Is
it fear that prompts us to rely on modern technological advances in
communication? An interesting question, perhaps. Are we too afraid to
rely on the gift of memory? Is this the “power” referred to in the
passage from Mark’s gospel?
Mark writes of the power conferred by
Jesus on those he sent out. But along with the power he gave them, he
also instructed them on how important it was not to be restricted by
unnecessary ‘baggage’.
No extra tunic, one pair of sandals; little, presumably, in the way of food or money.
To be able to trust in the generosity of
others is indeed a great virtue, particularly in a society that
nowadays rarely goes anywhere without a cell phone or a laptop. Is it
fear that prompts us to rely more and more on artificial means of
communication? Fear that we can no longer rely on memory, one of the
greatest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? The Twelve Apostles had no
such restrictions or fears in their preaching, going out to the whole
world to share the Good News.
Remembering some of the great Christian
preachers of the past, Paul & Barnabas, Dominic & Francis of
Assisi, Vincent McNabb, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, and, in more
recent times, some of our own contemporaries, what inspires the
preaching of the Good News is the News itself. The gospels never cease
to inspire, no matter how frequently we visit them – in fact the more
often we approach the ‘Word’ the greater the impact it should have on
our lives, the more Christ’s power is working through us.
Jesus sent his disciples, his preachers,
out into the world with a clear message: “Tell the world the Good News
that I have given you.”
Nothing else is needed; no advertising;
no TV commercials; no computerised back-ups; simply the word as it is
given to them should be passed on without additional ‘baggage’.
The ability to preach the gospel
therefore, depends not so much on externals as on a desire to convince
one’s hearers of the validity, the truth, of the message one preaches.
Accompanied by healing powers given by Christ and through faith, the
impact can be dynamic, and no doubt was, and still is.
The Acts of the Apostles tells us little
of the impact made by Christ sending his ambassadors into the world;
but Mark tells us that the Twelve set out and preached repentance,
casting out demons and anointing and healing many who were sick. St.
Paul’s letters give a more detailed & graphic coverage of the effect
of his early preaching.
Current ambassadors of the Word have a
distinct legacy to live up to in their bringing the Good News to the
world of today. Modern technology should assist in that task, as it
enables the message to reach beyond the boundaries of conventional
church. But above all we should recognize the power that accompanies the
preaching of the Good News. Even the poorest of preachers can produce a
rich result in the minds of those who listen.
And there is a warning: if there are
those who refuse to listen, then we should not be afraid to shake off
the dust from the feet, and leave the task to another, possibly at
another time.
There seem to be two clear messages in
this Passage from Mark; one, that Christ’s church must not allow itself
to get clogged down with too much “baggage”, too many irrelevant
additional rules that may detract from the preaching message; and two
that it must be prepared for those who refuse to listen, but stay
determined to continue to preach the Good News in the same way that
Christ himself continually preached.(Leo Edgar O.P torch.op.org: here)
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