7 And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Jesus is in Galilee still and calls his 12 apostles to him, specifically separating them off from the other disciples. He had hundreds following him and this separation is necessary as the hierarchy of the Kingdom of God is to be mirrored on earth. Not everyone is equal. The twelve are singled out for the purpose of their namesake. Apostle comes from the Greek Apostello and it means to be “sent out”.
Jesus will be sending them out on their first ministry journey without him. Up until this point they have been following him as he does healings, exorcisms and teaching, now they are to be sent out and do what they have learned. It is important to note that Jesus gives them authority to do this, this isn’t just casual language, this is divine legalistic language, the authority given to them by Jesus, gives them power over the demons. Before they have this, they cannot do what he is doing, he must extend it to them. Jesus sends them out in pairs so one can act as a witness and back them up in their claims.
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.
Jesus commands them to take nothing for their journey, only a staff is permitted along with their sandals and no extra clothing. This is to force them in a sense to rely on the providence of God. Their only real thing they have is the authority Jesus has given them.
10 And he said to them, “Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.
11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.”
They to go out and preach in the surrounding towns and villages, they are not going door to door but preaching in the public squares of each locality. If they are invited into a house they should accept it and stay there as long as they are doing ministry there. Considering Jesus’ agricultural parables we should perceive a house that is open to them as a bountiful harvest and it should not be squandered but if they come to a place barren of such hospitality they should leave, not argue, simply leave.
A hint of divine geography is reference in verse 11, they are to shake the dust off their feet from places that reject them, although we understand this as an ancient insult, what is the root of why it was an insult? Jews when travelling from Gentile lands, locations not considered Yahweh’s inheritance for the Hebrews, would cast off the remnants of Gentile territory from their sandals because it was not worthy to be on the same ground as the Promised land. So here we see the rejection of what the Apostles are to preach (identified in verse 12 as repentance) those lands should be treated the same way that Gentile lands are regarded. Not a part of the covenant family, until they repent.
12 So they went out and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.
The apostles apostello, they go out, sent by Jesus to preach to the villages and towns. They are not being sent out to preach God’s love and how we should all just get on but that men should repent. Metanoia is the Greek term, it means to turn back on ones direction or change the mind. They are being sent out to Jews, not Gentiles, the Jews are the first in need of this conversion and repentance.
On the authority of Jesus they are able to do what he can do but only because he granted it to them, this is not extended to all Christians. They cast out many demons and anoint the sick with oil and heal them. This practice of anointing the sick with oil is very ancient and no one actually knows when it began but this section of Mark’s Gospel is the proof-text for the Sacrament in the Church of the Anointment of the Sick.
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