Mark 6:7–13
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Mark 6:30
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
This is likely another one of Mark's sandwich techniques with the middle portion being much longer—6:14-29 which describes the events surrounding the beheading of John the Baptist. This forces the reader to consider what John's death may mean for the disciples and their overall mission for Jesus. We will cover the beheading of John on Monday next week.
Parallel passages see Matthew 9:35-11:1; Luke 9:1-6
In this text we see the transference of Jesus authority and power to the 12. Their authority and calling come from Jesus himself.
What is most surprising about this event is that Jesus would send them out in confidence at this point in the narrative. To this point they have been less than stellar examples of disciples. They are yet to declare his true identity, they were frustrated with him on the boat (4:38), they didn't really understand his teaching (4:10). Yet Jesus still empowers them and sends them out. If these guys, who seem to be unsure of Jesus can still serve him, maybe you and I can too?
That they are sent with the authority over unclean spirits points us back to Jesus' first miracle documented in Mark's gospel—casting out an unclean spirit (1:21-28). Again this signifies the in-breaking of God's Kingdom into the earth—the domain of evil. With the disciples now on mission, the kingdom is spreading further faster.
It is often noted that the things Jesus allows them to take along with them (cloak, belt, sandals, and staff) are the same required of the people in the Exodus (Exodus 12:11). These items represented the haste of which the Israelites were to leave Egypt and their transient circumstances until they arrive in the promised land. Similarly, the in-breaking of God's Kingdom requires the same haste and transient attitude to accomplish the mission of bringing God's Kingdom.
This minimalistic travel is also a declaration of dependence on God. Without packing enough for a self-sustaining mission they are left fully dependent on God's provision. Like the Israelites in the Exodus (Exodus 12:11) and the Gideon's army (Judges 6-7), and the lilies of the field and the birds of the air (Matt. 6:25-34), they are to be fully dependent on God's provision.
Staying in the same home would be expected in this culture so as not to disrespect the hospitality of their host. Shaking off the dust of your feet seems rather trivial to us today, but in this culture it was a serious indictment. Jews returning from travel abroad were to shake the dust off their feet before returning to Jewish lands. So to shake the dust from your feet after leaving a Jewish town would be paramount to declaring that town heathen, outside the people of God.
Verses 12 and 13 provide Mark's snapshot of the mission of the apostles and the church by extension. They are to "proclaim" (ie. preach, herald, declare) a message of repentance. Similar to John's message, people are to confess their sins and turn to holy living. New to the narrative is anointing the sick with oil. Anointing with oil in the OT was done ceremonially to set apart a leader for a special task and declaring temple items clean for use in worship. (1 Sam. 10:1; Gen. 28:18; Ex. 30:26-32) It was often also done for medicinal and cosmetic purposes as well. (Ru. 3:3; 2 Sam. 14:4) The use of oil by the apostles here could be medicinal or a statement of ceremonial cleanliness. James 5:14 likely has the same connotations.
In any case we see a paradigm for the ministry of the church in the marching orders Jesus gives to the disciples. Bring God's Kingdom both in the declaration of the gospel and meeting the physical needs of people.