This week, Mark picks up the story from that point. For some reason, the Lectionary leaves out a verse which, you may have noticed, I put back in. Here it is again; “Then he went about among the villages teaching.” In the Greek, the word Mark uses is κυκλόθεν (koo-kloth'-en), which literally means that Jesus “went about in a circle”, making the full circuit of the Galilean communities.

Now, I invite you to hear this verse, this word κυκλόθεν, with the ears of your imagination. Could this be more than a literal description of Jesus’ movements? Could it also be Mark’s way of revealing something about Jesus’ state of mind? Could it be that he was so amazed, so astonished, even somewhat shaken by his experience in Nazareth that it threw a monkey wrench into the works?

Up until Nazareth, Jesus was on a roll. There, he seemed to encounter real resistance, interrupting the relentless forward movement of the first 5 chapters of Mark’s gospel, where “immediately” Jesus did this, and then “immediately” he did that, each event building more and more momentum. Maybe Mark is saying that after Nazareth, Jesus became preoccupied, lost in thought, maybe even going through the motions, “phoning it in”. I know it’s not a familiar way of thinking about Jesus, but is it possible that for a time, he was “going around in circles”? Maybe that explains why Mark doesn’t tell us a single thing about what Jesus’ taught in those other villages during that period, why there are no stories about healings or other works of power. So, what does Mark report instead? What’s the very next verse?

“Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” In short, he does a complete overhaul of his mission. We can’t be sure that this is the result of the Nazareth debacle, but Mark offers no other explanation. Whatever the reason, Jesus begins a crash program to train and equip his disciples for a major new ministry initiative. And what an initiative it is! What a remarkable assignment for the disciples, what extraordinary responsibility! Let’s look at this assignment more closely. What’s the basic task?

Well, actually, if Jesus gave them one, Mark is not specific about it. All we know is that he sent them out and that he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. This gives us a clue that the mission included exorcism and this is confirmed in the last two verse as Mark briefly summarizes their activities; “They cast out demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them”. And, oh yes…while they were at it, they “proclaimed that all should repent.” Hmm…exorcism, preaching repentance, healing; “This is a job for Superman.” Well, yes…exactly! It is, in fact, the job that up until this point, had been entrusted to none other than Jesus himself, well beyond what we consider normal human capacity.

So, Mark says, when Jesus sent them out, he gave them authority. The Greek word is ἐξουσία (ex-oo-see'-ah), which means having the power and the freedom to act, as an ambassador on behalf of the head of state, or the manager on behalf of the owner. In the New Testament, it is used most often to speak of a divinely given, superhuman ability to influence events as an extension of God’s will.

So, this ragtag bunch of Galilean fishermen were suddenly thrust into a ministry of deliverance, healing and evangelism. Their only training was a few weeks or months observing how Jesus did these things. Their only credential (and the only one they needed) was the fact that they were “sent”.

Further evidence of this divine commissioning can be found in Jesus’ instructions that they set off without food, money or extra clothing, trusting that their needs would be met along the way, taking “nothing for their journey except a staff”. Jesus’ command to carry a staff into the mission field would recall for these Jewish men the staff of Moses, which was associated with the presence of God in works of power, and the staff of the prophet Elisha, which was associated with healing. Carrying the staff would remind them of the authority entrusted to them for their mission, promote confidence on the part of those who would receive their ministry, and serve notice to any destructive spiritual powers of who they were up against.

Now, I invite you to imagine yourself in that situation, there among the disciples. It’s several days after the fiasco in Nazareth. You’ve stopped in a number of villages since then…there’s been no more trouble, but not much to write home about, either. When Jesus has not been deep in thought he’s been watching all of you with that dubious look on his face, as if he’s not sure why in the world he ever chose this bunch. After another so-so day of teaching and healing, you go back to your lodging and Jesus calls you together.

“My brothers”, says Jesus, “I’ve been thinking that is time to begin a new thing. We are here to bring the realm of God closer to the people, yet I have become a distraction. I am going to go into the hills, away by myself for a time. Meanwhile, each of you will find a partner and you will go two by two in all directions throughout Galilee to carry on the work I have done in your sight. Do you remember when I said to you “Follow me and I will make you fish for people”? Do you understand now that it was for this day that you left your nets and followed me?” Peter, always quicker to speak than to think, blurtes out, “Jesus, we have seen you heal my mother-in-law and deliver the madman of the Gerasenes and bring Jairus’ daughter back from the threshold of death. Surely, these things are far beyond us, and yet you would have us go by ourselves? That night on the lake, you saw that we had no power against the storm.”

“Yes, Peter, I remember very well how all of you failed that test. But do you remember how I challenged your lack of faith and your fear? You may not see it now, but in the days since then, you have responded to the challenge. You have grown in faith. Do you not see how it was for this purpose (in chapter 3, verses 13 and 14) that I took you up to the mountain and appointed you ἀποστέλλω, those who are set aside, set free, and “sent out to proclaim the message and to have authority to cast out demons”? You will go with my authority to do the work you have seen me do, which I have prepared you to do. Now, each of you will find yourself a sturdy staff, and carry it in remembrance of the staff of Moses, that parted the sea and brought water from the rock, and the staff of Elisha that was laid upon the face of the Shunammite child.”

And so, Mark tells us, they did go out and indeed they called people to change their lives and “cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” In next week’s gospel, we shall see how this experience of sharing the work of Jesus really begins to change the nature of their relationship with him, as they move further out of the role of passive observers and into a working partnership with Jesus, assuming greater responsibility for the emergence of God’s realm on earth.

Like them, you and I must certainly have misgivings about our calling to follow Jesus into service, whether it be a ministry of deliverance or healing or evangelism or service or prayer, or any number of things that help bring the realm of God closer to the people. We will certainly doubt, and with good reason, that we have the strength and the courage and the skill to assume the awesome responsibility of ἀποστέλλω, those who are sent out. But like the original ἀποστέλλω, we remember that we have seen what he does and how he does it…with love and compassion and sacrifice and perseverance. We may have no staff, but the wielding of a staff is a thing of another time…instead, we carry the presence of the living God within us, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Above all, he calls us to remember that we have been given authority in our baptism to carry out his work. The work of faith is to trust that this is more than enough. So, now, let us come to the altar to be fed and strengthened for our mission. AMEN