Mark 6:7-12

THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE

‘And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two.… And they went out, and preached that men should repent.’

Mark 6:7

Jesus chose the Apostles (see Mark 3:14) (1) to ‘be with Him’ for companionship and for instruction; and (2) to ‘send them forth to preach.’ They have been with Him about nine months; the time has come for a more thorough preaching of the Gospel in Galilee, and now He sends them forth.

I. The advantage of Christian company.—Our Lord sent forth His Apostles ‘two and two.’ Mark is the only Evangelist who mentions this fact. It is one that deserves special notice. There can be no doubt that this fact is meant to teach us the advantages of Christian company to all who work for Christ. The wise man had good reason for saying, ‘Two are better than one’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Two men together will do more work than two men singly.

II. Clergy to be received.—Notice what solemn words our Lord uses about those who will not receive nor hear His ministers. He says, ‘it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.’ This is a truth which we find very frequently laid down in the Gospels. It is painful to think how entirely it is overlooked by many. Thousands appear to forget that it needs something more than mere abstinence from outward irregularities to save a man’s soul. They do not see that one of the greatest sins a man can commit in the sight of God is to hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe it—to be invited to repent and believe, and yet remain careless and unbelieving.

III. The burden of their message.—What was the doctrine which our Lord’s Apostles preached? We read that ‘they went out and preached that men should repent.’ The necessity of repentance may seem at first sight a very simple and elementary truth. And yet volumes might be written to show the fullness of the doctrine, and the suitableness of it to every age and time, and to every rank and class of mankind. It is inseparably connected with right views of God, of human nature, of sin, of Christ, of holiness, and of heaven.