Mark 6. Community Conflict and Multiplying Mission

I still remember the first time my dad let me mow the lawn on my own.  I guess I was 12.  I think I wanted to try it for about 2 years.  It was a riding mower.  I had seen him mow hundred of times.  He showed me how everything worked, talking to me about the gears and throttle, the mower deck and blade.  I knew how to be safe before I ever sat in the seat.  I had even driven it in his presence several times.  He corrected me more than once as I failed to turn off the blade or missed a spot of grass.   Then one day, he handed me the keys.   
Jesus' rejection in his hometown causes a shift in his ministry strategy.  Did  you see it?  First, he becomes more itinerant, traveling to more villages.  Second, he sends the twelve out to do what he has been doing.  They become spirit-filled practitioners of his gospel work.  He is not so interested in growing a single community of believers or followers.  He sends them out like a scattering of seeds in the rich soil of Galilee.  What they do in those villages and homes and communities brings life and hope to people that one man couldn't possibly accomplish alone.  His mission spreads like an infection.  It is passed on through person- to- person contact.  It seems like his rejection there motivates him to move in a new direction. Why?  His movement is bigger and broader in scope than he can build alone.  He is building a culture of disciples, a culture of shalom, of life and health and peace.  And he is not a one-man show.  He knows that the mission's long term sustainability must not depend on him.  Because he will die.  So, the movement must be passed on to others, who can learn to do what he does.        
Just when this new strategy unfolds, we hear the story of John the Baptist's death.  The significance of which we can begin to understand in retrospect.  John's movement in the wilderness, like the Essene community of desert dwelling ascetic Jews of which he was likely a part, dies with him.  There is no longstanding Jewish community observing baptism for the forgiveness of sins, even after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.  What does this teach us?  Jesus practiced a discipleship that apprenticed people into his ministry and mission.  John did not.  His mission was to identify Jesus and to prepare the way of the Lord.  Jesus mission is to change the world by making disciples who make disciples. When faith communities become leader dependent, they live or die with that leader.  When faith communities become leadership schools, the mission long outlives its founder. 
The story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is more than a feeding miracle.  The real miracle is that the disciples become agents of God's divine power and grace.  They get to become part of God's daily feeding miracle, as the creator provides food for the earth and all its creatures.  They get to be part of God's grace economy.  And, their work does not end with one day's feeding.  Twelve baskets of leftovers remind them that their work, the mission continues. They are invited and challenged to join the mission of God to take, bless, break, and feed, the hungry world.  They are called to bring the healing, to bring the peace, to bring the kingdom to a suffering world.  This whole chapter reveals the intention of discipleship---to multiply the mission, to feed more hungry people, and to strengthen our faith in Jesus.  He is not absent.  He is observing us to correct us.  He has not abandoned his followers.  He did not abandon them then.  He has not abandoned us now.  He has just given us the keys and said, "You do it.  Keep going.  It's your turn."    It may be that, like the 12, we fail to understand our role in God's just and peaceful rule.  But we have one.  We must discover it.  Our calling.  Our gifts.  Our tasks. The good news is that we get to discover together and see the Jesus movement unfold before us. 

Mark 6. Commnity conflict, Multiplying Mission

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^* and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence^* at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching. ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If 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.’ ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Death of John the Baptist

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’^* name had become known. Some were^* saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ ¹⁵But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ ¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’
17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^* had married her. ¹⁸For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ ¹⁹And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed;^* and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²²When his daughter Herodias^* came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ ²³And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ ²⁴She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’ ²⁵Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ ²⁶The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s^* head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Feeding the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³²And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; ³⁶send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ ³⁷But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii^* worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ ³⁸And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ ³⁹Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²And all ate and were filled; ⁴³and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. ⁴⁹But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; ⁵⁰for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ ⁵¹Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, ⁵²for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, ⁵⁵and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Invitation/Challenge Matrix.
What culture did Jesus experience in his hometown?  What did he do about it?  Why was he rendered powerless there?
Jesus sends the twelve out to multiply his ministry. When he does, we learn about the death of John the Baptist.  Why are these two stories connected?  How does John's death affect Jesus and the 12?
What culture does Jesus create with the hungry crowds?  With the disciples at the end of a long day?
Why does it matter that Jesus "walks on water"?