Mark 9:1-6
The first
time I went on mission, I did not know the people I was going to meet. I applied through an organization and
interviewed with different people. I
walked off the airplane looking for a sign with my name on it. It was an awkward experience. Thankfully, the people who were waiting for
me knew my name, face, and did not need a sign.
They welcomed me to their city and we stopped to pray.
When Jesus
commissioned his followers, the story was completely different. First of all, He called them and asked them
to follow Him (Luke 6:12-16). Second, he
mentored them and taught them the important truths about God (Luke 6:17-49). Third, he gave them power and authority to do
all that God had called (Luke 9:1-2).
Fourth, he gave them a very specific purpose and task, “to preach the kingdom of God and to heal
the sick.” (Luke 9:2)
One of the
great parts of this sending of the disciples is that they went. “So
they set out and went from village to village, preaching the Gospel, and
healing people everywhere.” (Luke
9:6) The disciples heard Jesus’ words
and they obeyed. They had seen his
miracles, listened to his teaching, and watched him refute his opponents. Now, he was asking them to share these
experiences with others.
Mission
service is not an additional commandment for the super spiritual. Serving others is a key component of
spiritual growth and maturity. Jesus
still desired to teach his followers some key truths about God and His
kingdom. However, he wanted to emphasize
the key place of serving others by focusing upon two aspects – forgiveness and
healing.
Jesus
instructed the disciples to, “…preach the
kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:2) The
primary aspect of mission service is the verbal proclamation of God’s
plan. Presence among people who do not
believe is not enough. Followers of
Jesus must verbalize the components of the Gospel: God’s love, man’s sin, man’s
problem, and God’s solution.
Jesus also
included a physical component in his commissioning, “…healing the sick.” (Luke
9:2b) Mission sending does not overlook,
downplay, or discount the visible repercussions of sin, suffering, and
separation from God. In times of need or
crisis, people are often more sensitive to spiritual realities.
When the
disciples returned from their mission, they shared their stories and
experiences with Jesus (Luke 9:10). He
listened to their incidents and anecdotes and then asked them to go away with
him for a few days. Jesus was grateful
for their service, but still had more lessons to teach and truths to explain.
Each time we hear God's voice and respond, He will use us to reflect His glory and help others more clearly understand the Gospel. For reflection:
1) With whom are you sharing the message of God's kingdom?
2) What is the time duration between God's commands and your responses?
Thanks for reading, listening, and responding.
Boyd