Take nothing with you

 

‘LORD, THAT I MAY SEE.’

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY.

Gospel

Mark 6:7-13

'Take nothing with you'

1.      Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching.

2.      Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits.

3.      And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff 

–        no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’

4.      And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district.

5.      And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’

6.      So they set off to preach repentance;

7.      and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

 

Jesus sends them to do his work. They are to concentrate on the work given – preaching repentance, driving out Satan and healing the sick. They should leave the rest to Jesus. Through God’s people he will look after their personal needs and indeed those of the mission.

It is the same today. Those whom Jesus calls should concentrate only on the work given and have confidence that Jesus will see to the rest. He will in fact see to the work they do also. It is his work and the ‘labourers’ are only his voluntary instruments.