Set the captives free

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.  --Luke 4:18-19

Einstein said, "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."  Aung San Suu Kyi said, "The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear."  The Apostle Paul said, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

Paul mentored young Timothy, who eventually led the Church at Ephesus.  In the same way, Jesus mentored His twelve disciples, eleven of whom went on to be great leaders in their own right.  A great mentor will know when it is time to send their protege out on his own and be successful.  This is what happened in our passage for today, Mark 6:7-13.

And He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.  He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in their belts--but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.  And He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.  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.  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The making of an apostle

When Jesus called the twelve disciples together, he gave them authority over demons and disease.  He also gave them strict instructions about how to proceed, which we will discuss later.  The important thing about verse 7 is, I think, the verb "send".  He sent them with a mission and a message, with an appointed purpose.  The Greek word translated "to send" is apostello.  The noun with the same root word is the source of our English word "apostle."

Many times we see the word "apostle" and think it is a title bestowed upon a great church leader.  In fact, many denominations will nominate and appoint some leader in their church to the title and the office of "apostle."  It is good for us to remember that the original word "apostle" as used by Jesus meant someone who was sent forth to proclaim the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons.

According to Strong's, the word apostello means to order (one) to go to an appointed place, or to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty.  Just as Jesus had been sent by God to preach repentance and heal diseases and set people free from demonic possession, so Jesus gave this same authority to the disciples.  They had jurisdiction in the physical and spiritual realm imparted to them by God Himself.  He gave them leave to command sickness and spirits to depart.

Think about this.  If you go to a bankruptcy judge and ask him to prosecute or pronounce sentence upon a thief, the judge will tell you he has no authority or jurisdiction in this matter and send you to the criminal court.  Similarly, a Federal judge does not have jurisdiction over State laws.  Similarly, the disciples may have thought they had limited jurisdiction over their own affairs, but not over others', and certainly not over spirits or sicknesses.  Jesus set them free from all such constraints, and gave them authority.  They were set free to serve.  They were commissioned to contend against demons and death (both physical and spiritual). 

Being vulnerable

Jesus sent the disciples in pairs, probably in part for protection.  However, He commanded them not to take anything by way of resources: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; not even an extra tunic.  They were to go in the power and protection of the Spirit alone, without any other means of support.  How many of us say to ourselves, "When I retire I might be a missionary," or even "When I meet certain financial goals I might use some of those resources to spread the Gospel."  We forget that God will accomplish His purpose to His good will and for His own glory.  He doesn't need our wealth or patronage.

The companion passage in Matthew 10 sheds more light on this.  On the one hand, rely on God's grace for your physical sustenance, "for the laborer deserves his food." (Matthew 10:10b).  On the other hand, do not go into this with the idea of profiting from it financially: "You received without paying; give without pay.  Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts." (Matthew 10:8b-9).  For us, I believe it is a warning against those who proclaim the Name of Jesus from their mansions or their personal jets.  Remember, Judas was among the twelve who were sent out--this same Judas was described as the group treasurer (John 12:6 and 13:29).  Judas eventually fell away and betrayed Jesus, but not before being commissioned as an apostle and given authority over demons and diseases.  The same Jesus who declared that "even the rocks will cry out" praises to God if we are silent is the same One who can use a Judas for His glory.

There is a passage in Acts chapter 3 that illustrates what it must have been like to be sent out in pairs to meet human needs in Jesus' Name.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.  And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.  Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.  And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."  And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.  But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.  In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.  And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.  --Acts 3:1-8

 Be like Jesus

Verses 10 and 11 encouraged them to stay where they were welcomed and to leave where they were not welcomed.  This implies that the Spirit of God went before them to prepare hearts, and those who were receptive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit would invite them into their homes.  We should trust that the Holy Spirit goes before us when we are doing the will of the Father by proclaiming the Son.

There was a Jewish custom to welcome strangers to stay in homes with families.  This was before there were commercial hotels and inns.  You will recall the story of Lot in Genesis 19, where he sat in the city square, and if he recognized any strangers he would offer them room and board in his own home.  In the evil city where he lived (Sodom), he also offered protection from the evil men there.  Similarly, we know that Jesus went from town to town preaching, and He was always taken in by a local homeowner who showed Him hospitality.  Therefore it was not so strange that He would instruct His disciples to stay with the locals in whatever towns they traveled to.  If their message was not accepted in the town (just as Jesus was not accepted in Nazareth--see Mark 6:1-6), then they were to shake the dust from their feet and move on.

Verses 12 and 13 indicate the success that the disciples had in following their Master.  They proclaimed that people should repent (as Jesus had in His early ministry--see Mark 1:15).  They cast out demons and healed many who were sick, just as Jesus had modeled for them.  They were fulfilling the mission and work of Jesus, and would continue even after His crucifixion and resurrection.  We, too, have a purpose as a Christ follower.  We have been sent out in the world to model Him.  We are given power to do the works commissioned for us by Him.  We are set free from restraints that the world would place upon us, to His glory.