DAY SEVENTEEN – Monday, March 13, 2023
Mark 6:7-13
In this passage, Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs into the community to teach and to heal. He tells them to not take anything with them. To dress humbly and stay in simple lodgings. The Message translation says “you do not need anything special” to do the work of God. This is interesting to me. Many years ago, I was approached by a person in the church to take over their Sunday School class and teach Sunday School. A feeling of panic hit me. I was much younger then and I said “I don’t know anything about teaching Sunday School”. I really didn’t think I could do that and I didn’t really want to do it. The thought scared me. I thought one must have some special credentials or training to teach Sunday School. Because I have trouble saying no, I thought I would just finish out the church year and be done with it; 14 years later, I found I liked it and surprisingly, I think God provides what you need as you need it. Like this passage, “take nothing with you, you already have what you need”. The experience helped my faith journey to grow so much. Perhaps this is what God wanted all along and maybe this is what Jesus meant in this passage when he told the disciples to not take anything with them. According to The Message bible, you have everything you need for the task. So maybe as we go out to do the job given to us by God (or circumstances), God goes with us and gives us what we need as we proceed and surprisingly, we find blessings in return. As we give, we receive.
The disciples went out healing and teaching. How to teach and heal in today’s society? I believe a certain kind of healing happens when you treat people kindly, really listen when someone needs to talk, show respect and make people feel valued. Visit the elderly and the shut-ins; be a friend to a lonely person and try to make that person feel important. People are healed when they are given a message of hope. A way to teach hopefully happens as we strive to live our lives according to our faith and moral standards. Try to be a good example.
The last part of this passage tells us that if we are not well received or people do not want to listen to us, leave that place. Do not take it personally and no need to make a scene, leave quietly. People aren’t always receptive for a number of reasons. It could be they are not interested at all or they are not at the same place in their faith journey as you are, or they just don’t understand you. “Not all seeds fall in fertile soil.” Do not let their attitude affect you or discourage you. God works through you and your efforts to accomplish His desire/plan in His own time.
My task (our task) is to do what I can and leave the rest up to God. Something to ponder during Lent, … where can I be of service to God in my daily life; take stock of where I am and what is happening around me. Try to do what Jesus would do in situations that arise.
Lorraine Andrews
Mark 6:7-13
In this passage, Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs into the community to teach and to heal. He tells them to not take anything with them. To dress humbly and stay in simple lodgings. The Message translation says “you do not need anything special” to do the work of God. This is interesting to me. Many years ago, I was approached by a person in the church to take over their Sunday School class and teach Sunday School. A feeling of panic hit me. I was much younger then and I said “I don’t know anything about teaching Sunday School”. I really didn’t think I could do that and I didn’t really want to do it. The thought scared me. I thought one must have some special credentials or training to teach Sunday School. Because I have trouble saying no, I thought I would just finish out the church year and be done with it; 14 years later, I found I liked it and surprisingly, I think God provides what you need as you need it. Like this passage, “take nothing with you, you already have what you need”. The experience helped my faith journey to grow so much. Perhaps this is what God wanted all along and maybe this is what Jesus meant in this passage when he told the disciples to not take anything with them. According to The Message bible, you have everything you need for the task. So maybe as we go out to do the job given to us by God (or circumstances), God goes with us and gives us what we need as we proceed and surprisingly, we find blessings in return. As we give, we receive.
The disciples went out healing and teaching. How to teach and heal in today’s society? I believe a certain kind of healing happens when you treat people kindly, really listen when someone needs to talk, show respect and make people feel valued. Visit the elderly and the shut-ins; be a friend to a lonely person and try to make that person feel important. People are healed when they are given a message of hope. A way to teach hopefully happens as we strive to live our lives according to our faith and moral standards. Try to be a good example.
The last part of this passage tells us that if we are not well received or people do not want to listen to us, leave that place. Do not take it personally and no need to make a scene, leave quietly. People aren’t always receptive for a number of reasons. It could be they are not interested at all or they are not at the same place in their faith journey as you are, or they just don’t understand you. “Not all seeds fall in fertile soil.” Do not let their attitude affect you or discourage you. God works through you and your efforts to accomplish His desire/plan in His own time.
My task (our task) is to do what I can and leave the rest up to God. Something to ponder during Lent, … where can I be of service to God in my daily life; take stock of where I am and what is happening around me. Try to do what Jesus would do in situations that arise.
Lorraine Andrews
