TWO by TWO
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July 13, 2024Our Gospel this weekend takes us to the story of the call of the twelve disciples. New Testament scholar Tom Wright explains: “The number twelve is itself of course full of meaning, as anyone in Jesus’ world would recognize;at the heart of what Jesus was up to was his belief that through his work, God was at last renewing and restoring Israel, which traditionally had been based upon the twelve tribes [of Israel]. But now the Twelve were not just to be asign that God was restoring Israel; they were to be part of the means by which he was doing so.”
So the Twelve are summoned and sent. For that reason,they are called apostles, from the Greek word “apostolos”which means “sent forth.” The word conveys a sense of delegated and representative authority, that is, the mission of the Twelve is from Jesus and through the power of Jesus.
Then Jesus gives the Twelve specific instructions as he sends them forth. Firstly, they are to travel in pairs so that they can give a reliable witness to the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom. The book of Deuteronomy states that two witnesses are required for valid testimony.
Secondly, they are to take nothing with them for the journey except a staff. The word “journey” here is a translation of the Greek word “hodos” which means way, road,journey or path. In Mark’s gospel, “hodos” also refers to the way of discipleship. If we bring together these two images of the Twelve traveling together in pairs along the way, we arrive at the idea of a synodal church, which Pope Francis invites us to recover and live moving forward.
Thirdly, Jesus tells the Twelve to take no bread with them.They will be empowered by God, and since they are not to take any money with them, they will be totally dependent upon the generosity and hospitality of others. Nor are they to take a bag with them. The Greek word that Markuses is “pēra” which is a leather bag or pouch for carrying provisions, especially food.
Once again, the disciples have no food of their own, nordo they have any money to buy food. They are not self sufficient and must therefore depend upon the generosity and hospitality of others. This is a telling lesson, eventoday, for anyone who wants to do things “my way,” for anyone who insists upon complete control over their ministry.
What does this Gospel say to the Church today? How, in today’s world, should we interpret the command of Jesus to go forth without money or food, with only sandals, staffand a single garment? New Testament scholar Brendan Byrne offers this insight: “Today’s Gospel reminds the Church that the effectiveness of its prophetic role – its critique of prevailing cultural assumptions and practices -will largely be in proportion to the ‘lightness’ with which it travels, its trust in the goodness (hospitality) of ordinary people, and the lack of self-seeking its clergy present to the world.”
