.  It is akin to domesticating God; treating him like a card trick you call upon to entertain friends and relatives.  This is not only offensive to God but such a shallow approach to the Savior will not result in either joy or salvation.

Christ calls us to a deeper discipleship; a radical response to his radical love.  To love Jesus is to leave everything behind and follow him.  We cannot expect to experience salvation just because we go to church on Sunday or display a bronze fish symbol on the back of an SUV.  We may call him, “Lord,” but he wants us to act in accordance with that statement:

Matthew 25:41-43

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’”

If we call Jesus “Lord,” it means that he owns our lives.  We possess nothing, every goodness flows from him and every action is centered in him. We do everything in order to glorify his name.  He has the right to take whatever we have at any given moment.  Of course, we know that our Savior is our loving Lord — anything that he places in or takes from our life is truly for our salvation and ultimate joy.

Matthew 7:9-11

9 “Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

Salvation lies beyond calling upon Jesus to meet my needs; it is living each day seeking nothing but to fulfill his mission.

Will Jesus find us shepherding the lost sheep or hanging out in the pen fattening the found? Who, today, represent the “sheep without a shepherd?” Will I go find them?