Scripture Readings: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 & Mark 6:1-13
When Jesus returns to Nazareth, those who knew Him as a carpenter and the son of Mary take offense at His teachings and miracles. This shows that familiarity can sometimes prevent people from recognizing greatness in those they know well.
The people’s lack of faith in Nazareth limits Jesus’ ability to perform miracles there. Jesus’ powerlessness at His hometown is not primarily about Him but about people’s lack of faith: about those who are unwilling to believe the great things God can do. This emphasizes how unbelief can hinder the experience of God’s power and blessings.
This unbelief is not merely a passive huddle but an active difficulty, causing them to see Jesus’ relationship with God as a threat to their own righteous beliefs; Jesus is not merely ignored, but rejected by his hometown people. The people of Jesus’ hometown, the people who had ignored and rejected Him, were not strangers to His power. They had seen or heard what He had done before: Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee and brought Jairus’s daughter from the death to life. They were the ones who had ignored and rejected Jesus, and Jesus goes on to tell them about the reception and rejection the disciples might receive in their future ministry.
In Mark 6, Jesus delegates authority to those who come in faith. Jesus, whose authority originates from obedient faith in God, willingly shares it with people who share his faith. Jesus sends out the twelve disciples, giving them authority over unclean spirits and instructing them to take nothing for their journey except a staff. This symbolizes reliance on God’s provision and the importance of traveling light to focus on their mission.
All three Synoptic Gospels include instructions for the disciples on what to wear, what not to bring, and how to respond to their receptions. Mark includes the bare minimum: take only a staff to help you walk and ward off wild animals, and wear sandals and one tunic, but not two (v. 8).
In verses 10 to 11, when they come to one place, they are to stay in the first home that receives them. Jesus’ disciples were not to look for the best meal in town or the most comfortable place to sleep. However, should their message be rejected at a home or by an entire town, they should exercise the practice of “shaking the dust from one’s feet”.
The first half tells us Jesus’ mission to his hometown and the offense that the people of Nazareth take against him. The second half describes the commissioning of the Twelve to go out among the villages in pairs to heal and preach, along with instructions on how to respond to the rejection they will face.
Jesus prepares the disciples for both acceptance and rejection. He tells them to stay where they are welcomed and shake off the dust from their feet where they are not, signifying a testimony against those who reject the message. However, the disciples preach repentance, cast out demons, and heal the sick, demonstrating the power and authority given to them by Jesus.
Just as Jesus persists in his work by healing even a few sick people despite the unbelief of the people of Nazareth, the disciples are commanded to continue in their own work in His name. May we witness boldly and faithfully in Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul, who had seen visions and experienced revelations, including being taken to the third heaven, had a thorn in the flesh. He prays for the removal of the thorn, but God’s response is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This led him to accept that the thorn in the flesh was a reminder of his human limitations to keep him from becoming complacent. The thorn keeps Paul humble and dependent on God’s grace, highlighting that human weakness can be a vessel for God’s power and strength.
This teaches that God’s grace is enough to sustain us through trials and that His strength is most evident in our weakness. Paul learns to boast in his weaknesses because they allow Christ’s power to rest on him. This countercultural perspective values spiritual strength over physical or worldly power.
Both Jesus and Paul experience rejection and offense, teaching us that being faithful to God’s calling can lead to opposition and misunderstanding, even from those closest to us. Jesus’ instructions to the disciples on handling rejection with grace and moving on can be a practical guide for Christians facing similar challenges.
Jesus’ limited miracles in Nazareth due to their lack of faith underscore the importance of believing in God’s power. The disciples’ journey with minimal provisions teaches reliance on God’s provision and faithfulness.
God invites us to a place of humility and dependence on God through Paul’s experience with the thorn in the flesh and his revelation about God’s grace in weakness.
Both Jesus’ ministry and Paul’s teachings highlight that true strength and effectiveness in ministry come from relying on God’s power rather than personal capabilities. Today’s texts underscore the themes of faith, reliance on God’s grace, and the proper response to rejection in the life of a believer.
We too will experience rejection, ejection, hurt and pain as we live and serve, but the Lord has told us how to respond when we are rejected: to shake the dust off our feet and move on to the next opportunity. For us, shaking the dust off our feet may look different, but the process is necessary. We are called to shake it off and move on, not dwell on our pain and experiences of rejection.
The Lord sends us out together to share the gospel and His love, complementing each other and making us realise that even if we bear good fruit, it is not in our own strength.
We are invited to speak truth in love, from the heart, in our own words, and never be ashamed even in our weaknesses. May we respond to the gift of faith by accepting our authority alongside the Lord and take up the responsibility of disciples to proclaim, to heal, and to claim victory over evil in Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)