Untitled Sermon

Mark 6:1–6 ESV

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Mark 6:1-13

intro.

A year earlier than the events we will be considering, at the beginning of his public ministry, he had suffered intense rejection in his hometown of Nazareth.

Mark 6:1–13

But then he began to preach confrontationally, and the mood so violently changed that “They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff” (v. 29). The loving municipality of Nazareth tried to kill their homegrown boy just as he began his ministerial career. That is rejection!

Mark 6:1–13

Recently Jesus had undergone further personal humiliation when his own family had attempted to lure him into a place where they could privately restrain him and take him back to Nazareth because they believed, “He is out of his mind” (3:21, 31–34).

Mark 6:1–13

So now Mark records another attempt on Jesus’ part to reach out to them.

Mark 6:1–13

In it, we witness the Lord reaching out to an unbelieving people, what happened to him in return, and how he and his disciples responded. There is considerable wisdom here for ministering to an unbelieving world.1

1 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 131–132.

  Unfortunately, people are unwilling to see greatness in the people they know best.

Mark 6:1–6

Jesus healed diseases, cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, commanded the elements, and revived the dead. With all of that as background, Mark now allows us to see how the people from Jesus’ hometown would respond to His call to follow Him.

Mark 6:1–2 1

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 142.

  A handful of men turned the world upside down.

Mark 6:7–13

They were successful because of their Master and His training. His game plan can be summarized in two words: “Follow Me.” His strategy can be condensed into one sentence: “If I can trust you to follow Me, then you can trust Me to lead you.” His first disciples trusted, He faithfully led them, and the world has never been the same.

Mark 6:7–13

Having selected the Twelve, Jesus spent time with them, modeled for them how they should conduct ministry, clarified His expectations, and then released them. 1

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 149–150.

  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.

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

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).

Mark 6:7–13

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).

Mark 6:7–13

(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.

Mark 6:7–13

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).

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

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).

Mark 6:7–13

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).

Mark 6:7–13

Though the two accounts may initially appear disjointed, a number of important connections should be noted.

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

Third, Herod’s growing interest in Jesus meant that the Lord’s time in Herod’s territory was necessarily limited (cf.

Mark 6:7–13

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.

Mark 6:7–13

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.1

1 John MacArthur, Mark 1–8, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 284–286.

#1.please God.

Mark 6:1-6

  Unfortunately, people are unwilling to see greatness in the people they know best.

Mark 6:1–6

Jesus healed diseases, cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, commanded the elements, and revived the dead. With all of that as background, Mark now allows us to see how the people from Jesus’ hometown would respond to His call to follow Him.

Mark 6:1–2

When He began His public ministry, however, He chose to minister out of Capernaum, about 21 miles northeast. This location gave Him greater access to Galilee, allowing Him to travel faster and farther via ships in the local harbor. Having visited much of the region, the time had come to bring the gospel home to Nazareth.

Mark 6:1–2

A few years later, I became a burden to our eleventh grade English literature teacher—God bless her—who took everything very seriously and couldn’t understand why my hooligan friends and I didn’t. Bored with guys like Chaucer, Browning, Coleridge, and Shakespeare, one student thought it would be a great idea to ride his British James motorcycle down the center aisle of that dull class … with me riding on the back yelling, “Yee-haw!”

Mark 6:1–2

Yep, we did it. Through the hall, down the aisle, and then bump, bump, bump, right down the steps. The last view I had of our teacher was her rummaging through her desk for nitroglycerin tablets.

When we got to the bottom of the stairs, the principal was there to greet us. The other guy took off on his own. The principal told me to go sit in my chair. (I had my own chair in his office.) That’s when he brought down the shame. Just a month earlier, I had won “Junior Rotarian of the Month” and received a nice trophy. He said, “You should give the trophy back.”

I said, “I can’t. I already pawned it.” That was true. I had used the money to buy cigars for all the guys in the room who cheered us on as we roared down the aisle in English class.

Mark 6:1–2

The previous week, I had found a fishing cork that fit perfectly in the end of that piccolo.

Mark 6:1–2

As I’m sure you realize, John Philip Sousa never wrote that piece for a cork-filled piccolo. A corked piccolo doesn’t make much of a sound, and what does come out isn’t pleasant to the ears. Strangely, as the squeaks got louder, our conductor didn’t look at the piccolo player; he glowered at the clarinet player sitting to his right. My mother never understood why I was given three special days without having to go to class when all the other students had to be there. I told her it was an award that I had earned.

Mark 6:1–2

And I can’t overlook the affliction endured by my senior-year chemistry teacher. He made the mistake of announcing to the boys in the back of the lab that the little bottle sitting next to us was sulfuric acid. He said, “It can really sting the skin, but it will remove warts.” He never understood why the boy who sat near the front and flirted with my girlfriend occasionally yelped. He had no way of knowing about the sulfuric acid-laced spitballs shot from the back of the lab. On the tenth anniversary of my high school graduation, I made the mistake of going back for a visit. I’ll never do that again. One of my teachers asked me why I wasn’t in Leavenworth.

Mark 6:1–2

Nazareth, however, remained cut off from the mainstream of Jewish gossip in Galilee. For one thing, it sat in a bowl-shaped depression 1,150 feet above the Jezreel Valley—too inconveniently located for a casual visit. Additionally, it was the site of a Roman garrison, complete with a bathhouse.

Mark 6:1–2

Luke adds that “all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips” (Luke 4:22). Likewise, Mark records the initial response of the Nazarenes as delightfully surprised.

Mark 6:1–2

Soon, however, their delightful surprise turned to spiteful resentment.

Mark 6:3

The Greek word for this refers to “one who constructs,” “a builder,” or “a wood joiner.” Some Greek writers used the term to describe men who made plows and yokes. In other words, Jesus didn’t come from the right class of people to be a teacher. As a lowly, blue-collar handyman, He didn’t have the education other rabbis received through years of rigorous training in Jerusalem.

Mark 6:3

The phrase “son of Mary” was deliberately derogatory. In first-century Israel, “it was the common practice among the Jews to use the father’s name, whether he were alive or dead. A man was called the son of his mother only when his father was unknown.”

Mark 6:3

So, when they heard His wise teaching and saw His miraculous deeds—and then considered His origins—they “took offense at Him.” The Greek term is skandalizō [4624], appearing in a middle/passive voice. It can describe being brought to one’s downfall. Beyond bringing to mind the idea of being offended, this verb was the word of choice for deliberately placing a hazard in the path of another to cause injury or even death.

Mark 6:3

Their unwillingness to set aside their prejudice to accept Him as the Son of God brought them to their spiritual end. Mark’s use of skandalizō indicates that they made the moral decision to reject Jesus as the Christ.

Mark 6:4–5

Note the progression: “hometown,” “relatives,” “household.”

Mark 6:4–5

Even so, the text appears to suggest that God’s power was limited by something in Nazareth.

Mark 6:4–5

Because God is omnipotent, He is able to do anything He determines to do. The fact that so few in Nazareth chose to set aside their prejudice points to their lack of faith—their lack of trust in Jesus as Messiah and Savior—as the limitation.

Mark 6:4–5

Consequently, the Lord’s power was not limited; His purpose was limited.

Mark 6:4–5

Jesus could not perform miracles in the same way that a wise parent cannot give a disobedient child gifts until the rebellious behavior has been corrected.

The Nazarenes’ lack of faith caused Jesus to “wonder.” The term is thaumazō [2296], which appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) most often to describe someone’s response to God’s supernatural activity. Mark turns the word around to show God wondering at faithlessness so rigid that miracles became impractical. Unfortunately, the people of Nazareth and their refusal to believe in Christ represented the kind of spiritual dullness that had overtaken Israel.

Despite this widespread faithlessness, Jesus pressed on. He refused to curtail His ministry of preaching and healing; He continued to travel around Galilee, teaching anyone who would listen. All the same, He also began to focus more on His true followers while the general population became more cynical and combative.

Mark 6:1–6

First, I see disciples. In each of Mark’s stories, I see genuine followers listening without debating anything. They truly drank in Jesus’ teaching like parched souls at a well.

Mark 6:1–6

There’s a second group. Not quite committed, but curious. You haven’t rejected the gospel because you’re still reflecting, still undecided about all of this. You have honest doubts. Questions need answering, and your ears are attentive.

Mark 6:1–6

Let me caution you, however. Don’t wait to have every question answered, all your curiosity sated, every doubt dispelled. Even when you’re born again, you won’t have all the answers you seek.

Mark 6:1–6

The largest group consists of those who are cynical and closed.

Mark 6:1–6

They rarely, if ever, stop to consider that the problem with belief may lie within themselves.

Mark 6:1–6

If you adequately address one supposed concern, the cynic quickly changes the subject by raising another “gotcha” question.

Mark 6:1–6

Years ago, I was traveling across South Texas and I heard a radio preacher near Del Rio on one of those “screamer stations”—the kind where the preachers think their point will only be understood based on the volume of their voice. The preacher at the microphone unloaded the truck on somebody who had opposed him publicly. He said, “I just want to say to some of you folks, I talked to God about you last night. And I said to God, ‘Sic ’em. Just sic ’em.’ ” When I meet a stubborn skeptic, I often say under my breath, “Lord, sic ’em.”

Mark 6:1–6

And I don’t mean for Him to be cruel or vindictive.

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 142–149.

  Though people were constantly astonished by Jesus, the New Testament relates only two times when He was amazed by people. Both involved faith. On the positive side, Jesus marveled at the strong faith expressed by a Roman centurion in Capernaum. According to Luke 7:9, “When Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.’ 

Mark 6:1–6

” Conversely, in His hometown of Nazareth, it was the utter absence of faith that caused the Lord to be amazed. As Mark explained in this passage, “He wondered at their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

Mark 6:1–6

Unbelief is a powerful force with devastating ramifications, first in this life and then the next.

Mark 6:1–6

Like all other unbelievers, their hard-heartedness resulted in them dying in their sins and forfeiting heaven (cf. John 8:24). Unbelief in the Son of God activates divine wrath and catapults souls into eternal hell. In the familiar words of John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (cf.

Mark 6:1–6

Mesmerized by His teaching and astounded by His miracles, the crowds in Galilee generally responded to Jesus with an attitude of enthusiasm. Their astonished curiosity about Him, however, fell far short of saving faith (cf. John 2:24; 6:66).

Mark 6:1–6

Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:39), He was generally received favorably. There was one notable exception: His own hometown of Nazareth.

Mark 6:1–6

The trip to Nazareth recorded in this passage (6:1–6; cf. Matt. 13:54–58) was Jesus’ second recorded visit to His hometown since the start of His public ministry. His first visit occurred shortly after His temptations in the wilderness (cf. Luke 4:1–13).

Mark 6:1–6

After reading a messianic passage from Isaiah 61:1–2, Jesus told His familiar friends and neighbors, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The implication was clear. He was claiming to be the Messiah. Initially, the congregation’s response seemed fairly positive: “All were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’ ” (v. 22).

Mark 6:1–6

He recognized their response for what it was—a superficial desire to see Him perform miracles (cf. Luke 4:23). When Jesus rebuked their faithlessness and hypocrisy, comparing them to the apostate generation of Israelites who lived during the days of Elijah and Elisha (vv. 25–27), they reacted by revealing the true condition of their hearts.

Mark 6:1–6

Nazareth, located twenty-five miles southwest of Capernaum, was an insignificant village in Jesus’ day with a population of around five hundred inhabitants.

Mark 6:2

The Greek word astonished (ekplessō) means “to strike” or “to blast.” To use the vernacular, Jesus’ teaching was “mind-blowing” for those who heard.

Mark 6:2

In reality, the words (wisdom) and works (miracles) of Jesus proved objectively, beyond any reasonable doubt, that He was from God.

Mark 6:2

Jesus’ former neighbors had obviously heard of His many miracles, as reports about Him circulated throughout Galilee and the surrounding regions (cf. Matt. 4:24; 9:26, 31; 14:1; Mark 1:28, 45; 6:14; Luke 4:14, 37; 5:15). Such dramatic demonstrations of supernatural power confirmed His deity. As Nicodemus rightly observed, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

Mark 6:2

The residents of Nazareth did not accuse Jesus of being empowered by Satan, but neither were they willing to acknowledge that His power came from God.

Mark 6:3a

By bringing up His occupation and His family, the people of Nazareth turned irrelevant issues into stumbling blocks to defend their unbelief.

Mark 6:3b–4

The word translated offense (a form of the Greek word skandalizō, from which the English word “scandalize” is derived) means “to snare” or “to cause to stumble” (cf.

Mark 6:3b–4

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” This axiomatic truth was the ancient parallel of the contemporary saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.”

Mark 6:5–6

Unbelief Spurns the Supernatural (6:5–6)

Mark 6:5–6

The issue was not that He lacked the supernatural power to perform miracles. Rather, there was no reason to do miracles there, since the purpose of His miracles was to attest to the truth and reveal Himself as the Lord and Messiah, and thus to lead sinners to saving faith. Because the people of Nazareth had already set their rejection in stone, miracles were unnecessary.

1 John MacArthur, Mark 1–8, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 269–283.

Jesus was careful about his approach to the hometown crowd, for we read that he took his disciples, his devoted entourage, with him. This unmistakably identified him as a rabbi.

Mark 6:1–6

Their initial reaction was amazement.

Mark 6:1–6

They were truly amazed. But as they began to talk among themselves, a malignant contempt crept over their souls. “Isn’t this the carpenter? This man is a common laborer—the village handyman!

Mark 6:1–6

The contempt grew: “Isn’t this Mary’s son?” This was a cheap slam. Sons were always identified by their fathers, not their mothers, even when the father was dead. They were in effect calling his mother a whore and him the illegitimate offspring.

Mark 6:1–6

There are people who find it personally offensive if someone who was one of them yesterday should have become much more today.

Mark 6:1–6

The better people knew him, the more they experienced a growing respect. This was (and is) always true with Jesus. This jealous, rung-dropping attitude toward Jesus by his hometown was simply “part of humanity’s contempt for itself.”

Mark 6:1–6

The Scriptures reveal that Jesus was amazed both by faith and unbelief. In one case he was amazed at the great faith of the Gentile Roman soldier, the centurion who urged Jesus to just say the word and his servant would be healed.

Mark 6:1–6

But here Christ is astounded at his own people’s lack of faith. How terrifying it is to amaze God with one’s unbelief!

Mark 6:1–6

What darkness—to have made such a cavalier rejection of Christ! Why is this so terrifying? Because such disbelief ties Christ’s hands, so to speak, so that healing power, miracles, and grace cease to come. “He could not do any miracles there” (v. 5). Unbelief hinders God’s power.

Mark 6:1–6

Let me make it clear: Jesus could not do miracles because he would not. Omnipotence is not omnipotence if it is bound by anything but its own will. Jesus was morally compelled not to show his power. Matthew makes this clear: “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (13:58).

Mark 6:1–6

The eminent Scottish preacher A. J. Gossip once had the more famous Scottish divine Alexander Whyte ask him why he wasn’t at the evening service as usual. Gossip replied that he was preaching to a certain congregation. “And how did you get on?” asked Whyte. “I found it very cold,” answered Gossip. “Cold,” cried Whyte, “cold—I preached there two years ago and I have not got the chill out of my bones yet.”

Mark 6:1–6

Unbelief robs the Church of its power.

Mark 6:1–6

But without a believing expectancy in Christ and his power, nothing will come of it. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Mark 6:1–6

Christ was amazed by faith as well as the lack of it. What about us amazes him?

Mark 6:1–6

They had seen his astounding displays of power, such as calming the sea. But now they saw that there were situations in which “He could not do any miracles”—times when faith was subverted.

Mark 6:1–6

To serve him they must believe. They also learned that it would not be easy out there. If Christ found it hard to work, how much more would they? With these lessons in place, Jesus sent them out to the unbelieving world.

1 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 132–135.

Sometimes you need to tough it out to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ and the gospel. Don’t let a loud minority speak for the whole group; hang in there. When you sense it is no longer right or best for you to stay, then make a graceful, dignified exit. Leave and never look back. You served faithfully, regardless of the results, but it’s time to move on.

#2. serve God faithfully.

Mark 6:7-11

Exousia is an intrinsic influence that comes from another source. The other source in the case of a police officer standing in an intersection directing traffic is a government agency. A city or state government stands behind the officer, who uses this authority to stop traffic by holding up a hand.

Mark 6:7

Rather, the officer depends upon the authority of a judge, who will say to violators, “By the authority vested in me by the people of this state, I hereby declare you are guilty as charged and subject to fines or imprisonment.”

Mark 6:8–9

Having delegated His authority, Jesus gave the Twelve specific instructions.

Mark 6:8–9

While they were replicating His ministry of proclaiming the gospel, casting out demons, and healing the sick, they were to forego the normal preparations of a journey. Instead, they were to follow a model we might call “functional simplicity.” A good motto for functional simplicity would be “Travel light.”

Mark 6:8–9

Today, we can pile into a car and start out with nothing more than a few possessions, a plastic card, and a GPS. We have a highway system filled with choices for lodging and dining, as well as hundreds of fuel stations to keep us moving.

Mark 6:8–9

In the first century, travelers either carried everything they needed on their backs or in a cart, or they depended upon the hospitality of strangers.

Mark 6:8–9

Fortunately, the ancient Near Eastern culture made hospitality to strangers a sacred duty.

Mark 6:8–9

Their provisions were to include little more than a staff, which shepherds and travelers would use to steady their gait and as a means of self-defense, and sandals.

Mark 6:8–9

He wanted them unencumbered by the distractions of too much preparation and unburdened from the stresses of provision so they could focus on their mission.

Mark 6:10–11

In truth, Jesus meant for His disciples to remain in one household while evangelizing a given population center.

He didn’t want them to move into one guest quarters only to entertain more attractive offers of hospitality. He didn’t want them to gain a reputation for freeloading like many false teachers of the day. He wanted them unencumbered and focused.

He told them to proclaim the truth boldly and effectively only to those ready to receive the gospel message.

In this context, the Twelve symbolically said to rebellious Jews, “By rejecting Jesus as your Messiah, you are not one of God’s covenant people, and you’re no better than a pagan.”1

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 152–154.

  The Greek for “two by two” was “duo, duo.” These were the original “dynamic duos”! Jesus personally gave each pair their authority. The wisdom in this lay in the fact that having two witnesses met the legal requirement for authentic testimony (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Numbers 35:30).

Some of these duos may have been more dynamic than others. The first was a compatible brother combo (Peter and Andrew). The last was the unlikely pairing of Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Each of them (even Judas!) was given power.

“The sent one is as the man who commissioned him” was the common belief, and here it was true. This commissioning was for a specific ministry and for a specific length of time, but the principles were and are abiding, as we shall see in the instructions given to them.

It was rabbinic law that when a man entered the Temple courts, he must put off his staff, shoes, and money girdle. That is, all ordinary things were to be set aside.

However, the overlying reason was so they would be dependent upon Christ for strength. The minimum of provisions was meant to call out the maximum of faith.

Today we are more in danger of having too much baggage than too little.

Second, regarding comfort, Christ said, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town” (v. 10). They were not to change lodging for self-comfort.

Third, Jesus was specific about their disposition: “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” (v. 11).

It was customary for pious Jews who had traveled abroad to carefully shake the dust of alien lands from their feet and clothing. This act dissociated them from the pollution of those pagan lands and the judgment which was to come upon them. The same action by the apostles symbolically declared a hostile village pagan. 1

1 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 135–136.

  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.

Mark 6:7a

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.

Mark 6:7a

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.

Mark 6:7a

Mark explains later, in verse 12, that “they went out and preached that men should repent.”

Mark 6:7a

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).

Mark 6:7b

(1 Thess. 2:5–8)

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

Mark 6:8–9

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).

Mark 6:8–9

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?’

Mark 6:8–9

In the upper room, as He reflected on this event, the Lord explained to His disciples,

“When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:35–37)

Mark 6:10

Given their power to heal diseases and cast out demons, they likely received invitations to upgrade their comfort by changing homes.

Mark 6:10

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).

Mark 6:10

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.

Mark 6:11

According to Matthew’s parallel account, Jesus expanded on this point by telling the apostles:

“Whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.” (Matt. 10:11–15)

Christ’s words underscore the eternal consequences of rejecting the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Thess. 1:6–9).

Mark 6:11

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).

Mark 6:11

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. 1 John MacArthur, Mark 1–8, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 286–294.

#3. confidence in god’s word.

Mark 6:12-13

  What happened with the Twelve? “They went out and preached that people should repent” (v. 12).

In short, the Twelve experienced great power in bringing the gospel to an unbelieving world. It was repentance, deliverance, and healing, just as if Christ were physically there.

Later, at the end of his earthly ministry, on the eve of his death, Jesus spoke of this same principle in the most dramatic terms: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these” (John 14:12).

What are the abiding principles for those who would minister midst unbelief? We must expect difficulties in ministry. “A servant is not greater than his master.” Nevertheless, Christ fights unbelief through those who truly believe. The faithful follower lives in dependence. He travels light. He does not seek comfort first, but God’s pleasure. He is straightforward about the condition of the world and the danger facing lost men and women. 1

1 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 136–139.

  Repentance is a deliberate, radical, life-changing decision to turn away from the wrong direction and to turn toward the right direction.

Mark 6:12–13

In this story set in Rome during the persecution of Nero, a character named Vinicius reflects on the gospel message he had heard: “He felt that if he wished … to follow that teaching, he would have to place on a burning pile all his thoughts, habits, and character, his whole nature up to that moment, burn them into ashes, and then fill himself with a life altogether different, and an entirely new soul.”

Mark 6:12–13

The Greek language has two words for the application of oil: aleiphō [218] and chriō [5548]. The latter most commonly refers to the ceremonial anointing used to signify God’s special blessing upon someone. The term aleiphō—the one Mark uses here—is quite different. It describes the pragmatic, therapeutic use of oil, such as rubbing or massaging with it for medicinal purposes. Various herbs and extracts were added to olive oil to aid with a number of afflictions.

Mark 6:12–13

They apparently applied a combination of natural therapies and supernatural healing.

Mark 6:12–13

They became imitators of their Master and multiplied His ministry six times over, going out two by two.

Mark 6:12–13

In fact, they created such an impact that Herod Antipas began to fear the movement he thought he had ended by killing John the Baptizer (6:14–16).1

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 154–155.

While in Martin Luther’s part of the world, we encountered a number of the great Reformer’s quotes. When asked about launching the Protestant Reformation, he replied, “I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word. Otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip and my Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the Papacy that never a Prince or Emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing. The Word did it all.”

If ministers don’t rely upon the Word, it’s because they don’t trust the Word. They trust entertainment. They trust the strategies of our times. They trust that their own creativity and cleverness will keep people coming back. Wrong. The truth is this: God’s Word—and God’s Word alone—lives forever.

I’m not in charge of people’s response; I’m responsible to proclaim the Word faithfully, clearly, correctly, compellingly, and passionately. Now after I preach the Word, I relax. I go home and doze in front of the Sunday football games. If I sow faithfully, God will give the increase.

1 Charles R. Swindoll, Mark, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 156–157.

  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.

Mark 6:12–13

(Matt. 10:16–25)

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 6:12–13

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.

Mark 6:12–13

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).1

1 John MacArthur, Mark 1–8, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 294–295.