Mass
Readings: Amos 7:12-15 Sal 84
Eph 1:3-14 Mk 6:7-13
Key
Verse to Meditate: He called the
twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the
unclean spirits (Mk 6:7).
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The fifteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time presents Jesus sending out the twelve apostles with
some instructions on their first missionary journey, from the Gospel of Mark
(par Mt 10:5-15; Lk 9:1-6). Jesus' act of sending out his disciples with
minimal provisions invites us to trust the Father and to be totally engaged
with the mission despite its challenges. As an apostle sent by the Father,
Jesus did not have a place even to lay his head (Lk 9:58) and gave himself up
completely for our salvation (Eph 5:2; see Jn 3:16). We as disciples dedicated
to God, must guard ourselves against the temptation to become overly defensive
and protective, exaggerating our inconveniences and insults for the sake of the
Gospel. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites his followers to shake off the dust,
meaning to leave behind the resistance and unfriendliness of the listeners and
move forward to those who welcome the Word.
The
First Reading
Prophet Amos
was a shepherd (Amos 1:1; 7:14) from Tekoa (1:1), about 12 miles south of
Jerusalem (Judah). Though he was from Judah (the southern kingdom), he
prophesied in Israel (the northern kingdom). There was extreme prosperity and
wealth in Israel, with the upper classes living in luxury. However, the rich
exploited and oppressed the poor through injustice. In this context, Amos
proclaimed that true religion required justice and integrity. He opposed the
self-complacency of election and idolatry, preaching with passion and courage
that Israel would be punished for these reasons. He prophesied for only one
year in Bethel (Amos 7:7-10), on Mount Samaria (Amos 3:9; 4:1; 6:1), and Gilgal
(Amos 5:5). Eventually, he was expelled from Bethel and Israel.
In the first
reading of today, Prophet Amos responds to Amaziah by describing his call to a
life of holiness and to be a prophet. Amaziah strictly warned Amos not to
prophesy at Bethel, calling it the king's sanctuary and a temple of the
kingdom. He told Amos to flee to Judah and prophesy there. Amos then explained
how he was called by God to be His prophet. He was tending sheep when the Lord
called him: "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman,
and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the LORD took me from following the flock,
and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel'" (Amos
7:14-15).
The Second Reading
In today's second reading from the
Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul also speaks of the call to holiness extended
to every disciple of Christ. We have been chosen by God before the foundation
of the world to be children of Jesus and to lead a holy life. St. Paul insists
that holiness of life is God's original plan for every human being. This plan
was revealed to us through Jesus Christ, who extended this holiness to everyone
by his holy life, preaching, and death on the cross. This hidden secret was
revealed in Jesus Christ in the fullness of time. St. Paul emphasizes again
that God has made known the mystery of his holy will that all have been called
to a life of holiness, following Jesus our Savior: "Just as he chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him
in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace
that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:4-6).
The Gospel Reading
In the call
narrative of his first disciples (see Mk 1:16-20; Mt 4:18-22; Lk 5:1-11), Jesus
promised them that they would become fishers of men. Later in the gospel, in
the section on appointing the twelve, Mark makes it clear that Jesus appointed
them so that "they might be with him and that he might send them out"
(Mk 3:14-15; see Mt 10:1-4; Lk 6:12-16). From then on, the disciples followed
him in his Galilean ministry: "And he went out from there, and he came
into his hometown; and his disciples followed him" (Mk 6:1; see also Mk
3:7; 4:10).
In the Gospel
readings of previous Sundays, we heard from Mark about several important
miracles performed in and around the Sea of Galilee, such as calming the storm,
restoring a twelve-year-old girl to life, and healing a woman with hemorrhages
for twelve years (see Mk 4:41; 5:34, 41-42). After His rejection in Nazareth,
Jesus left and returned to the lake region of Galilee, to the northwest shore
of the Sea of Galilee. It is against this backdrop that Mark presents the
episode of sending the twelve apostles on a trial mission. Following His
rejection at Nazareth, as recounted in last Sunday's reading (Mk 6:1-6), Jesus
sent out His disciples (Mk 6:7) with clear instructions. They would later
report back to Him about their preaching, healing, and teaching ministry in Mk
6:30.
Apostolic
Authority
Jesus “began to
send them out two by two” (Mk 6:7). Two points can be noted here. First, in the
phrase “Jesus began to send them,” the Greek verb 'apostello,' meaning ‘to
send’ or ‘to send away,’ should capture our attention. This word directly
points to the “Apostleship” to which all twelve were called. Thus, an Apostle
is someone who is sent (“apostolos”). The disciples, having been chosen,
are now sent out on a mission, assuming the title of ‘apostle.’ A disciple can
follow the teacher (didaskalos), but an Apostle is someone who is
commissioned by the Master (epistates), to whom the Master grants his
power and authority to act in His name.
Two
by Two
Secondly, in
the same sentence, we notice the phrase “two by two.” In sending out the
twelve, Mark points out that Jesus sends them out “two by two.” They have been
with Jesus for some time and have witnessed his mighty deeds (Mk 4:35-41;
5:1-20; 21-43). Now, he sends them out on a mission to apply what they had
learned from him and to see what power they had received from him. He did not
simply send them out, but to proclaim the Kingdom of God, giving them authority
over unclean spirits and the power to heal the sick (Mk 6:7).
Jesus sent the
apostles out “two by two.” But why two by two? He could have sent them one by
one or in groups. We find examples in different texts to understand the phrase
"two by two." John the Baptist, for example, sent two of his
disciples to Jesus to verify his identity (Lk 7:18-19). This act of sending in
pairs also points back to the Old Testament principle where something was
established as true if testimony was given by two witnesses (Deut 17:6; 19:15;
Num 35:30). Jesus, the Master, must have thought that sending them two by two
would give them a sense of companionship, partnership, and a missionary
dimension. The mission is given to the community, not to individuals. We also
see in Acts how the early Church employed this method of working in pairs to
build up the growing Church (Acts 13:2-3; 15:39-41; 19:22).
Travel
Light
Matthew the
evangelist dedicates an entire chapter (chap. 10) to the mission of the twelve and
the instructions that accompanied the apostles before sending them out. In
Mark, Jesus gave his apostles clear instructions on a few important things to
keep in mind during their missionary expedition. The first thing to notice is
the call to utter poverty and dependence on divine providence. Mark clearly
writes that Jesus did not request or ask them but commanded them to follow
these guidelines: "He ordered them to take nothing for their journey
except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals
and not to put on two tunics" (Mk 6:8-9). Jesus was training his chosen
disciples to imitate Him. He gave them the example of the birds of the air and
the lilies of the field. If God can take care of them, God will take care of
his servants as well: "But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which
is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more
do so for you, O men of little faith?" (Mt 6:30).
Jesus does not
merely exhort but commands the twelve. This command of Jesus carries a great
discipleship lesson for each of us today. We all need to learn to travel light
when we come forward to serve the Lord by becoming preachers of the good news.
In the parallel passage of Matthew, Jesus adds to his instruction, saying,
"You received without payment; give without payment" (Mt 10:8). When
we come forward to preach, we must first seek God’s kingdom and its values, and
the rest of the material things will be given to us without fail (Mt 6:33). We
trust in God’s providence, setting aside our human needs and cares. Let us
learn to travel light in the kingdom of God.
No Bag, No Bread, No Copper
We all prepare
well before beginning any journey. But here we see Jesus telling the apostles
not to prepare for the journey. What a strange philosophy! They should neither
take a bag, nor an extra cloth in the bag, nor any money in their pockets.
Today, if any apostle or minister of the word travelled like this by bus or
train in Europe, they would surely be fined at least fifty Euros. Also, no
bread. This means not preparing food for the journey. Why did Jesus forbid all
these things to the disciples? It
becomes clear later in the Gospel, where Jesus says they should look for people
who would receive them and that they should stay in the house of their
benefactor : "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the
place" (Mk 6:10).
Divine
Mission and Divine Providence
Why did Jesus
command this? It calls us to reflect deeply. One thing is sure: God’s work has
to be carried out in God’s way. Divine providence will never be lacking for
anyone who comes forward to do God’s will. We are all only chosen and called.
We don’t decide anything for ourselves. We will be taken care of by God, even
with regard to the basic human need of food. Matthew is very clear about this
fact: "No bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for
labourers deserve their food" (Mt 10:10). Secondly, as disciples, they are
to focus on preaching the kingdom of God and building it, and all material
needs will be given to them: "But strive first for the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt
6:33). Thirdly, from another angle, one secret becomes clear. Jesus insisted on
a life of poverty and discipleship because, as disciples, they are to focus on
the internal and not the external. What is important is the internal. The external
material needs will be taken care of by themselves.
To
Preach and to Heal
The disciples
have so far witnessed the threefold ministry of preaching, exorcism, and
healing. Now Jesus is extending his ministry to the twelve chosen men. Here in
Mark, a disciple is called to do two primary things: to preach and to heal the
people and to cast out demons (Mk 6:7). So, the apostles are to be prepared
spiritually to preach and to cast out. If they are worried about material
well-being, they would not be disciples. They are to focus on God and His
kingdom. In the first verse, we read that Jesus gave them authority over
unclean spirits (Mk 6:7). In the last verse of the passage, we read again that
the apostles went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many
demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them (Mk 6:12-13).
They willingly carried out what Jesus had told them to do.
Dusting
off one’s feet:
The symbolic
action of dusting off one's feet hearkens back to an ancient Jewish practice.
When Jews travelled to pagan countries and Gentile communities for business,
they were expected to shake the dust off their feet upon re-entering their
land. This act was intended to prevent bringing the contamination of the pagan
community into Israel. This tradition gains significance as Jesus gives a
similar instruction to His disciples in today’s Gospel: "And any place
that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off
the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them" (Mk
6:11). What we note here is that the disciples have to shake off the dust from
their feet against the Jews themselves, as they were directed towards their
territory according to the Matthean account (Mt 10:6). Also, Jesus was
instructing them not to worry about the result of their teaching. Just like his
rejection in Nazareth, there were great chances for the rejection of the
disciples' message. In Acts, even Paul and Barnabas do likewise at Antioch of
Pisidia against the Jews who did not accept their preaching. Paul also shakes
off the dust of his clothes at Corinth as a testimony against the Jews (Acts
18:6).
Anointing
the Sick with Oil
We also notice
another specific act of being sent as an apostle, namely, to anoint the sick
with oil and cure them. Though Jesus did not do this, Mark reports in today’s
gospel that the disciples anointed the sick with oil and cured them (Mk 6:13).
This is a very special reference because it is mentioned only here and in James
5:14 in the whole New Testament. For the apostle, anointing the sick with oil
becomes an external sign and a concrete symbol of God’s care for the sick and
the dying. It is in the sacrament of the anointing of the sick that many
believers are restored to health and fullness of spiritual life.
Using oil to
cure fresh wounds must have been a common practice during Jesus’ time. That’s
why, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, he pours oil and wine to bind up the
wounds of the traveller who fell among robbers (Lk 10:34). In the Old Testament
period, we read and understand that oil was used for medicinal purposes (see Is
1:6; Jer 8:22; 51:8). In fact, oil was used at different moments to signify
deep realities. For example, there are texts in the OT that tell us about
priests and kings being anointed, symbolizing their divine commissioning (1 Sam
10:1). Sometimes oil was used more symbolically to express joy or honour (see
Ps 45:7; Is 61:3). For the leper who was healed and restored, oil symbolized
the blessing of God (Lev 14:15-18).
Points
for Personal Reflection
Prophet Amos
realized his divine call when he said, "And the LORD took me as I followed
the flock, and the LORD said unto me, 'Go, prophesy unto my people
Israel'" (Amos 7:15). Have I realized my divine call to stand for justice
and take the side of the poor? St. Paul tells us that we have been chosen by
God before the foundation of the world, to be the children of Jesus, and to
lead a holy life. Have I realized that I am a child of God, and my vocation is
to lead a holy life?
Have I realized
my role as a disciple of Christ? Do I focus on the internal dispositions
necessary to preach and carry forward the good news of Christ? Do I depend on
God’s providence in my effort to build up His kingdom? Does the life of poverty
appeal to me?
