July 7, 2024 homily on Mark 6:1-13 by Pastor Galen
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“[Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two…” — Mark 6:7a
Famous Duos There are many famous duos in history and popular culture:
- Lewis and Clark
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
- Batman and Robin
- Sonny and Cher
- Laverne and Shirley
- Laurel and Hardy
- Key and Peele
Each of these individuals was/is incredibly gifted and talented, and yet as a duo, they functioned even better than if they did alone.
The Myth of Rugged Individualism
At the same time, we have something in our society that has often been called the “Myth of Rugged Individualism.” It’s this idea that true heroes are people who don’t need anyone else. Think about The Lone Ranger, the Marlboro man, John Wayne, John McClane in Die Hard — these are icons in our society of “rugged individualism.” These sorts of stories communicate that rugged individualism is what we should aspire towards — complete independence, saving the day, fighting off evil single-handedly, not needing anyone else for anything at any time.
Two By Two
But in Mark 6, in contrast to this idea of rugged individualism, we see Jesus send out his disciples in pairs. And not only that, but they were completely vulnerable. They were not to take anything for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not even to put on two tunics. They were to work together in pairs, and accept the hospitality of strangers. Talk about the opposite of Rugged Individualism!
By way of background, so far in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been traveling around healing people and casting out demons. Last week in our Gospel Lesson (Mark 5:21-43) we saw Jesus raise a twelve-year-old girl to life and heal a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhaging for twelve years.
Now today, we see Jesus send out twelve of his disciples to minister to people in the surrounding towns. In another Gospel account it says that Jesus sent out the disciples to every town and village “where he himself planned to go” (sending of the 72 in Luke 10:1). But notice that Jesus didn’t send the disciples out by themselves. He sent them out two by two.
Why do you think this was? Well, perhaps it was for the same reason that we tell children to hold hands when crossing the street, or why we tell our teenage children or grandchildren to take a buddy with them when they go out. “Two heads are better than one,” as the saying goes. We’re a little safer, and tend to make better decisions when we have a partner.
In Genesis 2:18, God said that “It is not good that the man should be alone.” And I don’t think that God was only talking about marriage there. As humans, we were made to be in community with other people. As it has been said, “No man [or woman] is an island” (John Donne). We’re better when we’re together.
Radical Partnership
Like the famous duos in history and popular culture, the Bible too has a number of famous duos. Adam and Eve. Moses and Aaron. David and Jonathan. Ruth and Naomi. Paul and Silas. Even Jesus had a core group of 3 disciples (Peter, James, and John) that he kept close.
As much as we may think that we should aspire to be rugged individualists, the reality is that we need each other.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, it this way:
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.”
This is why Jesus sent his disciples out two by two. It’s also, I believe, why he instructed them to receive the hospitality of others — so that they would be forced to develop partnerships and community with the very people they came to serve.
Laity and Clergy
One of the many things that I love about the Methodist Protestant tradition (the precursor to the United Methodist Church) is our emphasis on lay ministry. In the United Methodist church, ministry is not just for licensed or ordained pastors or elders. Rather, we believe in the “priesthood of all believers,” and that in baptism we become not only members, but participants in the ministry of the church (p. 38 in the UMH).
According to our discipleship ministries website, “The ministry of the laity is the work of mission or ministry to which each believer is called. As Christians we are all called to this ministry or priesthood – not just clergy. Each of us has a responsibility to proclaim the Good News and reach out to others in love.”
We don’t all have the same gifts. Some of us are gifted in service, while others are gifted in leading Bible studies. Some of us are great at hospitality, some of us are great at fixing things. Some have beautiful voices and enjoy singing. Others have gifts of managing finances or taking care of administrative details. Each of these gifts are important, and each of these gifts are vitall and essential to the mission of the church.
This is why Jesus sent out the disciples two by two. This is why we need each other, why we need “stick together,” why we should “hold hands when crossing the street.” It’s not just about safety. It’s about partnership, working together to further the mission of the Church. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, relying on the hospitality of strangers. In partnership together, to proclaim the message of God’s love and forgiveness through word and deed.
This week I was reflecting back to my first week here as pastor, back in 2018. I stopped in at the church during the week, and I saw a beautiful scene. Members of our church and other churches in the area were here giving out grocery bags of food to anyone who needed food. A young woman from St. Mary’s Outreach Center was here, letting people know about the services that their organization provides. A gentleman from St. Mary’s Outreach Center was putting an air conditioner in the office for the treasurer of the HWRMW (Hampden/Woodberry/Remington/Mt. Washington) Fellowship, who was here taking care of the finances.
And that partnership continues. Yesterday during our monthly church cleanup several of us were here at the church getting the upstairs ready for the new Montessori school that is going to be using the upstairs of our church building. At the same time, one of our trustees, who is currently out of town, was updating some of the language on the lease to get it ready for the representatives of the school to sign. Later on that same day, someone came to pick up some items that we were giving away to take to an Adult Day Care Center that they work with.
The point of all of this is that each and every one of us has a role to play in proclaiming and advancing God’s Kingdom. We all have different gifts and skills, and we are all called to do ministry. But we are not in this alone. We are sent to proclaim God’s Kingdom together, and God’s presence is with us.
Where Two or Three are Gathered
Did you know that the word church literally means “assembly” or “congregation”? That means that by definition, one person cannot be a church! We are only the “church” when we gather together with others (in person or virtually) to do the work of God’s Kingdom.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that where “two or three” are gathered in his name, Jesus is with us (Matt. 18:20). This means that when the disciples went out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom, when people opened their homes to them, when they healed the sick and shared the message of God’s love and transformation, Jesus was with them. Even if Jesus wasn’t physically with them, he had filled them with his Spirit, and he was working in and through them.
Church is not just what happens here in worship on Sunday mornings. Church is what happens throughout the week, anytime the people of God gather together to do the work of God. And every person’s contribution of time, talents, resources, and participation is important.
So let us remember that Jesus has not call us to be rugged individualists. Rather, we are called and sent together, to work together for the good of God’s Kingdom. We need God to work in and through us, and we need the strength of support of one another. We cannot do this alone.
Amen!
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Which famous duo mentioned in the sermon do you identify with most and why?
2. How has the cultural ideal of rugged individualism influenced your personal or professional life?
3. Why do you think Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs rather than individually?
4. How comfortable are you with accepting help and hospitality from others? What might this say about your approach to community?
5. Reflect on a time when you saw effective partnerships in action. What made these partnerships successful?
6. What are your unique gifts, and how can you use them to contribute to your church or community?
Hampden United Methodist Church 