15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – 11th July 2021 — Gospel: Mark 6,7-13
Paired for Common Mission
When Jesus first appointed the twelve, he called them “to be with him” and “to be sent out” (3,14). Throughout his life, Jesus balanced these two dimensions of discipleship. Up until now, Jesus has lived with these twelve and taught them in word and deed about the reign of God. Now, for the first time, Jesus sends out his chosen band to proclaim the kingdom in word and deed. Jesus sends them out “two by two” for many reasons. The Old Testament required two witnesses to authenticate an eyewitness testimony. Companionship, communal prayer, moral support and mutual protection must have also played a role. The shared ministry of each pair reflects the communal goal of their mission. The early church did follow the same pattern after the resurrection, with Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas, and Priscilla and Aquila are those among the pairs. The mission of the twelve is essentially an extension of the mission of Jesus. They are sent even today to bring God’s truth and healing to those in need.
Simplicity for Credibility
Jesus’ instructions regarding the apostles travelling kit may strike us as rather severe. The apostles are to take nothing with them other than the clothing on their backs, sandals on their feet, and a walking stick. A stick or a staff is a biblical symbol for authority (Ex 4,20; Mic 7,14). Their lack of a sack meant that they could not even accept provisions from others for the journey. Why is poverty so important to their mission? Mark does not explain, but several reasons can be surmised. First, the apostles had to learn not to rely on their own resources but on God’s all-sufficient providence (2 Cor 9,8-10; Phil 4,11-13). Because they were occupying themselves with God’s work, God would occupy himself with their daily needs. Their simplicity of life, like that of John the Baptist (Mk 1,6), would help them to be free of distractions and focus wholly on their mission. Moreover, their need for food and shelter would call forth hospitality (Acts 16,15; Rom 12,13; 3 John 5-8). Finally, their lack of material possessions lent credibility to their message, since it demonstrated that they were preaching the gospel out of conviction rather than desire for gain (Acts 3,6).
Expect Hospitality and Hostility
Jesus assembled his apostles and trained them to do some missionary work by themselves. The negative response of Nazarenes did not slow the pace of Jesus’ mission. He instructed many things to them, especially that they would encounter both hospitality and hostility, both friends and enemies. He cautioned them to stay at one house in each community and not to “pick and choose”, because they were to be servants, not pampered guests. If a house or a village did not receive them, Jesus gave them permission to declare God’s judgment on those people. It was customary for the Jews to shake dust off their feet whenever they left Gentile territory, but for Jews to do this to their fellow Jews would be something new (Lk 10,10-11; Acts 13,51). It also symbolizes God’s rejection of those who reject his beloved Son. Through shaking off the dust, Jesus reminds his disciples that they are not responsible for the faith response of others. The disciples are to sow the word, till the soil and water the ground, but God alone causes the growth. Faith is ultimately a gift of God which must be accepted by each individual. However, the door to the human heart can only be opened from within. With this external gesture, the disciples relinquish their responsibility towards them and leave them in God’s hands. Jesus advises to expect rejection in their mission and reminds the disciples that we are responsible only for our own fidelity to Christ, not for the response of others.
