Two By Two

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Two By Two

Walking Stick   Sandals

Preach   Evangelize   Anoint

Jesus Summoned the Twelve

Chosen

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 6:7-8, 12-13

Jesus gathered the Twelve together and started to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. Jesus told them to take nothing as they went out but a walking stick---no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

They went out and followed the instructions of Jesus.

 They preached repentance.

They drove out many demons.

They anointed with oil many who were sick and they cured them.

Reflection

Jesus is putting the apostles to work. They have been absorbing His teachings and have seen His miracles.

How are they feeling about this?

Let's take a minute to put ourselves in their sandals. I'm thinking that they were probably nervous about this. How do you follow in the footsteps of Jesus? What a responsibility!

Jesus is placing a lot of trust in each one of them. Will you be able to show that you are worthy of that trust?

The apostles go out and followed what Jesus had told them to do. They had remarkable success. Demons were overcome and the sick were healed. 

If I am an apostle, I'm feeling pretty good at this point. It is an affirmation of the decision I made to follow Jesus. His authority and His instructions are potent.

Today we receive that same call, that same trust from Jesus. He sends us out the same way He sent out the apostles.

One important characteristic of the approach of Jesus is that He sends out the apostles in pairs. I think that is great advice for all of us today. Community is very important for ministry.

Our proclamation of the message of Jesus is much more powerful and effective when we work with others. I saw this when I worked in Religious Education. Many of the teachers taught in pairs. This proved to be very helpful.

Jesus is summoning us!

We have been chosen!

Time to get to work.

1. If you were one of the Twelve apostles, how would you have felt as you went from town to town sharing the Gospel?

2. Do you feel that you are worthy of the trust that Jesus has placed in you to carry on His ministry?

3. Why is it important that we minister two by two?

4. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo of the flower and the bee?