Mark 6:7-13

Find a way to separate yourself from whatever’s going on around you so you can fully enter into today’s passage. if you haven’t read the introduction to Mark’s Gospel, read it here.

Be silent and still for a minute or two, and then read Mark 6:7-13 imagining the feelings of the disciples.

They have watched Jesus’ everyday life, listened to his teaching, and witnessed his miracles, and now he sends them out. But not alone. He sends them out to minister together in partnership. They will experience the power of the kingdom of God flowing through them in community, and it will both comfort them and keep them from thinking too highly of their individual abilities. God is the one who makes the farmer’s seeds grow, after all.

It’s interesting that just after a deeply disappointing experience in Nazareth, Jesus chooses to send out his disciples to multiply the spread of the Good News. Jesus doesn’t sugar-coat anything. His words to the disciples are not a pep talk or an inspirational speech, they are the truth, plain and simple. The disciples are to rely on the hospitality of people but realize that not everyone will welcome them, so they should be ready to move on and not spend time feeling discouraged – just as Jesus did from Nazareth.

Read Mark 6:7-13 again imagining yourself being sent out by Jesus.

Who do you have in your life with whom you can share your spiritual journey and with whom you can celebrate your faithfulness to Jesus’ mission?

Talk to Jesus about this for moment. If you don’t have a “spiritual friend,” ask the Holy Spirit to bring someone to mind whom you could ask to join you in the journey.

When you are faithful to Jesus and actively seeking to bring shalom to the world around you, what do you expect in return?

Spend some time meditating on this and share your thoughts and feelings with Jesus.

End your time by making a plan for pursuing spiritual friendship.

If these meditations are helpful to you, please forward them to couple of friends.

Interested in going deeper? Check out The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide and blog.