Mark 6:6b-13--Joining Jesus on His Mission

In the 1996 film Multiplicity, Michael Keaton portrays the character Doug Kinney, a construction worker who is having a hard time balancing the demands of his career and his family. He meets up with a geneticist, Dr. Owen Leeds, who offers him the opportunity to clone himself, which he does multiple times. This seems to be a perfect solution to his problem until everything starts to go haywire, and he finds himself in competition with his clones. The movie provides plenty of laughs, for many of us have found ourselves in those situations where we wish we could be in two places at one time, or at least be better able to balance the demands of life.

When God chose to incarnate Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, He chose to enter space and time in the confines of a human body. Jesus could only be in one place at any given time, and though He was on a mission to save the entire world, He could only interact with a limited number of people wherever He happened to be. While He was preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth, He could not simultaneously be teaching on the shores of Capernaum. But He did not solve this limitation by cloning Himself. Instead, He expanded His mission by calling out twelve men who would, as Mk 3:14 says, that they might “be with Him,” and that He might “send them out to preach.” Through these ordinary human beings, God would multiply the mission of the Messiah.

In his excellent book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman describes how Jesus did this. He outlines Jesus’ plan for getting the gospel to the ends of the earth under eight headings: Selection; Association; Consecration; Impartation; Demonstration; Delegation; Supervision; and Reproduction. In the first phase of this plan, Jesus calls the disciples to Himself and invests time in molding them for His purposes. In the second phase, they follow Him and observe Him in His teachings and His ministry. In the third phase, He allows them to work under close supervision. Finally, the task becomes theirs as He ascends to the Father following His death and resurrection, and sends the Holy Spirit to indwell them and work through them. In our text today, we come to that stage of delegation where Jesus sends His disciples out to extend the work of the Kingdom through them. So let’s look into the passage, let’s see how the disciples join Jesus on His mission.

I. The Party of the Mission (7a)

Notice that the text is very specific about who Jesus sent and how He sent them.

A. Who He Sent (the twelve)

If Jesus was looking for theologians or professional religious experts, He got the wrong guys. None of the twelve were leaders in the synagogue, nor were they trained as priests or rabbis. They were common working class people. They were described by others as “uneducated and untrained” in Acts 4:13. They did not have any academic degrees. They weren’t wealthy or influential in society. Coleman says of them, “By any standard of sophisticated culture then and now they would surely be considered as a rather ragged collection of souls. One might wonder how Jesus could ever use them.” They were impulsive, sometimes temperamental, often misunderstanding the words and deeds of Jesus. He could have chosen anyone He wanted to: priests, rabbis, scholars, generals, kings. But Jesus chose these twelve ordinary men to send out on His mission.

This ought to be of great encouragement for the rest of us. The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians that there were not many wise, not many noble, not many mighty among them, but that God had called the foolish, weak, the base and despised. That means that He can use you too. You are just as qualified to join Him on the mission as those twelve were.

B. How He Sent Them (in pairs)

Jesus could have sent them out alone in hopes of having twelve times the impact, but He didn’t. He was content to have six teams of two instead of twelve individuals traveling about preaching His message. There is biblical significance to sending them out two by two, and no, I don’t mean from Noah’s Ark. According to the OT Law, a single witness was not credible, but rather, Deuteronomy 19:15 says, “on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” So, by sending out two, there was a legally acceptable testimony to Christ.

But there is more to it than just this. The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him.” [Eccl 4:9-12]. So by sending them out in pairs, the disciples will have companionship, counsel, and cooperation in the mission. Add to this the undeniable benefit of accountability – one cannot decide to abandon the mission or become lazy without the other one keeping him encouraged to persevere; one cannot fall into error or sin without the other one correcting him. One cannot be falsely accused without the other one being a witness to his innocence. For all these reasons, and likely more, Jesus was pleased send the disciples out two by two.

Now this strikes us being very un-American. We are programmed from a young age to be rugged individualists. And this is one of the greatest contributing factors in the rampant decay of marriage in America and the abysmal state of most American churches. It is not a problem unique to America, for it is a universal truth that we are all born sinners, and at the root of every sin is an inherent self-centeredness. What makes the phenomenon uniquely American is that this self-centeredness is disguised as self-sufficiency is nourished, encouraged, and applauded as a virtue rather than condemned as a vice. We really tend to think that we don’t need each other, but the fact of the matter is that we do. The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone, and that is why God has adopted us into His family and united us in the church. Here in the church, we ought to experience the real fellowship of sharing life together, helping one another where we find weakness, and always spurring one another on to faith and godliness. For this reason, the writer of Hebrews said, “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Heb 10:24-25). We can join Jesus on His mission only when we realize that He has not called us to serve Him in isolation, but to develop authentic relationships and serve Him in tandem with other believers.

II. The Purpose of the Mission (7b, 12-13)

From these verses we see that their mission was one of word and deed. They were not to preach with words only, but to validate that spoken word by deeds of supernatural power. And they were not to do the deeds only, but to explain the deeds with the spoken word. Their mission was essentially the same as that of Jesus: Preaching, casting out demons, healing the sick. Recall from Mark 1:15 the message that Jesus proclaimed: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” And so the disciples go out offering entrance into that kingdom through the doorway of repentance and faith. The casting out of demons demonstrates that the salvation God offers has bearing on the spiritual realm, and the healing of the sick demonstrates that this salvation also bears on the physical realm. They illustrate and validate the gospel.

Now you might say, “God has not given me the power to cast out demons or heal the sick, so I can’t go out proclaiming the gospel.” Well, in fact, God may not have given you such abilities, but the important thing here is not the abilities themselves, but the source and purpose of them. Where did the disciples get these supernatural abilities: from Jesus. It was Him who gave them authority. And why did He do it? So that through their deeds, the message of the gospel would be validated. Now, this means that whatever it is that you need in order to be on mission with Christ, has to come from Christ Himself, and He has given it to you. You may not be able to cast out demons or heal the sick, but you have the authority to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in word and deed however it is that Jesus wants to use you. And your transformed life, your unquenchable love, your perseverance through difficulties, ongoing deeds of compassion, will be all the verification your message needs.

III. The Provisions of the Mission (8-9)

I have always been sort of a picky eater. I know my figure wouldn’t suggest that, but let’s just say, there aren’t many things I like, but what I like, I really like. Ten years ago, I had my first opportunity to go to Africa. I was so excited about going that it did not hit me until the day I was to leave, “What am I going to eat in Africa?” I had heard missionary tales about eating monkeys and goats and raw fish, and mysterious soups, and I knew I was going to be in trouble. So, I went to the grocery store and bought enough crackers, cookies, and other snacks to get me through 19 days just in case. And at the end of that 19 days, I was walking around looking for people to give the snacks to. I didn’t need them. Oh, I made use of them a time or two, like when we were served ox tongue or something like that, but really, God was looking out for me and my extra suitcase full of emergency snack items was a display of my lack of faith that He would provide for me.

When Jesus sent the twelve out on this mission, He gave them explicit instructions on how to pack. Essentially, He said not to. There were three things they could take with them: a staff in their hands, sandals on their feet, and the shirt on their back. That’s it. The staff would serve as a walking stick, and perhaps a means of defense against wild animals. The sandals would protect their feet along the rocky roads. The tunic would cover them and protect them somewhat from the elements. But this was to be all. No bread, no bag, no money, no extra tunic. But what would they eat? How would they get money for things they needed? What if they got cold or wet? They simply had to trust that God would provide for every need they had. They are not to trust in their supplies but in their Savior. If they carried with them an elaborate support system that would cover them in any eventuality, then they would not need to walk by faith. And without faith, what does the Bible say in Hebrews 11:6? Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Travel light. That was the order of the day. They need not be slowed down or encumbered by excessive baggage, or worried over the security of their belongings, or wearied from transporting massive amounts of stuff. Travel light, be ready to go here or there as God opens and closes doors of opportunity, and trust that He will provide for every circumstance that arises. I have a little needlepoint thing in my office that says, “Pray Hard, Get a Passport.” The story behind that is that in my first church, as we got involved in strategic partnerships in West Africa, I told the people repeatedly to stay prayed up, keep their passport current, and keep a suitcase by the door, so that when our missionary partners needed us, we could get there as soon as possible.

On this matter of traveling light on mission, let me point out a few things that I notice in our society. The average American family – is it larger or smaller today than in days past? Smaller. The average American car – larger or smaller? Larger. The average American house – larger or smaller? Larger. So we have smaller families, but bigger houses and bigger cars. Why do we need all that space? Simple answer – stuff. We have more stuff than ever before. And we have all this technology that supposedly makes life easier, but what about our service to the Kingdom of God? Do we find more or less commitment to the mission of Christ today? Less. So what are we to make of these phenomena? Has the pursuit of a massive collection of stuff taken the place of commitments to the family and the Kingdom of God? Why not just travel light through this life and be ready to be of service to Christ without all that stuff getting in the way? And as we walk by faith and trust God to provide for our every need, we will find that there is nothing we lack.

IV. The Plan for the Mission (10-11)

Jesus gave them a very simple plan for how to conduct the mission. In a place where they are received, they are to stay in the home of whoever welcomes them. This might sound odd to us today, because in addition to our stuff, we also like our privacy, and don’t fancy the thought of strangers bedding down in our homes. But it was more common in that day, as we see Jesus making Himself at home in the house of Peter; Paul regularly made the home of one of his converts his base of operation. You recall from our study of Philippians that the home of Lydia became his headquarters there. Rather than priding themselves on their privacy, the ancients cherished the virtue of hospitality. As the disciples entered a town, if someone welcomed them into their home, they were to stay there until they left that town. If someone else came and offered them a more spacious or luxurious accommodation, they were not to dishonor their host by leaving for a more comfortable arrangement. They were to accept whatever hospitality was offered them, and view it as God’s provision for their needs.

But if they entered a town and were not welcomed and their message was not received, then they were to perform a symbolic act of testimony. If you have ever read through the prophetic books, you have run across some of these before. The book of Ezekiel for instance tells of all sorts of bizarre actions that the Lord commanded His prophet to perform as symbols of God’s dealings with His people. In Ezekiel 4, God commands Ezekiel to lie down on his left side for 390 days as a testimony of the number of years of Israel’s sin. Then when those days are over, God commands him to lie down on his right side for 40 days as a testimony to the number of years of Judah’s sin. These are ordered in addition to a number of other things that Ezekiel was to do in order to turn the people’s attention toward God and His word. One of the most bizarre prophetic symbols in the OT concerns Hosea. God commanded him to take a prostitute as a wife. Marriage has always served to illustrate in earthly relationships the bond between God and His people. By commanding Hosea to marry a prostitute, God was declaring to His people that they have been perpetually unfaithful to Him. So, here in this passage, Jesus tells His disciples to take up a symbolic act of testimony against the people who did not receive them.

On their way out of the town, they were to shake the dust from the soles of their feet. This refers to a practice of pious Jews who had traveled outside the boundaries of Israel. Upon returning to their homeland, they were to stop at the borders and shake the dust off of themselves so as to not bring polluted dust from foreign places into the Promised Land. When the disciples of Jesus shook the dust off their feet, it testified to the people that they had received a fair offer of the gospel, but had rejected it. Thus, they would have to answer to God for their rejection of the salvation Jesus came to bring them.

As we join Jesus on His mission, these instructions have significance for us as well. As we proclaim His message of salvation, we are to accept the offers of kindness extended to us, viewing them as God’s provision for our needs. And where the gospel is not accepted, we leave the individual with the awareness that they have rejected God’s only offer of salvation and are without hope. My evangelism professor at Southeastern, Dr. Alvin Reid, used to say, “Offer them Jesus, and if they don’t want Him, leave them with Moses.” By that, Dr. Reid meant that if a person would not receive God’s offer of salvation, then they must be left with the Law to remind them of how far short they fall of God’s glory, with the hope that this awareness will bring them to repentance.

We have seen in this passage how the disciples joined Jesus in His mission. We have seen their party – an unlikely group of regular people, sent out in pairs. We have seen their purpose – proclaiming the message of Jesus in word and deed. We have seen their provisions – they traveled light and trusted God to provide. And we have seen their plan – accept the hospitality offered you by those who receive the message, and remind those who don’t that they have rejected God’s only offer of salvation. The twelve would return and give account to Jesus for this mission, and then they would spend more time with Him watching and learning. But the time would soon come when Jesus would go to the cross and die. He rose from the dead, but stayed with them for just a little while before ascending to the Father. At that time, the mission became theirs. Empowered by His indwelling Spirit, they were to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. And that task still falls to us today. If you have been called into salvation in Christ, then you have been called into service for Christ. You have been called to join Him in His mission.

You may object and say that you are unfit for His service. You are no more unfit than those 12 He started with. All it takes is saving knowledge of Christ and a willingness to let Him use you. And you may say that you can’t do it alone – but He never intended you to. He has given you His Spirit, who dwells within every born-again believer; and He has given us each other. We are partners in the mission, and we must put aside self-sufficiency and recognize our need for fellowship and partnership in the gospel. You may say that you don’t have enough supplies for the mission, but really, how much do you need? You have a shirt on your back and shoes on your feet; anything else you need He will provide. So what hinders you today from joining the mission? We are without excuse if we do not say, “Lord, use me to serve You, to bring glory to You, and to take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth, beginning with that one I may encounter this very day.”

And if today you do not know Christ, we give you the fair offer of the gospel. God created you and loves you and wants you to know Him and be with Him forever. But our sins separate us from Him, and we are hopelessly unable to remedy that situation on our own. But out of His love for us, God has come near in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived the life we never could and satisfied all the righteous demands of the Law. He lived that life for us, and He died the death that our sins deserve on the cross. There He took our sins upon Himself and died as our substitute so that we could be forgiven. He is risen from the dead and is alive to receive you today if you will turn from sin and trust in Him. He offers to cleanse us from our sins and to cover us in the perfect righteousness of Jesus. But aside from this, there is no hope for us to ever overcome our sins. We will be separated from God forever if we do not receive the gift of salvation He offers us in Christ. Will you receive Him today? If not, you are without hope, and having received the fair offer of the gospel, you will answer to God for turning Him away.

In my mind, I can vividly see the events that took place on July 31, 1992. As I sat inside Hatch Auditorium at Fort Caswell, I heard the message of the gospel. the music began to play and the invitation was given to come forward and receive Jesus. But I didn’t do it. I had too much pride to see my need for Him. I said No to Jesus. And as I walked out of the Auditorium, a large cross stood on that huge quad in the middle of Caswell, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Suddenly I was aware that Jesus died on that cross for me, and I had just said, “No thanks” to Him. It struck me that if I died that instant, I would stand before God and answer for the fact that I had refused His love and grace. As I became overwhelmed with emotion, I fled to our church leaders and said I wanted to be saved. I did not want the dust shaken off as a testimony against me. I wanted to receive God’s gift of salvation in Christ. You may have turned away from the offer before. You realize that there is no guarantee you will ever have the opportunity again. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation.” Will you accept the salvation God offers you if you never have before? And if you have, will you join Jesus in His mission to proclaim this message to the world?