With Authority

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

WITH AUTHORITY

Mark 6:6-13

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff — no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."  12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

NIV

Mark does not give us any details as to how many days or weeks, or maybe even months that Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Both Matthew and Luke neither give this detail, but do include some other interesting points. It appears from the other accounts there is some sense it was just the twelve that he sent out and from the other accounts, it seems to be they were to go ahead of him to the places he designed to go and wanted them to go ahead. Yet the whole of all these accounts, and as we are seeing Mark’s now, is that Jesus gave them special instructions. First, however, we should note that when Jesus sent them out He gave them the authority over unclean or evil spirits or demons. If we include the instructions from the other accounts, he also gave them authority to heal the sick and raise the dead. Mark leaves that out as he is usually short and to the point about many things, however, he does include that the twelve did preach the good news and they did drive out demons and healed the sick.  Here is the lesson of life for those who have been called to go forth with the authority of God to preach the gospel to the lost. In the other accounts, Jesus is said to have told them not to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but to the lost sheep of Israel. Here again, we might take this lesson that as we all have been called to go out into the world and preach the good news, that we have been sent with the authority of Jesus. As far as these twelve not taking any provision with them, it might lead us to consider that they were going to have to rely on divine provision. In our present culture, we are always concerned about making provision for our journey, especially our folks called into the mission field. Most denominations require them to spend time raising support before they can even leave the county. Everything is strictly regulated with regard to everything they need before they go. Jesus made it clear the opposite is what was to happen. They were to go and simply rely on being welcomed and provided for until they left. If they were not welcomed and thus not provided for they were to simply leave, shaking the dust off their feet, symbolic of people refusing the message and therefore condemned. Perhaps, even in the church, we spend too much concern over our making our own provisions for the building, the pastors and staff, as well even for our own personal wellbeing. Perhaps we should pay a little more attention to divine provisions for that which we have been called to do. Maybe the difference is in whether we decide to do something, or we have been called to do something. When we decide, we make a way or store up provisions to provide that way, but when God calls us to do something, He provides the way and the provision for that way. It would appear the key is whether we have been given the authority or not. If so, then, get going, and if not then what? Do we live with authority?