Go Out!

Sermon Notes - July 6, 2015

It’s said you can never go home.  Returning home can be risky business.  This August my high school class is holding our 40^th reunion.  I have debated about going, I probably won’t.  I recognize that I will want to impress those people I knew so long ago.  I will want to inflate my importance, my accomplishments.  I’ll enlarge those long ago months of working for Jimmy Buffett.  I’ll recount how I’ve lived in Southern California and Nashville (not the little coastal community of Cardiff near San Diego, and Spring Hill, a Podunk town very different from sophisticated Nashville)  I may mention how I used to help produce the Dove awards, but will emphasize my one year of working on the CMA’s and met , Hugh Jackman, he even kissed me on the cheek.  And now I work on “Music Row” leaving the glitzy arena of concerts and award shows for the admirable job of helping to bring a revolutionary music curriculum to our public schools.

I might even share how I’m seeking ordination in the Anglican Mission.   But I probably wouldn’t say that Jesus saved me.  That even though there was a time in high school when I was telling them about Jesus,  the artsy liberal girl they knew  wasted the next 4 – 5 years of her life with rock and roll, alcohol and drugs and needed saving.  That I am alive because of a God who saw me, and brought his light and love to my broken heart.  And that he will do that for them too.

Unlike Jesus, I want to impress. (even you guys)  I want them to like me, think I’m still cool.  I don’t want to risk judgment or rejection.  And I often think that this inclination disqualifies me from being used by Jesus.  When I am more holy, more like Him, then I can share the gospel.

In today’s verses in Mark we see Jesus returning to his hometown.

Mark 6:1 - 6

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

"We see, in the first place, how apt men are to undervalue things with which they are familiar…  Jesus said A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown… Never had any place on earth such privileges as Nazareth. For thirty years the Son of God resided in this town, and went to and fro in its streets. For thirty years He walked with God before the eyes of its inhabitants, living a blameless, perfect life. But it was all lost upon them. They were not ready to believe the Gospel, when the Lord came among them and taught in their synagogue. They would not believe that one whose face they knew so well, and who had lived so long, eating, and drinking, and dressing like one of themselves, had any right to claim their attention. They were "offended at Him."

We see, in the second place, how humble was the rank of life which our Lord condescended to occupy before He began His public ministry. The people of Nazareth said of Him, in contempt, "Is not this the carpenter?"

This is a remarkable expression, and is only found in the Gospel of Mark. It shows us plainly that for the first thirty years of His life, our Lord was not ashamed to work with His own hands. There is something marvelous and overwhelming in the thought! He who made heaven, and earth, and sea, and all that therein is--He, without whom nothing was made that was made--the Son of God Himself, took on Him the form of a servant, and "in the sweat of His face ate bread," as a working man. This is indeed that "love of Christ that passes knowledge." Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. Both in life and death He humbled Himself, that through Him sinners might live and reign for evermore."

By  JC Ryle – Priest and Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, a man born with wealth and opportunity, at 21 protracted a lung disease and during his long convalescence began reading the bible and came to faith, at 25 he became a priest after his family fortune was lost.  His first two wives died young and he was widowed twice by age 43. His best and most fruitful years of ministry took place after age 64.

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Jesus was rejected because they were astonished by the words that he said, how could He be wise, do the works He has done?  Jesus was rejected because of preconceived ideas of who they thought He was.

They took offense at Him. Their hearts were hard.

Our perception of who Jesus is will influence what we hear.  Here he refers to himself as a prophet. No doubt they had heard the stories that we read looking further back in Mark: Marks first words in Chapter 1 are “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “ Upon Jesus baptism God the Father said that He is his son in whom he is pleased.  Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The unclean spirit in the man in the synagogue declared Jesus was the Holy One of God.  When walking through the grain fields and confronted by the Pharisees, Jesus referred to himself:  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  But they couldn’t get past what they thought they knew about Him.  Often we can't get past what we think we know about Jesus.

MARK 6:6b-13

And he went about among the villages teaching.

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

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The apostles have been living and walking with Jesus.  They’ve heard him teach in the synagogues and to the crowds.  And they’ve been taught by Him apart from the group, He’s explained the parables to them, But even after living and walking with Jesus, hearing his teaching, seeing the miracles, when Jesus calms the raging sea the disciples ask  “who is this that the wind and sea obey him?”

And we know from stories further along in the gospels that they still have far to go.  They will quarrel about who is the greatest, they will fall asleep in the garden.  Peter will yet deny Jesus 3 times.  Thomas will not believe Jesus is resurrected until he touches his side.  But Jesus deems it the time to send them out. To spread the message.  To heal the sick, anointing with oil, and to cast out demons.

FATHER JOHN MCKINNAN says in his commentary on Mark 6:

The process adopted by Jesus was significant.  Firstly they had been with him and had observed his approach, and to a certain extent had been personally involved in his activity.  Jesus now took a further step in their formation.  He gave them responsibility to act without his being present.  Indeed human formation requires more than observation: it needs action. 

Jesus obviously trusted them.  Interestingly, they were not really ready for mission; they had so much still to learn. Yet their formation could happen only through their own activity, and through the questions that their activity would raise and make real for them.  It seems to be part of the human condition that learning occurs mainly in process.

Perhaps one aspect of the message of the Kingdom is that imperfection does not disqualify from mission or from responsibility.  Indeed, imperfection can proceed towards further growth only through the assumption of responsibility.  In the issues that matter, people are always out of their depth.  Jesus' own insight into the deepening nature of his mission was also a gradual process.

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When Jesus gave them instructions to go out, they did: “12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”

There’s no record of the 12 questioning him, or first setting their affairs in order.  Were they concerned that they would be judged or rejected?  We’re just told that they went out.

Jesus was very specific as to how they should go (cited from Lectionary.org):

Jesus sends out the twelve two-by-two. This strategy is powerful for three reasons:

• A partner bestows strength––"For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn't have another to lift him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:10). Not only do partners protect each other from physical danger, but they also provide pleasant companionship and encourage each other in difficult circumstances.

• A second person lends credibility. Deuteronomy 15:19 requires two or three witnesses to convict a person of a crime, because a single witness is likely to make a mistake. For that same reason, one witness has less credibility than two––an important consideration when sending disciples to bear witness. Jesus could have sent them in groups of three, but two people are usually more effective than three. In a group of three, often two will bond with each other and will not fully accept the third person.

• A partner fosters accountability. A person is less likely to succumb to temptation when accompanied by a partner.

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"He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics" (vv. 8-9). Jesus tells the twelve to take nothing but a staff and sandals––no bread, no bag, no money, and only a single tunic. Jesus prohibits not only frivolous items, but essential ones as well. His requirements go beyond simplicity to reckless faith. The disciples are to proceed without adequate preparation, trusting local people for hospitality but, above all, trusting God to provide for their needs.

"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there" (v. 10). The requirement for the disciples not to move from house to house serves two purposes: First, it prevents bad feelings among hosts who might be embarrassed if the disciples leave their home for better accommodations. Second, it prevents the disciples from being distracted by concern for their physical comfort.

Jesus is still sending us out to share the glorious good news.  The news that there is a God who created us, loves us, is with us and will never leave us.  He walked this earth as a man.  He knows our sorrows and sufferings. He knows rejection.  He has experienced them.  He died for us.  But the risen Christ has broken the power of sin and death, and although we live in a world still ravaged by the fall, He is making all things new.  He has brought us to repentance, He is making us new.  We are no longer citizens of this world, but citizens of the Kingdom of God, sons and daughters of the King .  As His children we can bring His healing to the world around us, we can vanquish the powers of darkness in His name.

What we’ve been given we need to pass along. 

Jesus is saying to us now.  Go Out.  Spread the gospel.  Be my agents of healing.

Don’t wait till you feel ready.  You’ll never reach that point.  In going, in serving, a mystery will happen.  Jesus will change us. 

Go in faith.  Go in weakness. 

Your words will not convert anyone. 

The power of the Holy Spirit, convicts, brings to repentance, brings salvation. 

Jesus mercifully and generously uses imperfect vessels such as us, to speak the words the Holy Spirit works through, to be the hands the Holy Spirit touches and heals through.

And He doesn’t call us to go alone.  He has placed us in a body of believers, family.  He has knit our hearts together in love.  We have walked through places of joy and pain together.  We pick each other up when we fall.  We testify to the truth of the gospel that we speak.

We know Jesus, Mary’s son, the carpenter, who we believe, by faith, is God Incarnate, Creator and Savior of the world.   In Him we live and move and have our being.  Today He is calling us to go out, go out and proclaim the Gospel of Christ and bring His healing to the world.