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Sunday 15 July 2012

The sending out of the twelve...



Mark 6: 7 - 13  A call for all of us and notice, they are in twos, not alone...

And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.10 And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them."12 So they went out and preached that men should repent.13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.



What is interesting to me about this passage are these points, today: that Christ sent them out in twos to learn to share, for discernment, for companionship, for prayer; that Christ told them to take nothing, as He wanted them to trust in His Father and to trust in simplicity; that Christ told them when to leave a place, when the two found people closed and unwilling to listen to the Gospel; that Christ told them to teach repentance, not being nice; and that power came from all of this. Notice also, that Christ sent out His disciples before His Passion and Resurrection. Think on that... we go out in imperfection but are led to the Cross and Resurrection at some time.