Breaking the Word

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. (Mk 16:15-20)

 

 

Jesus after his resurrection instructed his disciples to go into the whole world. There was no restriction for them. The whole wide world was open for their ministry. Their only and the one job was to proclaim the gospel. This was to be done to every creature. Again Jesus gave an open ended mission. Proclamation of the gospel has no limitation, no restriction, no control, and no exclusivity.

 

Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Their proclamation of the gospel has a goal in purpose. It is the salvation of the listeners. They are to be brought back to God. The requirements for this salvation  are their belief and baptism.

 

The signs that will be noticed in the believers are that they will not be controlled by evil and the power of evil. In stead they will remove evil from the world and the people and they will do good to all. They will make the people whole and complete and they will be masters of the situation. Situation will have no domination over them. Presence of good and doing good will clearly indicate that they are believers. 

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed (him), crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.  (Mt 9:27-31)

 

 

Two blind men followed him. They did not follow him to be his disciples. They wanted a miracle from him. They wanted to be healed. ("Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him). They believed in him and they prayed to him (Son of David, have pity on us!). Interestingly the blind men (who could not see anything and could not see the path) followed him. Their faith together with prayer was seen in their effort.

 

Their faith was rewarded (Let it be done for you according to your faith). Jesus heard their cry (prayer) and he saw their effort (followed him) and rewarded their faith. It is the faith that matters for divine revelation and divine response. Here, in this passage, the faith is seen in their acknowledgement that God is present in Jesus and active in Jesus.

 

Anyone who experiences God will not keep quiet. He would rather run out and spread around the news that God is present and active. This is what we see in these two blind men. Even when they are constrained and warned they could not resist proclaiming the presence of God. (I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it. Jer 20:9)