Today’s reading is Acts 6: 1-7 We can’t do everything. That is actually a common lesson throughout the Bible. We see Moses learn it from his father-in-law Jethro. We see how many people in scripture have folks walking beside them, from … Continue reading
This week’s reflections are written by Rev. Brian Johnston, one of our Associate Pastors here at St. Matthew’s Rooted 2019 – Week Fifteen Day One Today’s reading is Acts 3: 1-10 Today we read a short passage about Peter and John … Continue reading
This week’s reflections are written by Rev. Brian Johnson, one of our Associate Pastors here at St. Matthew’s Rooted 2019 – Week Fourteen Day Two Today’s reading is Acts 1: 12-26 Today’s reading can be broken down into a few movements. … Continue reading
Today’s reading is Luke 6: 37-49 Yesterday we read about Jesus command for us to love our enemies. That is something that is very hard for us to do and is something that can really only be done by the … Continue reading
One of the things that I have come to believe, deep in my core of my being, is that we need each other. The journey of faith, it is not a path that we walk alone. It is a journey … Continue reading
As we talked about yesterday, during my teaching at Camp Wesley Pines this week I am drawing comparisons between characters in Star Wars and different Biblical characters. Last night we looked at Moses and Aaron and who they can relate to. … Continue reading
One of the most common phrases in our culture, and in the church as well, is that you can’t judge me. Only God can judge me. And yes, there are many, many verses in scripture that tell us that we … Continue reading
In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he covers a lot of things. Things like death, what will happen when the Lord comes back, how Christians should live and serve. But one of the things I’ve always liked about Paul’s smaller letters … Continue reading
Today in our daily journey together through Mark, we see Jesus sending out the twelve to do ministry, as found in Mark 6:6-13:
The Mission of the Twelve
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
When we look at this passage we see the twelve go out and do a similar ministry to that which Jesus had been doing. There is teaching. There is authority. There is traveling from village to village, sharing the news of the kingdom of God. They travel to all villages, with this good news, bringing life, hope, freedom, wherever it is that they go.
But there are a couple of things that stand out to me about this passage. First, notice how Jesus sends them out. Two by two. No one is sent out alone. As Christians, we are not meant to walk this path alone. We are not meant to do ministry alone. We are not meant to live out the good news of Jesus Christ by ourselves.
Faith is hard when you are in community with others. It is nearly impossible by yourself. There are going to be times when you want to give up. When you are overwhelmed. When you think that you can’t do it. And you know what? By yourself, you can’t.
That’s why Jesus sends them out two by two. They needed each other for the ministry. So do we.
Second, notice what message they proclaimed. All should repent. Not just some. Not just “bad” people. Not just “them.” But all should repent. Me. You. Everyone. We should all turn away from our sins, and we should all turn to Jesus. Repentance is not just something that those that don’t know Jesus do, it’s something that we all do.
We all, no matter where we are, need to turn away from things that are harmful, and we all, no matter where we are, need to turn to Jesus.
That’s repentance. And that’s why all are called to it.
Because we all need it.
Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 6:14-29.
What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.
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Burdens and troubles are part of life. I will have them. You will have them. Each of us, today, as we are reading this, has some type of burden that we are dealing with. There is something in our life that is wearying for each of us.
Paul today in Galatians gives us some advice for handling our burdens. Listen to what he says in 6:2-5:
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
He basically gives us two pieces of advice that seem to be the opposite of each other. First, he says in verse 2, to bear each other’s burdens. We are supposed to help and take care of each other. That’s what our command is as Christians, to care for and to love one another.
But, look what he says later on in verse 5, each of us must bear our own load.
Wait, what? How does that work? On one help each other, and on the other, take care of yourself. What is the deal here?
This is what Paul means and what we should do as Christians. First, we should our very best to take care of our loads and our struggles. We should do all that we can do to take care of our burdens and struggles.
Why?
Because there is a time when our friend won’t be able to take care of theirs. And we have to be there to help them. It’s sort of like why we should save money, to be able to help someone out in their time of need. If we don’t have any money saved, we can’t help.
But, if we do, we can help them out.
So, if we take care of our burdens, we are free to help each other out.
And, there will be a time when we need that help as well. We are going to need help with our burdens and struggles and worries. We will need help. We will need support.
We will need each other.
So, today, we bear our burdens. So that we can bear one another’s burdens.
Today, may we be there for each other in our hours of need.
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