Amos 7:12-15 

Amos preached about 750 years before Christ and was the first prophet whose words were put into writing. At the time, the Jewish people were split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Amos, who was not a prophet by occupation, was sent by God to preach in the northern kingdom at the Jewish shrine of Bethel. Our reading begins at that point.

Ephesians 1:3-14

Today, and for the next few weeks, we will be reading consecutively from the letter to the Ephesians. Ephesus, a major seaport on the western coast of what is today Turkey, was a center for early Christians. Today’s passage is the beginning of the letter, and is a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

Mark 6:7-13

Bishop Untener’s Homily 

Notice how the Gospel describes this sending of the 12: "He began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over unclean spirits." 

Unclean spirits. We’re not talking here simply about the devil taking possession of a person, as in the famous movie "The Exorcist." People at that time attributed all evils to unclean spirits or demons. For example, on the Sea of Galilee, the dangerous wind and rain and waves would be the result of demons or unclean spirits at work. Sickness would be another example. Anything bad was thought to be the direct result of "unclean spirits" at work. 

Jesus came to take on evil, in all its forms. He came to make things right. Now, he sends his disciples to be part of this same task. We have here the dim beginnings of the Church – disciples working with Christ in the great enterprise of overcoming evil and transforming all creation into a new world.

Their mission is clear. They know what they’re sent to do. Now, how do they do it? If they’re sent to overcome unclean spirits – evil – what’s their battle plan . . . modus operandi ... strategy? 

That’s what the rest of this Gospel passage is about, and it’s a remarkable passage: "Take nothing for the journey but a walking stick. Take no food, no money." 

Where are the weapons? Where are the funds? Where is the power? 

That’s not how the crusaders went out. They had helmets and swords and the power of kings behind them. 

That’s not how the Emperor Constantine or the Emperor Charlemagne did it. They exercised their civil powers and used the might of law.

But that’s how Jesus did it. He took on evil by surrounding it with goodness, absorbing it, and dissolving it. 

• Instead of weapons he used words.
• Instead of fighting he forgave.
• Instead of killing he raised people to life.
• Instead of a military banner he used his own life as a sign.
• Instead of a battle cry, he cried his own tears.
• Instead of working crowds into a frenzy of hatred for the enemy, he fed them loaves and fishes.
• Instead of cutting off heads he washed feet.
• Instead of crossing swords he carried the cross.

Jesus didn’t beat up on evil. Jesus absorbed evil and dissolved it. And that’s how his disciples were to do it. And that’s how his disciples did it. We have the "battle report" in this Gospel passage: 

"So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." 

Oil! What kind of a weapon is oil? 

I’ll tell you what kind. It’s the oil of kindness. It’s a sign and instrument of the tenderness of God. It’s a symbol of Jesus’ battle plan, modus operandi, strategy ... a symbol of the way of life he sent his disciples to live. 

Before Christianity was ever called Christianity it was called "the way." It’s a different way of living. We need to keep that in mind. And we need to keep in mind that in just the same way Jesus sent his disciples, he sends us too. 

I’m not sure we think much about that. Imagine. Each of us as individuals, all of us as a Church are sent into the day in day out circumstances of our own lives to take on evil – to preach (mostly by example), heal, cure the sickness of sin, to absorb evil and dissolve it. 

By doing this, we participate in the work of the Lord in bringing about the reign of God ... when all evil will be overcome ... when all creation will reach its destiny. We’re not spectators. We’re disciples, participating in the Lord’s own work. We commit ourselves to this every time we pray the Our Father: "Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 

Originally given on July 16, 2000