Every day when I leave my house I go through a ritual. A quick pat to the back left pocket confirms I have my wallet, with a similar one to the back right pocket verifying that I have my phone. A pat of my left thigh to see if I have my keys and all that is left is a checking of my shirt pocket to be sure my glasses are there. Wallet, phone, keys, glasses, all things I deem necessary for even a quick trip away from home.
In Mark 6 the disciples are sent out on a much longer journey than the ones I typically go on, and yet they are expressly forbidden from taking many of the things we would deem to be essential. This prohibition is an attempt on Jesus' part to force His disciples to rely on God. One way or the other they will learn to trust in God, even if that has to happen because everything else they could possibly rely on has been taken away.
As the church in America, we live and work in the richest society, allowing us to utilize a variety of ministry tools. And yet, the church is growing the fastest in the third world, where church gyms, stage lighting, and youth group ski trips are all but unheard of. How do you get youth to come to church without enticing them with a trip? How do you hold people's attention without mood-lighting and sophisticated worship videos?
Could it be that there is something that people need more than trips and entertainment? Could it be that people are interested not so much in the glitz and glamour of church, but in the glory of Christ? The experience of the church in the third world would say that such is indeed the case. Perhaps instead of throwing more money at our efforts to evangelize, we should focus on ensuring that our churches don't obscure the God that they exist to proclaim.
Jesus' instructions to the disciples not only call for a reliance on God, but they also redefine the community of faith, God's chosen people. Lineage will no longer be a determining factor in whether you are a member of the family of God. Instead, each person's response to Jesus' message will place them squarely in or out of God's people. The bottom line in this episode, as well as the entire gospel of Mark is this- it isn't what we call ourselves that matters, but how we respond to the good news brought by Jesus Christ. When confronted with God's work in our world, how do we react? Do we prepare ourselves for the journey of following Jesus, or do we watch as others depart, shaking the dust from their feet because of our refusal to believe?
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