FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: MARK 6: 7-13
In today’s Gospel, we heard that Jesus sent the disciples, two by two, and gave them authority and power to carry on Jesus’ mission. Not the authority and power that the “world” expects: Jesus gave them authority and power to serve the people with love and humility. They were sent forth with the purpose of fulfilling God’s will. They were instructed to accept both hospitality and hostility. If they were not welcome, or if their message was rejected, they were to leave that town, “shake off the dust” from their feet, and keep moving on.
In our own human nature, it would be very easy for us to lose our hearts and to give up on our mission because of discouragement or lack of results that we experienced in our ministry. But as true disciples of Jesus — if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and give more priority to Jesus — we would be able to face the challenges even in the midst of sufferings and tribulations.
Also, Jesus challenged the disciples, “To take nothing on your journey.” This shows the simplicity of life and the total trust in Jesus, in His ministry, and not in the material things. God will provide us with what we need, and we can totally rely on God, and we don’t need to worry about anything. Also, it reminds us to carry with us our faith and to witness by our lives to others through our good deeds and actions.
In our own lifetimes, we have borne witness to the lives of Saint John Paul II, Saint Mother Teresa, and Pope Francis. We have seen the joy of the gospel radiate from their lives and bring joy to others.
The other thing I noticed is how Jesus said to the disciples, “Take nothing for the journey but a walking stick… no food, no sack, and no money in their belts. I was reflecting on the image of “the walking stick” that Jesus was talking about, Jesus himself is our walking stick, and we can become the walking stick for each other. As we know when we go hiking, walking sticks are important, especially for maintaining balance on rocky and bumpy ground.
Let us ask ourselves- Where is the balance that we need in our faith journeys? Just as walking sticks can help us to maintain our balance and stability we need support from our families and friends and at the same time, we can be the walking sticks for others.
We all are called by God to unique vocations and God provides us with the talents and blessings we need in order to carry them out. In fulfilling the vocations and missions of our lives, we all experience different types of failures, rejections, and disappointments, even in our own family lives, workplaces, and ministries.
But we should not let these failures and rejections get us down or rule our lives. During these times of challenge, we should remember the words that Jesus said to His disciples. We should “shake off the dust” of the rejections, bitterness, broken relationships, and failures that we experience from people, move on with forgiving hearts and start again with fresh lives and new hope.
If we are not shaking off the dust of yesterday’s failures or disappointments from our feet, the dust clings to us accumulates, and weighs us down. The results we experience are depression and despair, and we give up instead of facing the challenges and realities of life. Those, who are willing to shake off the dust, can always find joy in relationships; otherwise, we end up living in a load of dirt and dust from the past.
“Let go of the mistakes you once made. I’ve forgiven you.”
“Let go of the anger that’s consuming your thoughts.”
“Let go of condemnation, so you can live free.”
God gives us the grace to be forgiving and reconciling. God wants us to move beyond our pride and selfishness and to build bridges of love, compassion, and understanding. Jesus wants us to be people, who begin again each new day with hope. New day, new challenges, new opportunities! Let us ask ourselves: “Are we willing to shake off the dust in our lives that cloud our relationships with others and God?”