Episode 523 Sending the Disciples (Mark 6:1-30)

This week BibleWorm reads a series of texts in Mark 6:1-30, beginning with the story of Jesus being unable to perform miracles in his hometown, which leads us to think about the ways we sometimes struggle to hear truth from those most familiar to us and the possibility that we must sometimes let go of comfortable places to grow into our true potential. We then read the story of Jesus sending out his disciples, empowering them to carry on his work when he can’t do it. We pay special attention to Jesus’s instructions to his disciples, who are to travel without food or money, relying on the hospitality of strangers and ministering from a position of vulnerability and trust in the community. Finally, we read the strange story of John the Baptist being beheaded by King Herod, which we take as a warning about the fickleness of Empire, which recognizes the truth of John’s ministry and yet ultimately executes him anyway.