Mission Grounded in Rejection

Mark 6:1-13

This reading is comprised of two stories – the rejection of Jesus in his home town (vv.1-6 and the sending of the twelve (vv. 7-13). Mark connects them in vv.6-7, by having Jesus leave his home town and go around teaching to the surrounding villages, then sending the twelve to go out as well. I find it best to consider each story in its own right, then to consider them as a couplet. Interestingly, the second story – of the twelve’s mission – actually concludes in 6:30-31: “The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Like Jesus, the disciple were doing and teaching. Like Jesus, they needed a deserted place to get away from the crowds and for restoration. And, in my mind, that is the point of this whole pericope – those who follow Jesus are invited to be like Jesus, by participating in the Reign of God at hand.

¹Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. 

And he left there, and is entering into his home town, and his disciples are following him.

ἐξῆλθεν: AAI 3s, ἐξέρχομαι, 1) to go or come forth of  1a) with mention of the place out of which one goes, or the  point from which he departs

ἔρχεται: PMI 3s, , ἐξέρχομαι, 1) to go or come forth of  1a) with mention of the place out of which one goes, or the  point from which he departs

ἀκολουθοῦσιν: PAI 3p, ἀκολουθέω, 1) to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant,  accompany him  2) to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple

“And he left there” is a reference to Jairus’ house, where Jesus has just raised a 12 year old girl to life. Within that story, he had healed a woman who had been suffering for 12 years. In the next story, he will send out the 12.

²καὶ γενομένου σαββάτου ἤρξατο διδάσκειν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ: καὶ πολλοὶ 

ἀκούοντες ἐξεπλήσσοντο λέγοντες, Πόθεν τούτῳ ταῦτα, καὶ τίς ἡ σοφία ἡ 

δοθεῖσα τούτῳ καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις τοι αῦται διὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ γινόμεναι; 

And when the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue; and hearing many were infuriated saying, “Where these things? And this wisdom which has been given to him and the powerful deeds which are happening through his hands? 

γενομένου: AMPart gsn, γίνομαι, 1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being  2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen

ἤρξατο : AMI 3s, ἄρχω, 1) to be chief, to lead, to rule

διδάσκειν : PAInf, διδάσκω, 1) to teach 

ἀκούοντες : PAPart npm, ἀκούω, 1) to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf  2) to hear 

ἐξεπλήσσοντο: IPI 3p, amazed, to be exceedingly struck in mind (from ἐκ intensive, and πλήσσω to strike).

λέγοντες: PAPart npm, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

δοθεῖσα: APPart nfs, APPart nsf, δίδωμι, 1) to give  2) to give something to someone  2a) of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage 

γινόμεναι:  PAPart afp, γίνομαι, 1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being  2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen

There is something about the crowd’s actions in vv.2-3 that evoke a reaction from Jesus in v.4. Most translations say that the crowd was “amazed” (NIV) or “astonished” (KJV, ESV), or “astounded (NRSV) at what they were hearing. Mark uses ἐξεπλήσσοντο five times: Mk.1:22; here; Mk. 7:37; Mk. 10:26; and Mk.11:18. Is ‘astonishment’ a good thing? Does it have negative connotations? Or, is it a neutral term in itself, taking its shade of meaning from its context? I lean toward the latter and am translating it negatively here because Mark immediately says that the people were ‘scandalized’ by what Jesus said. If they are infuriated, the questions that follow are challenging, not identifying questions. Perhaps, “What the hell is he saying? How does he come to be able to do these things? Isn’t just that carpenter kid of Mary’s?” etc.

Michael Turton points out that the reference to the powerful deeds done ‘through his hands’ sounds complimentary until one sees that Jesus is called a ‘craftsman’ (or ‘carpenter’) in the next sentence, a reference to one who works with one’s hands. http://users2.ev1.net/~turton/GMark/GMark06.html#6.p.1.6

³οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τέκτων, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίας καὶ ἀδελφὸς Ἰακώβου καὶ 

Ἰωσῆτος καὶ Ἰούδα καὶ Σίμωνος; καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ ὧδε πρὸς 

ἡμᾶς; καὶ ἐσκανδαλίζοντο ἐν αὐτῷ. 

Is this not the craftsman, the son of Mary and brother of James and Justus and Judah and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?  And they were scandalized in him.

ἐστιν (2x): PAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

εἰσὶν: PAI 3p, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

ἐσκανδαλίζοντο: IPI 3p, σκανδαλίζω, 1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which  another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend

There is quite a bit of family information here that shows above all else that these really are Jesus’ own people who know him and his family well. I don’t know how people who ascribe to the perpetual virginity of Mary read this text, but I suspect they broaden the meaning of ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ to mean relatives in general. I offer no opinion on the matter.

The ‘son of Mary’ phrase, however, could be loaded. Perhaps Joseph is dead and one does not speak of the dead. Perhaps ‘son of Mary’ instead of ‘son of Joseph and Mary’ is a jab at Jesus’ dubious origin (which Mark never mentions, however). Again, this is an interpretive question, trying to capture the meaning and tone of the crowd’s reaction, and largely speculative on my part as well as anyone else’s.

We have met Jesus’ family already in Mark’s story. Mark 3:21 says, “When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’” Then, in 3:31, “Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him.”

⁴καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν προφήτης ἄτιμος εἰ μὴ ἐν τῇ 

πατρίδι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς συγγενεῦσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 

And Jesus was saying to them, “No prophet is without honor except among his home town and among his relatives and among his house.” 

ἔλεγεν: IAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

ἔστιν: PAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

While I typically translate ἐν as ‘in,’ it seems that ‘among’ fits better here.

The idea that a prophet has no honor in the home town or among one’s own people is not a quote from the OT. Most commentators say it seems to be a proverbial expression that has its origins elsewhere. What does Jesus mean by saying it? (Or, if you will, what does Mark mean by having Jesus say it?) It is a backhanded way of identifying Jesus as a prophet? Is it a forehanded way of aligning these folks with the long history of those who rejected the prophets?

Mark does not mention the name of the town in this story. Mark identifies Jesus as being from Nazareth in 1:9. Then, he says in 2:1 that when Jesus returned to Capernaum it was reported that he was at home. [Incidentally, Matthew 4:12-13 says, “Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,” followed by Matthew’s characteristic display that this move fulfilled what was written in the OT.]  

⁵καὶ οὐκ ἐδύνατο ἐκεῖ ποιῆσαι οὐδεμίαν δύναμιν, εἰ μὴ ὀλίγοις ἀρρώστοις 

ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας ἐθεράπευσεν: 

And he was not able to do any powerful deeds there, except laying on hands he healed a few sick folk.  

ἐδύνατο: IMI 3s, δύναμαι, 1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and  resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable  circumstances, or by permission of law or custom 

ποιῆσαι: AAInf, ποιέω, 1) to make  1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct,  form, fashion, etc.

ἐπιθεὶς: AAPart nsm, ἐπιτίθημι, 1) in the active voice  1a) to put or lay upon

ἐθεράπευσεν: AAI 3s, θεραπεύω, 1) to serve, do service  2) to heal, cure, restore to health 

This sentence literally reads ‘not able to do no powerful deeds,’ but the double negative does not equal a positive in Greek.

I’ve always thought this was an interesting observation – he couldn’t do anything, you know, except heal a few sick folk. But, other than that, he couldn’t do anything!

⁶καὶ ἐθαύμαζεν διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν. Καὶ περιῆγεν τὰς κώμας κύκλῳ 

διδάσκων. 

And he was amazed at their unbelief.  And he was going around the surrounding villages teaching.

ἐθαύμαζεν: IAI 3s, θαυμάζω, 1) to wonder, wonder at, marvel  2) to be wondered at, to be had in admiration

περιῆγεν: IAI 3s, περιάγω, 1) to lead around, to lead about with one's self  2) to go about, walk about 

διδάσκων: PAPart nsm, διδάσκω, 1) to teach  1a) to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them,  deliver didactic discourses 

Now, it’s Jesus’ turn to be amazed at them. θαυμάζω is the typical term that Mark uses for being amazed.

I use the word “surrounding” because the adjective κύκλῳ carries the meaning of going in circles. Added to that is the prefix περι from “going around” (περιῆγεν), which also means ‘around.’ I think having ‘around’ then ‘surrounding’ picks up on this redundancy of ‘round’ words. The point of the redundancy seems to be that Jesus is not teaching or sending the twelve in villages around his own town, but not in his own town.

⁷καὶ προσκαλεῖται τοὺς δώδεκα, καὶ ἤρξατο αὐτοὺς ἀποστέλλειν δύο δύο, 

καὶ ἐδίδου αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τῶν πνευμάτων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων: 

And he calls to the twelve, and began to send them two by two, and gave to them authority of the unclean spirits;

προσκαλεῖται: PMI 3s, προσκαλέομαι, 1) to call to  2) to call to one's self  3) to bid to come to one's self 

ἤρξατο: AMI 3s, ἄρχω, 1) to be chief, to lead, to rule

ἀποστέλλειν: PAInf, ἀποστέλλω, 1) to order (one) to go to a place appointed  2) to send away, dismiss

ἐδίδου: IAI 3s, δίδωμι, 1) to give  2) to give something to someone  2a) of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage

In my own reading of Mark (for which I am still awaiting someone knowledgeable to offer support), I think this is an incredibly important moment. Here’s my not-quite-developed opinion of the so-called ‘messianic secret’ in Mark. The “messianic secret” attempts to name a motif that certainly is central to Mark’s gospel – the repetitive ‘don’t say anything’ moments right where we don’t expect them.  For me, however, it is not so much a secret as a re-direction. By attempting over and over to make him ‘the Messiah,’ people were missing the point of his message, which was that the Reign of God was present and that they all were invited to participate in it. As long as they had the Messiah to embody the reign, they were missing the participation part. To ‘follow’ is less to point, observe, marvel, or coronate and more about joining along, taking up the message, and doing the deeds. My point is, I don’t think the “messianic secret” is a literary device by Mark, but a theological point, that Mark saw Jesus trying to re-direct his message away from himself and toward the participating followers. The message in Mark’s original ending, “Go to Galilee and there he will meet you” is a way of sending the followers back to this village-based activity-message.

⁸καὶ παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδὲν αἴρωσιν εἰς ὁδὸν εἰ μὴῥάβδον μόνον, μὴ 

ἄρτον, μὴ πήραν, μὴ εἰς τὴν ζώνην χαλκόν, 

And charged them, that they would take up nothing onto the way except a staff only, not bread, not a bag not money in the belt,

παρήγγειλεν: AAI 3s, παραγγέλλω, 1) to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce  2) to command, order, charge 

αἴρωσιν: PASubj 3p, αἴρω, 1) to raise up, elevate, lift up  1a) to raise from the ground, take up: stones  1b) to raise upwards, elevate, lift up: the hand  

⁹ ἀλλὰ ὑποδεδεμένους σανδάλια καὶ μὴ ἐνδύσησθε δύο χιτῶνας. 

but binding sandals and not wearing two tunics.

ὑποδεδεμένους: PerfMPart apm, to bind or tie under with ὑπό (a) in middle to bind under one's feet, put on shoes (this specific meaning occurs only in Mar 6:9. Eph 6:15)

ἐνδύσησθε: AMSubj 2p, ἐνδύω, 1) to sink into (clothing), put on, clothe one's self

So far, we do not know what, exactly, Jesus is calling the twelve to do. We know how they were organized, empowered, simplified, and dressed.

¹⁰καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Οπου ἐὰν εἰσέλθητε εἰς οἰκίαν, ἐκεῖ μένετε ἕως ἂν 

ἐξέλθητε ἐκεῖθεν.

And he was saying to them, “Wherever you would enter into a house, there remain until you would leave there.

ἔλεγεν: IAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

εἰσέλθητε: AASubj 2p, εἰσέρχομαι, 1) to go out or come in: to enter  1a) of men or animals, as into a house or a city

μένετε: PAImpv 2p, μένω, 1) to remain, abide  1a) in reference to place  1a1) to sojourn, tarry  1a2) not to depart  

ἐξέλθητε: AASubj 2p, εξέρχομαι, 1) to go or come forth of  1a) with mention of the place out of which one goes, or the  point from which he departs

¹¹ καὶ ὃς ἂν τόπος μὴ δέξηται ὑμᾶς μηδὲ ἀκούσωσιν ὑμῶν, ἐκπορευόμενοι ἐκεῖθεν ἐκτινάξατε τὸν χοῦν τὸν ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς.

And whatever place might not receive you or might not listen to you, leaving there shake the bottom dust of your feet into a witness to them.

δέξηται: AMSubj 3s, δέχομαι, 1) to take with the hand  1a) to take hold of, take up, 2b) to receive or grant access to 

ἀκούσωσιν: AASubj 3p, ἀκούω, 1) to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf 

ἐκπορευόμενοι: PMPart npm, ἐκπορεύομαι, 1) to go forth, go out, depart

ἐκτινάξατε: AAImpv 2p, ἐκτινάσσω, 1) to shake off so that something adhering shall fall

The pronoun, “them” (αὐτοῖς) in the last phrase is in the dative case, which is usually translated ‘to’ or ‘with’ something. Almost every translation goes with ‘against,’ which is possible, but which is usually set off with a separate preposition.

I think this is an interpretive issue, and not strictly a translation issue, which goes to the heart of what Jesus is telling the twelve to do. Imagine the testimonial possibilities if this were a way of providing a testimony ‘to’ them as opposed to ‘against’ them. Perhaps it would even be a way of honoring their choice by going the extra mile, not even taking their ‘dust’ along. That would certainly fit the spirit of what we hear in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Whereas, but doing some kind of demonstrative ‘You reject me, I’ll reject you” act seems contrary to how Jesus typically operates.

 ¹²Καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἐκήρυξαν ἵνα μετανοῶσιν, 

And going out they preached in order that they might repent,  

ἐξελθόντες: AAPart npm, ἐξέρχομαι, 1) to go or come forth of  1a) with mention of the place out of which one goes, or the  point from which he departs

ἐκήρυξαν: AAI 3p, κηρύσσω, 1) to be a herald, to officiate as a herald  1a) to proclaim after the manner of a herald

μετανοῶσιν: PASubj 3p, μετανοέω, 1) to change one's mind, i.e. to repent  2) to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence  of one's past sins

Given Mark’s penchant for using pronouns without clear antecedents, some translations make this “that all might repent.” The actual noun is implied in the 3^rd person voicing of the verb “repent.” That verb, μετανοέω, literally means “change of mind.”

¹³καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλλον, καὶ ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ πολλοὺς ἀρρώστους 

καὶ ἐθεράπευον.

and were casting out many demons, and were anointing with oil many sick folk and were curing them.

ἐξέβαλλον: IAI 3p, ἐκβάλλω, 1) to cast out, drive out, to send out  1a) with notion of violence  1a1) to drive out

ἤλειφον: IAI 3p, ἀλείφω, 1) to anoint

ἐθεράπευον: IAI 3p, θεραπεύω, 1) to serve, do service  2) to heal, cure, restore to health

Only now, we see what the twelve were sent to do, and it comes in the description of their journey, not in the instructions that Jesus gives.

For the interpreter, each of these stories has meaning in its own right. Then, as a couplet, they show that when Jesus is rejected among his own folk, the twelve are empowered to go and bear the message, as well as to cast out demons and to heal. This rejection-leading-to-new-ministry is the same patter of 1:14-15 when  Jesus began his ministry: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’”