Mark 6:7 “Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.”
Mark 6:13 “They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
Mark doesn’t tell any stories of what the disciples did during that time, he was more interested in talking about John the Baptist’s beheading, so these exploits are lost to the sands of time.
But we know a little bit about the disciples. Who were they? A group of well-meaning bumblers. People who really liked Jesus and wanted to help but couldn’t quite understand how. So I get to imagine the disciples out in the world. In my head, it plays out like a blooper reel at the end of a movie.
Cue the music: The first scene is James accidentally casting a demon into a person and doesn’t realize it until he gets bitten. Peter casts out a demon, but doesn’t get the words quite right, so the demon popped out halfway and looked like he was getting a piggy back ride. In successfully casting out a demon, Andrew forgets what to do with it and puts the demon into someone else. Judas gets cocky and says he could cast demons out with his eyes closed, but then accidentally casts a demon out of a pig. Philip and Thomas get confused and try to cast demons out of each other at the same time. Then cut to Bartholomew, who decided to just use this as a vacation.
Those goofballs! Those sweet, silly, goobers…
Did it actually happen that way? The reality is that we will never get a straight answer, so we have to accept that everything I wrote was pure fact. This brings us to the opening verse from our worship scripture reading…
Mark 6:30 “The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.”
This is adorable. Have you ever seen a group of kids come home from summer camp? So many stories to tell, that need to be told immediately and confusingly. I love the image of the disciples running up to Jesus and each of them trying to tell him all the cool stuff they did and all the friends they made and the gossip from their cabin and about the time that one disciple accidentally threw up because he accidentally swallowed a demon.
And Jesus is there while they just keep going on and on. He’s such a patient man and was so nice to those guys. How long do you think Jesus put up with it before we got to Mark 6:31? Ten minutes? An hour? Either way, Jesus responds the way all exhausted parents do before the kids start throwing tantrums.
Mark 6:31 “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.”
“Ok Ok Ok disciples. Settle down. We’ve all had a fun time, but we’re home now and we need to catch up on our sleep. You can tell me more stories tomorrow morning.”
This is almost certainly the most accurate portrayal of this scene. Or at least my favorite.
Peace,
Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline
Connect with our amazing community, fellow friends, and neighbors at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church! Our worship service starts at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday. Everyone is welcome! We're located at 1200 S. Winton Road in Rochester, NY in the town of Brighton. If you're unable to make it in person, but would still like to be involved, you can also join us live on YouTube. If you have any questions, you're welcome to call our office at 585-244-8585 or send an email through our contact form.
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