"Who do you think you
are?!?"
Even with that question /
statement from his hometown in Nazareth, Jesus chooses to take the high road…
out of love. He still helps some of those who were ill and in need.
It's interesting though,
in combination with the previous stories involving the synagogue ruler, Jairus,
and his daughter, as well as the "unclean woman," people needed to
believe in what Jesus was doing. As I mentioned in the past blog post, a
centering / a focus had to take place. Jesus sought out those who would respond to his miracles and
message. Hence a departure from Nazareth was imminent. And something
different was about to happen.
As is inevitable in the
process of teaching, there comes a time when the pupils need to go out and put
to use what they've learned. The disciples are no different. It reminds me of
what Dr. Marjorie Suchocki said at a class I recently attended at Claremont
School of Theology. "God's love pulls you in and then sends you out."
Jesus gives instructions
to the disciples -- to go out by two's (read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12); to have authority; to take as little as possible on the journey.
And… preach to and heal those who would
respond to the message.
But why carry as little as
possible? If you were going on a journey into the great unknown, wouldn't you
want as much clothing, protection, money, food,… as you could wear or carry?
The study group bandied
about several thoughts and ideas. Among those…
* Going forth in this
manner forced the disciples to rely on each other (good for someone to have
your back or pick you up when you're down [bound to be rejected]).
* They had to trust in
God's care rather than on themselves. Utter, implicit trust.
* Being dressed in the
manner Jesus requested would allow the disciples to be identified with the
common folk. This would bring about credibility.
Note -- At the end of this blog post, I've described what
they would typically wear and carry.
Another possible reason
relates to the Rabbinic law when a man entered the Temple, all ordinary things
(including staff, shoes, money girdle) were to be set aside. Knowing this,
Jesus may have meant for the disciples to see that the humble homes they were
to enter on this journey were every bit as sacred as the Temple courts. [i]
In verses 12 and 13, there
is one topic which I want to address: repent.
To repent. To change one's
mind. To fit one's actions into a new mindset now that your mind has changed.
How hard is it to repent?
Extremely. Why? It would seem if you did something wrong, you'd want to make
things right. Easy enough, yes?
Not so much. Because if
anyone is truly willing to repent (to the full meaning of the word), it could
mean a complete reversal in the way one's life has been lived. One has to take
a hard look into the mirror and see what is being reflected, and then come to
terms with it. To admit.
Repentance is disturbing
-- especially to those who are comfortable in who they are and what they've
done. It's easier to maintain "as is." The last thing folks want to
be is "disturbed." As someone once told me, "Repentance is
revolutionary."
I'd like to go one step
further for us to look at what the disciples did:
* They preached. That
means someone was open-minded; someone listened.
* They spoke of
repentance. That means someone grappled with forgiveness and looked at their
actions -- from a perspective of love.
* They worked mightily
with those who had afflictions. That means inner demons (that which had hold
of) were released.
* They anointed those who
were ill and healed them. That means the broken physical bodies of individuals
were being restored.
They focused on the
"whole" self and not just on the "soul" self.
I think this is where
Jesus was making a point -- a very important point -- through his disciples.
Be open to the message. Be
willing to experience the miraculous. Be centered with a loving God. Be willing
to let go of your demons. Be willing to let go of that which hurts you and
others. Be willing to let others care for you and support you, as God
desperately wants to do. Let it pour over you -- inward and outward -- through
you and out of you. Be loving to God and to your neighbor.
What do you think the
disciples brought to the people?
Or putting it in a
different context… what are we going
to bring to the people?
Something to seriously consider.
NEXT…
Sex and Politics
As a point of further information, the articles of
dress would have included:
* The tunic (also called the chiton
or sindon). This innermost garment
was simply a long piece of cloth folded over and sewn down on one side. Such garments
were commonly sold without any hole for the head to go through. At its
simplest, the inner garment was little more than a sack of holes cut in the
corners.
* The himation. This outer garment was used as a cloak by day and as a
blanket by night. It was composed of a piece of cloth seven feet from left to
right and four and a half feet from top to bottom.
* The girdle. It was worn over the two garments. The skirts of the tunic
could be hitched up under the girdle for work or for running. A double part
formed a pocket like a money-belt, and in that pocket money was carried.
* The head-dress. This was a piece of cotton or linen about a yard
square. It was folded diagonally and then placed on the head so that it
protected the back of the neck, the cheek-bones, and the eyes from the heat and
glare of the sun.
* The sandals. These were merely flat soles of leather, wood or matted
grass. The soles had thongs at the edges through which a strap passed.
* The wallet. This may be one of two things. It may be the ordinary
traveler's bag. This bag was made of a kid's (goat's) skin. Often the animal
was skinned whole and the skin retained the original shape of the animal, legs,
and tail, and head and all! …It may be a collecting-bag often used by priests
and devotees to collect contributions for their temple and their god. [ii]
