Trust in the Power of God

We know well that the mission which Jesus gives his
disciples in this Sunday’s Gospel is a mission given to all of
us. We are all called to give witness, to reach out and, when
possible, heal. Sometimes this mission becomes very
concrete. The parish asks for volunteers. Someone might even
call personally to ask that you serve on a particular committee.
Sometimes we respond, sometimes we do not.
I think you might make a startling discovery if you read
Mark’s Gospel closely enough. Mark begins his Gospel
giving a very good and strong impression of the disciples.
They are the kind of followers we can only hope to be.
However, shortly after this week’s passage, Mark’s
presentation changes dramatically. The disciples are
presented as weak, as failures. Mark presents them as
understanding nothing! Again and again, Jesus has to call
them aside to explain things to them. Mark even notes that, at
the end, all of the disciples “forsook Jesus and fled.”
Mark has the same problem with his community of faith
that often exists in our parishes. We don’t think we are up to
the tasks presented to us. We are afraid we will fail. We
don’t think we know enough. We are already over-committed.
In putting the disciples in a less-than-favorable light in his
Gospel, I think Mark is really trying to help us identify with
them. They are really just like us! We are absolutely no
different! However, despite their limitations, despite their
fumbling and bumbling, Jesus still chose them! If Jesus had
waited until they were completely prepared, we all would still
be waiting!
Jesus is not asking us to be successful. He’s just asking
us to put ourselves at his disposal. Success is God’s
responsibility! Jesus told his disciples to put on their sandals,
take up their walking sticks and go! If his message, which
they preached, was accepted, their needs would be met by the
community. If rejected, they were to move on. To the
disciples’ credit, they accepted the challenge to trust in the
power of God to accomplish their mission. Do you?