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He was amazed at their lack of faith.

The Mission of the Twelve. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. (A)He summoned the Twelve[a] and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. [b]He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. 10 [c]He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. 11 Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” 12 So they went off and preached repentance. 13 [d]They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick(B) and cured them.

Herod’s Opinion of Jesus.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. 6:7–13 The preparation for the mission of the Twelve is seen in the call (1) of the first disciples to be fishers of men (Mk 1:16–20), (2) then of the Twelve set apart to be with Jesus and to receive authority to preach and expel demons (Mk 3:13–19). Now they are given the specific mission to exercise that authority in word and power as representatives of Jesus during the time of their formation.
  2. 6:8–9 In Mark the use of a walking stick (Mk 6:8) and sandals (Mk 6:9) is permitted, but not in Mt 10:10 nor in Lk 10:4. Mark does not mention any prohibition to visit pagan territory and to enter Samaritan towns. These differences indicate a certain adaptation to conditions in and outside of Palestine and suggest in Mark’s account a later activity in the church. For the rest, Jesus required of his apostles a total dependence on God for food and shelter; cf. Mk 6:35–44; 8:1–9.
  3. 6:10–11 Remaining in the same house as a guest (Mk 6:10) rather than moving to another offering greater comfort avoided any impression of seeking advantage for oneself and prevented dishonor to one’s host. Shaking the dust off one’s feet served as testimony against those who rejected the call to repentance.
  4. 6:13 Anointed with oil…cured them: a common medicinal remedy, but seen here as a vehicle of divine power for healing.
  5. 6:14–16 The various opinions about Jesus anticipate the theme of his identity that reaches its climax in Mk 8:27–30.