Reading I
Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12
I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
A reading from the first Book of
When the time of David’s death drew near,
he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
“I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways
and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees
as they are written in the law of Moses,
that you may succeed in whatever you do,
wherever you turn, and the Lord may fulfill
the promise he made on my behalf when he said,
‘If your sons so conduct themselves
that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart
and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line
on the throne of Israel.’”
David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,
with his sovereignty firmly established.
Gospel
Mk 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Meditation: Mark 6:7-13
Jesus has just experienced rejection and lack of faith in his hometown (Mark 6:1-6).
Because these people have grown up with him and his relatives, they can’t believe there is anything special about him. Their skepticism makes it impossible for him to perform dramatic miracles. All he can do is heal a few individuals.
His followers observe Jesus closely. They see his surprise and sadness, but he doesn’t rail against the Nazarenes. He doesn’t spitefully turn his back on them or make their unbelief an object lesson by complaining to others about it. He simply moves on to people ready to welcome him.
Just after his own experience of rejection, Jesus sends his followers out to preach and heal. He knows some people will also reject his disciples. Some will make fun of these men who haven’t even equipped themselves for their journey. Some will turn aside, content with the way things have always been. Some will reach out for healing.
To prepare them, Jesus carefully spells out what they are to do when they experience their own rejection. Shake it off. Don’t let the dust of resentment, bitterness, guilt, regret, or blame cling to your feet, but move on unencumbered to the next task.
Even when we are sure we are saying what Jesus gives us to say and doing what he has called us to do, there is no guarantee that everyone will welcome our words and actions. Some will be touched, while others will not. God has blessed every human being with the freedom to choose wisely or poorly, and the life experiences of some make it difficult for them to open up to his love. We can count on God’s love for them, knowing that he will continue to call them and work with them long after we have moved on.
Jesus is also concerned about us as his messengers. He wants us to find our joy in him. He doesn’t want us to hang on to resentment or complain about how we’ve been treated. He doesn’t want rejection to wound and cripple us. Instead, he wants to encourage us and excite us every time we step out in faith—no matter what kind of response we receive.
“Lord, I want to be faithful in proclaiming your word and reaching out to people in healing love. Help me to let go of my concern about how they may react.”
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