FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

[cappie]

Again, this week, we hear the theme of rejection: Amos experiences it, and Jesus warns the Apostles that some will not welcome or listen to them. The Church is called not necessarily to be successful but only to be faithful to God’s command and so, today’s Gospel picks up where last week’s left off.

Last week Jesus was not having one of his better days. The people who knew him best, his neighbours and relatives, heard him preach in the synagogue and, instead of being proud of him, they said,  “This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And Mark says And they would not accept him. Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith.

Mark’s Gospel that we read today shows us that Jesus did what he could and kept going. He kept going through the villages teaching, and we hear that he’s beginning to send out the Twelve Apostles to proclaim the same message about the kingdom of God. That should tell us something about having confidence in the message that we proclaim as Christians.

One of the things the church has learned from this Gospel story is that, like the Apostles, we’re given the charge  to share what we believe about God, and to live a certain way because we are Christians, and to share that way with others. It’s not always easy for us. We meet people who don’t believe the things we do, and maybe they make us feel foolish. We could get discouraged, or we could even be afraid that we don’t really know enough to talk about the message we’re challenged to share.  

It might help us to look at the rest of today’s Gospel and think about the way Jesus sent out the Twelve. One of the most important things to realize is that he sent them out together. They went out by twos — like them, we share the life of a “community.” We aren’t expected to do it alone. Jesus also told them not to take anything extra with them — not to take an extra tunic or bread or a bag or even money. Now, we often hear that this should teach us to rely on God for all we need.

However, like most Scripture readings, this Gospel has several messages. It does teach us to rely on God, but it also teaches us that we don’t have to have whole act together before we can begin to share the message of the Gospel. Maybe these Apostles didn’t have two tunics to begin with–maybe they didn’t already have extra money they could put in a bag. Remember, these men were fishermen for the most part. They were labourers and family men, not the high priests or scribes of that day. They certainly hadn’t spent years in school. They probably struggled with everyday living the way many of us do today.

So, here Jesus is sending them out with what they have and no more, and the interesting thing is that the Gospel says that “he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” So off they went and found out that they could call people to repent. They could even cast out demons. They anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. We might not see ourselves doing that sort of thing today; as many kids say today, “That was then, this is now.” What was relevant then is often very different from what is relevant now. We are given authority to do things that are relevant to our own lives, whether we are bishops, priests, deacons, or lay people, and whether we’re rich or poor.

 Let us, then, give thanks for the Church today, and for the spiritual blessings God has bestowed upon us. Let us resolve to further the Church’s mission—to help others hear the call to repentance and welcome Christ into their lives.