The Jesus Movement Continues

Another Sabbath in his hometown synagogue, and the Jesus movement continues. At first the people are astounded at his words. Then the arguments break out regarding the wondrous things he does and says, but how dare he? He’s just one of us they say. We know his relatives they say. Yet, all this is exactly the sort of faithful response one should find in a faith that is named “Israel,” which we recall means “he wrestles with God” after father Jacob who spent all night long in such wrestling resulting in a life-long limp. To refuse to argue, to debate, to question, would be a sign of disrespect. The synagogue congregants honor Jesus with their arguments.

But still, it ends badly. They “take offense.” Jesus chews them out: “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” Then we are told he could do “no deed of power there, except to lay hands on a few sick people and heal them.” That’s all. For the rest of us to heal anyone would be a pretty good day’s work!

Then just like that, off they go to other villages. But not before Jesus calls them two by two and commissions them to do the work he has been doing: he gives them authority over unclean spirits. He also gives instructions: “Take nothing … except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts… wear sandals and not to put on two tunics… If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. “They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” [Mark 6:1-13]

Altogether this can seem somewhat bizarre to us unless we remember what’s going on in Mark’s gospel and what is going on in Israel at the time. For the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God is a call to action. There is no cozy birthing scene of a wandering family among animals in a cave like stable as in Matthew or Luke. No shepherds and angels. No star in the heavens pointing the way for a caravan of Magi making pilgrimage to welcome the tiny baby who was born to reintroduce God’s shalom for and die at the hands of Rome in the process.

The good news begins with John baptizing outside Jerusalem, outside the corridors of power, issuing a call to action: Repent, for we have lost our way, the way, the way of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our own people like the Herod family, the priests and the aristocracy, our historic leadership in the city of peace, the city of shalom, no longer are interested in working God’s purpose out, but have sold out to the brutality of the Empire, of Rome, of those who claim Caesar is God. The people are over-taxed, over-worked, and forced to worship and serve only the regime instead of the living God who had brought them out of bondage in Egypt. Now Israel is become Egypt and they are once again slaves of an Empire. The Empire. John says it is time to turn it all around, to repent. It is time to turn the world right-side-up again.

Thus it is in Mark the very opening scene is an adult Jesus making his way down to Jordan’s stream to sign on, to join with those answering the call of John. Thus it is, in Mark we find Jesus and his companions portrayed as a resistance movement to Roman pagan domination. His conflicts are with the those who have been chosen liaisons to the Romans: The Temple, the priesthood and the aristocracy in Jerusalem are on the payroll to keep law and order in the land. Against all this Jesus and his companions are portrayed as living out a deeply Jewish program of return to the life of the covenant with their God. A life of God’s shalom for all.

There’s a rabbinic saying: “A person’s representative is as the person himself.” Unlike Jesus who “could do no deed of power” in Nazareth where the force to repent and resist is not strong, the disciples are sent out two by two and they “cast out many demons” and “heal many who are sick.” They have been sent to fight against the forces that have been arrayed against Israel and humanity. Although it is not an overtly political mission, in Mark’s story demons are portrayed as allies of Rome, while diseases are foes that weaken the body of Israel. They are sent out to canvass the villages and towns to urge people to repent and join the resistance movement. It is a bold move. But business as usual will not get the job of God’s shalom accomplished.

We need to be reminded that this Jesus movement is no volunteer organization. This is a community called and commissioned by Christ himself. His representatives are to be as Jesus is himself. That is who we are: called and commissioned to be as Jesus himself, those people sent by Jesus to cast out the demons of the Empire and build up the body of the faithful.

Jesus’ instructions are for a lean and unencumbered corps of representatives. The call not to be burdened with an excess of clothing, money and food is a call to simplicity. As one commentary notes, traveling light leaves them free from bearing unnecessary burdens and free from the temptation to turn the journey into venture for profit. His instruction is worth reflection in these days when the church faces its own loss of status and power and struggles to know how to position itself for the future. Travel light and nimble; travel swiftly to recruit as many as possible into the Jesus movement. The mission is one of extreme urgency. Carry no excess baggage.

And finally, we are to take the reality of rejection and the dangerous nature of the mission seriously. There is no promise that people will want to listen as the disciples bear witness to the good news and echo John’s and Jesus’ challenge to the Empire. Not everyone will repent. So, don’t get bogged down in endless debate and chatter. Move on and shake the dust off your feet.

Feet. Such action with feet in the face of danger and rejection can still be seen in today’s middle east. Recall the Iraqi gentleman who hurled his shoe at President George W. Bush for starting a war in his land over the flimsiest of excuses. Or, those Iraqi men who took off their shoes and pounded them against the statues of the former rulers. Jesus is directing his representatives to insult those who do not receive them and their mission using their feet. Who knows, such a bold response to complacency may wake people up and rouse more people to the cause! And after all, as we have seen, Jesus received similar rejection from the religious officials, the people of his hometown, and even his own family.

The successes we hear of in the casting out of Roman demons and restoring the health of the nation Israel are set in stark contrast in the verses that follow in the sixth chapter of Mark, for they tell of the beheading of John by Rome’s stooge-in-Chief, Herod. And we listen closely as Herod ponders whether or not Jesus is the Baptizer come back to life. John’s body lies a-mouldering in a tomb, but his spirit marches on. Jesus and many of his followers will meet the same fate as John for their attempts to wake people up and spur them to action. Yet, we are those people who know the rest of the story. How after three day’s rest Jesus rises again from the dead. The Jesus mission of shalom for all people cannot be stopped and will not rest until there is justice and peace for all people, and respect for the dignity of every human being, every creature under heaven, and for creation itself. And the people say, Amen.