20

Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Calling
(Mark 6:7–13)

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. (6:7–13)

This section marks a turning point in the Lord’s ministry. Before this, only Jesus preached the gospel message, healed diseases, performed miracles, and confronted the hard-hearted unbelief of Israel’s religious establishment. That changed with the authorizing of the twelve apostles as official preachers. Knowing His remaining time in Galilee was limited (cf. Mark 10:1), Jesus strategically multiplied the extent of His ministry by sending the Twelve as His heralds throughout the region.

The dozen men selected by Jesus had already spent countless hours accompanying and learning from Him. Though already named as apostles, they had not yet been set apart from the larger group of Jesus’ disciples for specific service. The Lord had earlier promised them that He would train them to be “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Now the time had come for their evangelistic ministries to begin. Though they would not be fully equipped and empowered for that task until the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), their ministry internship began here.

In all, there were five phases culminating in their final sending, of which this was the fourth. First, they were called to confess Jesus as Lord and Messiah (cf. John 1:35–51), being drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe in Him. Second, the Lord called them to follow Him permanently in full-time ministry and leave behind their trades, such as fishing and tax collecting (cf. Mark 1:16–20; 3:13–17; Luke 5:1–11). Third, He elevated these twelve to the level of preachers. They were not only called to follow but to be sent by Him as His apostolic delegates (cf. Luke 6:12–16). (For more on this aspect of their calling, see chapter 12 of the current volume.) Fourth, He prepared them for ministry by sending them out on a short-term preaching tour. It is this phase of their training that is described in these verses. Fifth, after His resurrection and before His ascension, Jesus finally commissioned them to do miracles and to preach the gospel throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). As Jesus commanded them in Matthew 28:19–20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

In addition to its evangelistic purpose, the selection of these twelve apostles also constituted an act of judgment on Jesus’ part against Israel’s apostasy and unbelief. Not one of the men chosen by the Messiah was from Israel’s religious establishment. Christ’s delegates were not priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or rabbis. They were ordinary men (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26), comprising a group that consisted of fishermen, common laborers, a tax collector, and even an anti-Roman zealot. And it was no accident that Jesus selected twelve. Whereas the twelve tribes of Israel comprised the apostate nation, Jesus chose twelve emissaries to preach the true message of salvation. These men symbolized the new spiritual leadership of the nation, chosen by the Messiah Himself (cf. Luke 22:29–30).

Jesus, of course, had many more than just twelve followers. At a later point, He would select seventy others to go on a similar short-term mission (cf. Luke 10). The seventy, however, must be distinguished from the twelve apostles. Although the seventy were given temporary power for their mission (cf. Luke 10:9, 17), their ministry was not revelatory like that of the Twelve. The apostles of Jesus Christ filled a unique and unrepeated role in the history of the church (cf. Rev. 21:14). Authenticated by miracles, they were specifically authorized to deliver new canonical revelation to the church (cf. John 16:12–15), through which they laid the foundation of the church, with “Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20).

Significantly, Mark connects this account to his recounting of the death of John the Baptist (cf. Mark 6:14–29). When Herod heard of Jesus’ growing popularity, in part due to the success of this apostolic preaching tour, he assumed that Jesus was actually John back from the dead (v. 16). Though the two accounts may initially appear disjointed, a number of important connections should be noted. First, John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, while the apostles were called to be the first of the New Testament prophets. In a sense, the Old Testament prophets passed the baton of faithfulness to the apostles. Second, John was killed for steadfastly upholding the message of the kingdom and preaching against sin; the apostles faced similar persecution as they fulfilled the task Jesus had given them (cf. Matt. 10:16–38). Third, Herod’s growing interest in Jesus meant that the Lord’s time in Herod’s territory was necessarily limited (cf. Mark 7:24, 31), since Herod would have detained Jesus and probably killed Him if given the opportunity (cf. Mark 3:6; Luke 13:31–32; 23:8).

In commissioning His twelve apostles, the Lord Jesus delegated His message and power to the first generation of gospel preachers. Though the miraculous elements included in this passage (such as the supernatural ability to heal, perform miracles, and cast out demons) were limited to the apostles (2 Cor. 12:12), the broader principles apply as examples to all who preach the gospel as ministers of Christ. In particular, six marks of faithful messengers are demonstrated in this passage: they proclaim salvation, manifest compassion, live dependently, exhibit contentment, exercise discernment, and respond in obedience.

FAITHFUL MESSENGERS PROCLAIM SALVATION

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs (6:7a)

After leaving His unbelieving hometown of Nazareth, Jesus began to preach throughout the cities and villages of Galilee (v. 6). In order to multiply the extent of His ministry in the region, as well as to train His disciples for their future responsibilities, He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs. He sent them, as His delegates, to take the message of the gospel to other places throughout the region of Galilee. That He began to send them out suggests that Jesus did not send them all at once but staggered their send-off over a brief period of time. It is likely they returned the same way (cf. v. 30). The Lord sent them out in pairs for obvious reasons: to provide mutual support and protection, to strengthen the impact of their individual capabilities, and to ensure that their message was confirmed by two witnesses (cf. Deut. 19:15).

According to Luke 9:2, “He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.” The word “proclaim” (kērussō) refers to the authoritative, public pronouncement of vital information by a herald or forerunner. In village after village, the Twelve functioned as Christ’s personal heralds, emulating His example by publicly preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (cf. Mark 1:14, 38; Luke 4:43; 8:1)—the good news that sinners could be reconciled to God and enter into His kingdom of blessing, hope, and salvation.

Mark explains later, in verse 12, that “they went out and preached that men should repent.” Having announced that the kingdom of God was at hand, they stressed the need for their listeners to respond in repentant faith. In the same way that both John the Baptist (Mark 1:4; cf. Matt. 3:2) and Jesus (Mark 1:15; cf. Matt. 4:17) emphasized repentance, the apostles declared that sinners must turn from sin and believe the gospel (cf. Acts 3:19; 17:30). Only those who recognized the bankruptcy of their spiritual condition, penitently crying out to God for mercy and embracing His Son in faith, would be saved (cf. Luke 18:13–14; John 3:16; Acts 4:12).

The implication for contemporary ministers is clear: the faithful messenger accurately and urgently proclaims the good news of salvation to the lost. As the apostle Paul explained to the Corinthians, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). He reiterated the importance of evangelistic preaching in his letter to the Romans:

Proclaiming the true gospel, in which both faith and repentance are emphasized, is essential to the minister’s calling (2 Tim. 4:5). To preach anything less constitutes a serious breach of the herald’s divinely ordained responsibility (cf. Gal. 1:6–9; 2 Tim. 4:1–2), the repercussions for which are severe (cf. James 3:1).

FAITHFUL MESSENGERS MANIFEST COMPASSION

and gave them authority over the unclean spirits (6:7b)

As the apostles went out to preach, the Lord Jesus gave them authority (exousia) over the unclean spirits. This delegated supernatural authority authenticated them as true messengers who were empowered by God. Not only did they have power “over all demons” (Luke 9:1), but according to Matthew 10:8, they were also given authority to heal the sick and raise the dead (cf. Mark 6:13). Speaking of the miraculous power given to the apostles, the author of Hebrews explained to his readers:

That they could perform the same kinds of signs as Jesus proved that He had sent them (cf. Mark 1:21–27; 32–34; 40–45; 2:1–12; 5:35–43). He used miracles to validate His message (cf. John 5:36; 10:37–38), and so would they (cf. 2 Cor. 12:12). With the end of the apostolic era and the canon of Scripture fully revealed, authenticating miraculous signs no longer exist. All who claim to speak the truth from God can be tested now according to the inerrant standard of the written Word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16–17).

By the nature of the miracles they performed, the authenticating supernatural power given to the apostles also demonstrated the compassion and loving-kindness of God. Jesus could have demonstrated His divine power in many ways that would not have relieved human suffering (cf. Matt. 4:5–7), but He chose to do wonders that primarily delivered the sick and suffering, thereby reflecting God’s compassion (cf. Job 36:5–6; Pss. 9:18; 12:5; 14:6; 35:10; 69:33; 140:12; Isa. 41:17). In contrast to the calloused legalism of the Jewish religious leaders (cf. Matt. 23:4), Jesus was continually sympathetic, tender, and compassionate (cf. Matt. 11:28–30). The Twelve were enabled to follow His example.

Scripture describes false teachers as merciless, brutal, and compassionless (Isa. 56:10–12; Jer. 23:1–2; 50:6; Lam. 4:13; Ezek. 22:25; Mic. 3:5, 11; Matt. 7:15; 23:2–4; Mark 12:38–40; John 10:8, 10; Acts 20:29; 2 Cor. 2:17; Rev. 2:20). They abuse people, taking advantage of the poor to enrich and elevate themselves by trampling on the necks of the weak (cf. Job 4:4–10; Amos 2:6; 4:1). Faithful ministers, by contrast, share the attitude of the apostle Paul, who explained to the Thessalonians:

That attribute of divine compassion ought to characterize all who represent the Lord Jesus Christ as His ministers.

FAITHFUL MINISTERS LIVE DEPENDENTLY

and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” (6:8–9)

Jesus continued by delineating a number of stipulations for the apostles’ short-term ministry trip. When the Israelites left Egypt during the exodus, the Lord God commanded them to eat the Passover meal “with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Ex. 12:11). Jesus similarly instructed the apostles to take only one staff, along with the clothes and sandals they were already wearing. The parallel with the Passover may have been intended to demonstrate that a new era in redemptive history was about to begin, starting with an exodus of God’s true people from apostasy.

Jesus instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff, which served as both a walking stick and a means of self-defense against robbers and wild animals. According to the parallel account in Luke 9:3, Jesus said, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff.” Though these passages may initially appear contradictory, they are not. Luke (as well as Matthew) emphasized Jesus’ insistence that the disciples not take anything extra for their journey—whether it be an additional staff or an extra pair of sandals (cf. Matt. 10:10). They were to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, without making any preparations or gathering additional provisions. All they could take with them was what they already had in their possession, including the staff in their hands, the clothes on their backs, and the sandals on their feet. Nothing more was to be taken on the journey. They were to take no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals. Then He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” Unable to prepare or bring provisions, they were forced to be entirely dependent on the Lord to provide.

Jesus insisted on this level of austerity in order to teach the Twelve the vital importance of trusting in God’s faithfulness and seeing Him provide. They needed to know, from firsthand experience, the truth of Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31–33). As they preached the message of the kingdom, they could confidently depend on God to supply their needs.

It should be noted that these stringent stipulations were only temporary. They did not represent a permanent vow of poverty, as Jesus Himself later made clear. In the upper room, as He reflected on this event, the Lord explained to His disciples,

As Jesus’ words indicate, the normal expectation for the apostles was that they would plan and prepare wisely for the future. By extension, that principle applies to pastors and evangelists throughout all of church history. Although the New Testament permits ministers to earn a reasonable living for their work in the church (cf. 1 Cor. 9:5–14), they must always remember to depend ultimately on the Lord who will keep His promise (cf. Heb. 13:5–6). That was the lesson Jesus wanted the apostles to learn on this occasion (cf. Matt. 6:25–34).

FAITHFUL MINISTERS DEMONSTRATE CONTENTMENT

And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.” (6:10)

In a day when inns were often sordid and even dangerous, travelers generally stayed in people’s homes as they journeyed from one town to the next, and the Twelve were no exception. But Jesus added an important caveat in that regard: wherever they went, once they decided to enter a house for the purpose of lodging, they were to stay there until they left town. Given their power to heal diseases and cast out demons, they likely received invitations to upgrade their comfort by changing homes. But they were not to move from house to house, as if to receive money from more people. After they accepted one initial invitation, they were to decline all others.

Doing so would distinguish them from traveling false teachers, who made a career of going from house to house, seeking money and taking advantage of the resources of unsuspecting hosts. The apostle Paul warned Timothy about such men, “who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins” (2 Tim. 3:6). False teachers used their hypocritical religious positions as a means for material gain (cf. 1 Tim. 6:5). In contrast, Timothy was to avoid the love of money and be characterized by contentment:

Speaking of his own contentment, made possible through the strength supplied by Christ, Paul told the Philippians,

The lesson for the Twelve was that they were to possess contentment. Once they settled in someone’s house, they were not to seek nicer accommodations. According to Matthew 10:8–9, Jesus also forbade them from using their ministry to make money: “Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts.” Again, in contrast to the false teachers, the disciples were not to put a price on their ministry. They had been given extraordinary power, but they were not to exploit it for personal gain.

FAITHFUL MINISTERS EXERCISE DISCERNMENT

“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” (6:11)

As He finished His instruction, Jesus explained how the Twelve should respond to those who inevitably would reject them. If any town would not receive the apostles or listen to their message, they were to go out from there and shake the dust off the soles of their feet as a testimony against that place. Shaking the dust off one’s feet was a traditional Jewish way of expressing scorn toward Gentiles. When travelers ventured outside of Israel, upon returning to Jewish soil they would shake the dust off their sandals as an act symbolizing that they were leaving the uncleanness and contamination of Gentile lands behind them. What the Jews understood as a symbolic protest against uncircumcised pagans, Jesus applied as a sign of judgment against Jews who rejected the gospel (cf. Acts 13:50–51). The Twelve were being sent to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:6). But if the people to whom they ministered refused to receive their message, even after it was authenticated by miraculous signs, the apostles were to treat them as they did Gentiles. According to Matthew’s parallel account, Jesus expanded on this point by telling the apostles:

Christ’s words underscore the eternal consequences of rejecting the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Thess. 1:6–9). Those who have been exposed to the truth of salvation, and knowingly reject it, will receive the severest form of eternal punishment (cf. Heb. 10:29).

The inevitable reality, of course, was that the apostles would be treated the same way that Jesus had been treated (cf. Matt. 10:16–39). Even in His hometown of Nazareth, the Lord was compelled to leave because He was repudiated by His former neighbors (Mark 6:1–6). Accordingly, the apostles would have to exercise discernment regarding how long they should stay in any given town or village. If the people rejected their message, the apostles were to move on to another place.

Earlier, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained this principle with these words: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matt. 7:6). The Jews would rightly have been horrified at the thought of throwing to the dogs that which had been consecrated as holy to God. They would have been similarly disgusted at the notion of tossing valuable jewelry into a pen of unclean pigs. Jesus used that shocking double analogy to describe those who rejected the gospel and treated it as common and worthless. As the Twelve went throughout the region of Galilee, they would undoubtedly encounter those whom Christ described as spiritual dogs and pigs—hard-hearted Jewish hypocrites who smugly snubbed the sanctity and preciousness of the good news. When they came across such people, the apostles were to exercise discernment by recognizing the need to leave and preach to those who were receptive.

FAITHFUL MINISTERS RESPOND IN OBEDIENCE

They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. (6:12–13)

Sent by Christ for this temporary assignment, the Twelve responded in obedience. They proclaimed the message they had been commanded to proclaim: they went out and preached that men should repent. And they performed the deeds they were instructed to perform: and they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. In both their words and their actions, they did exactly what Jesus told them to do.

Though they were not an illustrious group, humanly speaking, they were obedient to the Lord’s commission. Their faithful compliance is especially remarkable in light of the opposition that Jesus promised they would face. In his parallel account, Matthew records the warning words of Jesus:

In spite of the persecution they knew they would face, the apostles submissively obeyed. Consequently, the Lord used them powerfully (cf. 1 Cor. 1:20–31).

Mark notes that, as part of their healing ministry, the apostles were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. The gospel records never indicate that Jesus anointed the sick with oil, yet the apostles did on at least this occasion. Though olive oil was sometimes used for medicinal purposes (cf. Luke 10:34), that was not its purpose here since the apostles healed the sick miraculously and not through the use of medicine (Matt. 10:8). Why then did they anoint the sick with oil? In the Old Testament, olive oil was used to symbolize God’s presence and authority, especially in the anointing of priests and kings (cf. Ex. 30:22–33; 1 Sam. 16:13). The apostles, then, anointed the sick with oil to symbolize the fact that their authority came from God and not from themselves; they were not the source of their power but only channels for it. By using a simple symbol, familiar to the first-century Jews, the apostles passed the glory back to the Lord Himself. As God incarnate (cf. Col. 2:9), Jesus needed no such symbol when He healed.

At this point in the narrative, Mark stopped to focus on Herod’s treatment of John the Baptist. Later in the chapter, however, he revisited the ministry of the Twelve in order to report on their return (v. 30). As they came back, they reported to Jesus “all that they had done and taught.” Like every minister of Jesus Christ, they welcomed being accountable to the Lord for what they said and did on His behalf (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 13:17). (For further discussion of v. 30, see chapter 22 in this volume.) Though contemporary pastors and preachers have not been given miraculous power like that delegated to the apostles, the principles contained in this passage are clearly applicable to all who would seek to faithfully serve the Lord Jesus. They do so knowing, like the Twelve, that they will soon appear before Christ to give an account (cf. 1 Peter 5:4; cf. Rom. 14:11–13; 2 Cor. 10:5).