Devils and Dust

Mark 6:1-13

July 9, 2006

Sports teams always like to play before a hometown crowd. They say that the “fan factor” can really help the home team win games.

But when it comes to ministry, playing to the home town crowd is oftentimes a disappointing experience. It is sometimes hard for people we know to see the Lord working through us.
As we see in our Gospel reading this morning, this happened to Jesus when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth .

Mark tells us that Jesus and his entourage of disciples entered his hometown, and when the Sabbath day came, Jesus began to teach in the synagogue. We are told that when the members of the congregation heard him begin to preach, "they were amazed."

Probably much the same way my Sunday school teacher would be amazed if she heard me preaching today!
But you could imagine the front-page story in the Nazareth Times that Sunday: “Local Boy Makes Good” – followed by a report on the miracles that Jesus had been performing.

In the previous chapter, Mark records how Jesus had performed some great miracles – away from home.
Jesus had healed the man possessed of a legion of devils (Mk 5: 1-20) and then he had raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mk 5:21 -43), and as we heard last week, the woman with the 12-year bleeding problem was healed.

Do you know of anyone in your family or from your hometown who became well-known or famous? 

How is that person treated by their friends and family?

In verse 3 we read how the Nazarenes responded to Jesus:

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him. (Mk 6:3)

You would think that the people of Nazareth would have welcomed Jesus as a local hero and rolled out the red carpet for him.

But instead, they took offense at him.

Why did the Nazarenes reject him?

Well I think it is because they saw him as “one of them”. In their eyes he wasn’t someone special. Who did he think he was - rising above his station?

I mean, he had left Nazareth alone, and as a carpenter. He returns with a group of followers, and as a Rabbi. What’s that all about?  Does he think that he’s better than us now? (Well, he is the Son of God!)

He’s just Jesus, Mary’s son.

Jesus realizes that his hometown visit isn’t going very well. He says to them, "Only in his hometown, among relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." No matter what he did or said, they would not recognize him as the Messiah that the Scriptures had spoken of. This man who had performed so many miracles, who had taught so many about the Kingdom of God and had healed multitudes of people, could not be given the time of day in his hometown.

Can any of you relate to that?  You could be the president of the United States , but when you go back home you’re just the kid who chopped down the cherry tree.

What a contrast to the woman last week who was healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. To her he said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you." Here in his hometown he says, "I can not do any healing miracles here because of their lack of faith."

We never know who God is going to use to spread his word and to build the Kingdom.  It could be the person next door.  In fact, you could be that person next door that Jesus uses!  I would hope that God is using each and every one of you, for when we are confirmed or become a Christian, we pledge our lives to serve Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

We need to be open to God’s miracles in our lives, and to believe in the people that God uses to show us his love—even if it’s someone we grew up with, or our parents, or even our children.

Listen, I still have to break out the portable defibrillator every time someone I grew up with finds out that I’m a pastor.

You see, Jesus wants to use us—ordinary people—to go and to show his love to those who shut him out.

After the dismal reception that Jesus receives in Nazareth , the second part of our Gospel reading this morning tells of the great miracles that the disciples did when Jesus sent them out into the surrounding villages.
Mark records: They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mk 6:13)

By his example, Jesus teaches his disciples—and us—how to do the work of the ministry. He’s saying, "Alright. You’ve watched me preach. You’ve seen me do healings. You’ve observed me driving out demons. You’ve watched me love people that have never been loved before. You’ve seen me do the things that a servant of God would do. Now it’s time for YOU to do it! I didn’t pick 12 apostles so that you could stand around and watch me do all the work! It’s time for you to get some experience!"

Jesus says the same to us today.  We are all called to be in ministry in one form or another.  But Jesus doesn’t just “throw us to the wolves,” he leads by example. He gives us practical examples of both success and of failure.  Before he tells the disciples to go out there and do the work of the ministry, he was out there doing it first! Jesus didn’t hide up in heaven and tell us what to do from a distance. He came down here and showed us what to do! He’s a very hands on, practical Savior.

He does this because we are all called to serve.

We talk a lot about getting people to come to our church. But we don’t talk enough about getting our church to go to the people. That’s what Jesus is talking about here! He doesn’t say, "Wait in the sanctuary, and pray for people to come in and fill the pews." He’s saying, "I want the people in the pews (or beach chairs) to go to them!"

I am convinced that most of the ministry that God calls us to do is outside the church. It happens when we reach out with God’s word to the people in our own towns. When we teach our kids right from wrong. When we discuss Bible stories around the dinner table. When we reach out in Christian friendship to coworkers that God has placed in our lives. Reaching out with the love of God beyond the walls of this building. That’s our model for ministry.

The second part of verse seven says that he "gave them authority over evil spirits." Sometimes I hear people say, "I can’t serve the Lord! I can’t cast out the demons in my own life, let alone anyone else’s. I’m not strong enough! I can’t do it!"

Of course, that’s just the devil in our lives telling us that we are not worthy or are ill-equipped to serve the Lord.

And you know what, in a sense you’re right! You’re not strong enough on your own! But Jesus is not asking you to do this in your own strength. He’s not asking you to minister in your own power. He’s giving you his power for ministry!

Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"

God wants us to know that we are all called to minister to his people, and when we step out on faith to serve Him, we will not leave us out there all alone. He will equip us and send us.

And hey, no one said that it would be easy or go smoothly all the time.  When you share God’s love, people are bound to be skeptical, or even downright nasty—even in our hometowns.

If that’s the case, do as Jesus told the disciples to do—just shake off the dust and move on.

The point is that God never intended for us to be spectator Christians. We all need to be involved in some kind of ministry. Whether it’s Bible study, or evangelism, or visiting the elderly, or encouraging other believers.

Each one of us needs hands on practical experience. Otherwise, your Christian education isn’t complete. If you’re not using what God gave you, you’re just marking time in life waiting for your last breath.

Begin a life that matters, a life that counts, a life that makes a difference in the lives of others—commit or recommit your life to Christ and serve him.

Forget about what the devil is telling you and shake off that dust, and you’ll be amazed at what you can do in the name of Christ!