Accept or Reject!

Sent

Mark 6:7-13

Verse 7:

Note that they were not sent alone. There is no such thing as lone ranger Christianity, especially when it comes to the preaching of the Gospel and winning Souls! Reaching the Lost is a Team Effort predicated on everyone’s individual efforts.

Note also that he sent them in Authority. God has given his church and his people authority for the mission. 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

He also has sent them with his own power to confirm the message preached by the Christ, to prove his claims to be the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior. Note what Christ states to make his case to John the Baptist doubts, Matthew 11:4–6 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

Later the disciples would show their immaturity becoming prideful that demons were subject to them. And Christ would rebuke them Luke 10:17, 20.

Verse 8-9:

Why has Christ commanded them to take nothing with them?

Before we make more observations of this question, let us see what Christ says in Matthews parallel, Matthew 10:10 “Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.” So Christ says that the laborer is worthy of his food, worthy of being taken care of.

A few more observations:

First, by not carrying any provisions it would teach the disciples dependency on God providing for their needs.

Two, by traveling light it would allow them to move quickly without being weighed down with unnecessary luggage.

Three, the disciples would rely on the hospitality of those they encountered. This would prove to be part of the litmus test for those who would hear the message or not. Note that Mark 6:11 “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” Whoever does not receive you or hear you.

The Message

To rightly understand what is happening here it will do us good to read another synoptic gospel.

Matthew 10:5-7 -

The Audience - Israel

The Message - “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

Verse 10:

They are not to stay just any where, but Matthew 10:11 tells them to find one who is worthy and stay with them?

An obvious question is what would make that person worthy? The answer in found in verse 11, it is those who will receive them and those who will hear them. Those who will believe the message being spoken.

Many today would be uncomfortable with how to deal with those who don’t believe, those who won’t receive you. Some might say:

Go to them again

Give them another chances

Maybe you weren’t nice enough

You must not be anointed enough or they would have listened to you

Many today would lay their denial at the foot of the preacher , he didn’t do enough, visit enough, say enough . He was not nice enough, accommodating enough or compassionate enough.

Yet, Christ lays their denial at their feet and not the feet of those who brought the message. Because it is the one who rejects Christ who is held accountable for rejecting him. It is not the fault of the one sharing the Gospel.

This gives us several keys for understanding how we ought to preach the Gospel.

with Authority

with Power

as an Ultimatum - one to be accepted and rejected

with the understanding that you are not responsible for making people believe.

with the understanding that there will be those who reject you, who reject the message. It is not you they are rejecting but Christ Luke 10:16 “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

Going

Verse 12-13:

They Go and the Lord is with them!

They preached that men should repent. For this is part of the message that ALL men Everywhere are to Repent Acts 17:30. Today the church too must preach repentance and faith in Christ!

Application

Dependence on God and Faith in His Provision:

Jesus instructed His disciples to take nothing for their journey, teaching them to rely entirely on God for their needs (Mark 6:8-9). This reliance on divine provision is a crucial lesson for us today. We should trust that God will provide for us as we carry out His mission, freeing us from the anxieties of material concerns and enabling us to focus on spreading the Gospel. This dependency also cultivates faith and deepens our relationship with God, as we witness His faithfulness in action.

2. Responsibility and Response to the Gospel Message:

The response to the Gospel message is ultimately the responsibility of the hearer. Jesus' instructions to shake off the dust from their feet if a place does not welcome them (Mark 6:11) illustrate that rejection of the Gospel is a rejection of Christ Himself (Luke 10:16). This teaches us that while we are called to share the message with authority and compassion, we are not responsible for forcing belief. We must understand that rejection is part of the mission, and it is the individual's choice to accept or reject Christ. This perspective helps us to remain faithful and resilient in our witness, knowing that our responsibility lies in the faithful proclamation of the Gospel, not in the outcome.