The Twelve Sent by Jesus
Mark 6:7-13
6:7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 6:8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff-no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts- 6:9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. 6:10 Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 6:11 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" 6:12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 6:13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. (Mark 6:7-13)
Learn from Jesus
We've been studying the Gospel of Mark since this January. The Gospel describes who Jesus is. What impression of Jesus as you studying the Gospel of Mark? I always amaze how energetic Jesus is. In the Gospel of Mark, there are no Christmas story. Mark skipped the story of baby Jesus and young Jesus. He started the story of Jesus from His public ministry. As you know, the Gospel repeats a word, "immediately" again and again. Mark described how Jesus walked around the land and taught the people without any rest. He worked almost 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Hoffman painted a lot of portraits of Jesus in his life. He never saw Jesus, He painted Jesus by using his imagination. He imagined smiling and peaceful Jesus with blue eyes and blond hair. I imagine Jesus in a different way. When I read the Gospel of Mark, I cannot imagine Jesus like Hoffman did. To me, Jesus looked like a very energetic person. I think he had very strong body and tan skin. He might have black hair and brown eyes. The disciples and crowds were always followed Him. I think he always led them. He walked so fast that others felt hard to follow him. I imagine such a scene through the Gospel of Mark.
Usually a leader of a group is taken care of by the group member. However this group, the group of Jesus' disciples, was taken care of by the leader, Jesus. The disciples depended Jesus most of the cases. Jesus protected the disciples when they were attacked by the Pharisees and the scribes. Jesus saved the disciples when they cried in the middle of the storm on the sea of Galilee. I think there was almost nothing that the disciples can help Jesus in His ministry. Jesus casted demons, healed sick people, taught people, and talked to each individuals just by Himself. The disciples just followed Jesus and looked what Jesus has done. They had not helped out Jesus. But, finally, the time has come. This time the disciples went to preaching for Jesus.
Which do you prefer to be taken care of by others or to take care of others? I think most of you prefer to take care of others. Especially, we feel joy when we can help God's work and others. Sometimes we rush to help God's work and others. But first we need to be taken care of by Jesus. We need God's power to serve others. If you try to do it by your own power, we easily get to tired to do good things. Your selfishness or shortcomings will come up even while you are serving God or helping other. Consequently, you just serve your own desire and control and disturb others, even you yourself think you are serving God and helping others.
Do you remember the account that Jesus called His disciples. It was written in Mark 3:13-15. What do you read in these verses. Let me read the verses. "And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons." Why Jesus called the disciples. He called them to send them out to practice. But before sending to preach, they had to be with Jesus, and learn from Jesus. Jesus mentioned another purpose of calling the disciples. As you read, "He appointed twelve,that they might be with Him" in verse 14, they had to be students of Jesus. The twelve will be called "Apostles." The word , "Apostles" means that the people who are send by the authority. But before becoming "Apostles" they had to become "disciples" which means "students." Without learning from Jesus, how could they be sent and preach others?
We also need to learn from Jesus before we try to involve in God's work. We need to learn from the Word of God, from the living testimonies of other brother and sisters in the church. We also need to be trained in various kinds of opportunities. Then we can be ready for His work.
Trained by Jesus
We cannot be sent for God's work until we become His students. But we cannot to be sent until we have completely mastered His lessons? No. When he sent the twelve to preach? Just the beginning of their training. They have learned only a little from Jesus. But Jesus sent the beginners into the actual ministry. Without practice, they could not fully understand what they had learn from Jesus.
You know how medical students learn about the human body. They first learn it using plastic models. They learn human body by taking out a plastic made bone and pushing back it to the place. They also use computer graphics. They practice "virtual operation" with computer. Next they practice with a dead body. After the classroom lessons, they touch a real living body at hospitals. When they touch a real body, they can get true knowledge for healing sick people. Like the medical students, we also need to learn through practice. While we are staying a classroom, we cannot get practical knowledge to serve God and to help others. We have to be sent to the real work.
We, Japanese, like to learn something. Only a few Christians are in Japan, but various kinds of Christian books are published in Japan as many as in the United States. Many theological books and Bible commentaries which originally written in English or German are translated in Japanese. I could read them in Japanese. That's the reason why I'm not good at English. Japanese people can learn most of everything in Japanese. Korea has 30% or 40% Christian population, on the other hand. I've heard that they have only a few Christian books. An Korean pastor who visited me in Japan told me that Japanese Christians were so blessed in this way.
Learning is good. But it's not good to replace believing the Bible with learning about the Bible. It's not good to have the dead knowledge without any practices. Everybody came to Jesus because someone talk about Jesus. If Christians learn the Word of God just for himself and never share it with others, how people come to know our Savior. Let's keep learning the Bible. But let's share the Word of God as you learn the Bible. That's the purpose of the true Bible study.
My mother church started by the works of women. They gather together at the church every Wednesday morning and learn the Bible from the pastor. They take note what the pastor teaches almost word to word, line to line. They bring back home with the notebook. They invite their friends to the homes and share what they have learned from the pastor using the notebook. God blessed this way, and the church has grown to one of the big churches in the area. They have no textbooks, organization, and skillful teachers. They are ordinal housewives. Just using a hand writing notebook. They just had a desire to share this good news with others. They just put it into practice.
When you share what you have learned with others, you will be led to the fully understanding of the Bible. Teaching is the best way of learning. Do not stay at the church just as a student. Jesus wants to send you to teach the truth to others. How do you answer His challenge?
Relying Jesus
Before we finish today's study, let's learn the instruction which Jesus gave to the twelve when he sent them to preach. First, he gave them power over unclean spirits. This means that the most important in evangelism is spiritual power. We give money or goods to the people who are in needs when we evangelize them. It's important to share our tangible resources with them. However, evangelism is not to give money nor goods, but to give the Word of God and the faith. We need spiritual power; the power to show Jesus and to lead people to the true repentance and faith.
As we read in the Book of Acts, a person who cannot walk from his birth begged Peter money. Peter said to him, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."(Acts 3:6) The the person immediately rise up and walk around him. We may need money to give needy people, but we need the authority to rise up people from their sin. To the church which did not hold the Word of God, Jan Calvin said, "The church has silver and gold, but they lost the name of Jesus Christ to rise up people." His words may be true for today's church. But we want to be the church which holds God's truth, to lift up Jesus' name, and share the Word of God with unsaved people.
Secondly, Jesus commanded the disciples saying, "Take nothing for the journey except a staff-no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics." This does not mean that we don't need to any preparation for evangelism. For an effective evangelism, we need prayerful preparations. This command intended to teach the disciples to rely on God regarding every need of the mission trip. Their mission trip was very belief. Then it was possible to complete their trip without money. In Jesus' case, his mission trip was as long as three years. Therefore he allowed the disciples to have money bag. Actually one of the disciples was a treasurer.
How they survive their mission trip without money? They rely on the support of the people. Jesus also said to the disciples, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place." This sentence shows the disciples were supported by the believing people. Jesus commanded that do not move from one supporter to another supporter even though the other supporter seems better for you. It's very rude to the previous supporter. This mission trip was very urgent one. The disciples has no time to enjoy the entertainment form the host family.
Jesus taught the disciple that this mission trip was not a pleasure trip. Evangelism is always a serious matter. The world of God is the power of God for saved people, but it's foolish for unsaved people. It's fragrance of life to who have eternal life, but it's smell of death to who are spiritually dead. We should know that the gospel divide the world into two divisions. We also have to share the gospel seriously knowing the fact of salvation and judgment.
Jesus also commanded the disciples saying, "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them." This says that God's invitation is always serious. "Shaking off the dust under the feet" was a habit of Jewish people. When they came back to home from the outside of Israel, they shake off the dust in order that they don't bring uncleanness of gentiles into their holy land. Jesus commanded to do this to the Jewish people. Because they are the God's people no more if they listen to the God's invitation. Preaching the Word of God makes sinners to righteous men, righteous men to sinners; enemies to family members, family members to enemies; gentiles to God's people, God's people to gentiles. Who can accomplish this job by themselves. Without God's power and presence, we can do nothing.
Jesus sent the disciples. Every time the disciples enjoy Jesus' presence and were supported by it. While they were on the mission trip, Jesus was not with them physically. But Jesus never left them alone. His spiritual presence always went along the disciples during their trip. Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20. He said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." To whom this promise He made? To His disciples who were sent to preach. Jesus had already commanded in the previous verse saying, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Jesus will be always with the one who He sends.
Remember Jesus always worked energeticly standing leading His disciples? Yes, the same Lord still works with us. We never work for God only by ourselves. We cannot do that. Only Jesus has the authority above everything. Without Him, we can nothing; nothing for spiritual things. With His authority and power. Let's rely on His power, and let's go out with His Word.
Prayer
Our Father, we thank you because we you put us in the presence of Jesus and we can enjoy his presence. However you put us with Jesus in order that we may go to the people with His Word. But we are always afraid of going out. and excuse not to go out saying, "We are not ready. We need to learn more. We are satisfied with being only your students." But you told us, "I'll send you. But I'll be always with you. You do this with my presence and power." When we go out, we can feel your presence closer. Now we understand that sent by you does not mean leaving from you. It make us be nearer to you. Send us in order that we can come close to you and the people who listen to us can come close to you. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.