The Gospel for this Sunday is from Mark 6:1-13. The passage contains two sections: a) Mark 6:1-6, Jesus being rejected at Nazareth, and b) Mark 6:7-13, Jesus sending out the twelve Apostles.
In the first section, we see Jesus teaching in His hometown synagogue. Most of His old acquaintances are not favorably impressed. In fact, they take offense. "And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them." (Mark 6: 4-5 ESV). In this case, familiarity breeds contempt, and the unbelief of the people at Nazareth hinders the more dramatic expressions of His ministry. Although our Lord heals a few individuals, He moves on to minister elsewhere. This is a reminder that even as presented by Jesus Himself, the Gospel is not always accepted.
In the second section, Jesus sends out the Twelve in pairs and provides instructions for their ministry on His behalf. Again, we see that Christ's Gospel will not be universally accepted. He warns the Apostles, "And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11 ESV). Yet, despite some resistance, the overall result is positive. The Apostles do proclaim the message of repentance, cast out demons, and heal many of the sick. The Gospel spreads and the Kingdom advances.
Thus, in our Gospel from Mark 6, we see the two-sided results of proclaiming the Christian message. The Christian proclamation does not meet with universal acceptance. This reality is true both in the New Testament and in our times. In many places, people do not believe. Some of them are bluntly hostile to Christ or to the Christian message; some are skeptical or quietly doubtful. Nevertheless, some people have their hearts opened by God's grace, and when that happens, there is repentance and faith. And there are many cases of spiritual or physical healing. Christ's work continues!
