Jesus has been rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, but He continues on with the work of God's kingdom by teaching in all the villages of Galilee. This should be an encouragement to us when someone doesn't want to hear the gospel or listen to our personal testimony. We can't give up and quit. There are going to be people who will want to hear about Jesus, and for their sake we have to keep sharing the gospel. Very few people at Nazareth wanted to have anything to do with Jesus, but He doesn't become discouraged. He just keeps going from village to village doing what God commissioned Him to do. He knows there are people who will want to hear what He has to say, and for their sake He keeps sharing the truth of God's word.
The prophet Isaiah foresaw the works of Christ and spoke of Christ's refusal to become discouraged, "In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His teaching the islands will put their hope." (Isaiah 42:3b-4) Jesus didn't become discouraged while He walked the earth in the flesh. Now that He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, it is our job as believers to continue His work by sharing the gospel. He didn't become discouraged and we shouldn't either. Because of what Chris did for mankind, and because believers share the gospel, people all over the world will come to faith. This is what Isaiah means when he mentions "the islands", that even the Gentiles who previously never had God's promises or God's laws will put their hope in Him.
"Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to Him, He began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits." (Mark 6:6-7) Jesus can reach more people if He sends the disciples out to share the word of God and to perform miracles in His name. This is still the primary way in which Jesus reaches people: through the sharing of the gospel by believers. The Apostle Paul wisely asks this series of questions in regard to the necessity of the sharing of the gospel, "How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14-15) You and I and all believers are an essential part of the kingdom of God! Christ has commissioned us to share the gospel with a world that desperately needs it. How can anyone believe in Christ if they have not heard of Him? How can they hear of Him unless we tell them?
Jesus wants the disciples to place their trust in Him. He is going to protect them on their journey through the villages. Just as the children of Israel had to learn to trust God to provide manna for them in the wilderness, the disciples have to learn to trust the Lord to provide for them as they share the gospel. "These were His instructions: 'Take nothing for the journey except a staff---no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.'" (Mark 6:8-11) One of my commentaries shares the information that in those days Jews who had to travel through a Gentile region would shake the dust off their feet as they exited. They wanted nothing from those heathen towns clinging to them, not even grains of sand on their shoes. Jesus is telling the disciples to treat any Jewish village that rejects their message as if it is a heathen village. They are to shake off the rejection and move on, just as Jesus had to (figuratively speaking) shake off His rejection at Nazareth and move on.
Many will accept the message of the gospel and will extend hospitality to the disciples. The Lord speaks of them entering a house and staying there, meaning that in a lot of the towns there will be those who invite them into their homes for the duration of their visit. There will be people who are happy to share their homes and their food with the disciples. A blessing is on those people, in contrast to the judgment that is on those who reject the gospel message.
"They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." (Mark 6:12-13) If the people were already amazed at the miracles of Jesus, imagine their astonishment when they learn Jesus has given the same kind of power to His disciples. This is further proof that Jesus is who He says He is: the Son of God. No one else could do the things Jesus does, much less bestow such awesome power on this odd group of men whom no ordinary rabbi would have chosen as disciples. The Pharisees have attempted to accuse Jesus of working His miracles by the powers of darkness, but their claim clearly does not hold water. Since when has Satan ever told anyone to repent, as Jesus and the disciples do? When has Satan ever done good works, as Jesus and the disciples do? Did Satan ever tell you to make things right with God? He never told me that either! He tried to pull me further from God. Satan has never wanted to do anything but tell lies to mislead us. (John 8:44) He's never wanted to do anything but steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10)
But Christ came to give us life! How will the world know they can have life through Him unless we tell them? Let's not become discouraged, no matter how many times people reject the gospel message. Let's not be hurt and offended if somebody dismisses our testimony by scornfully referring to us as "Jesus freaks". Honestly, I can think of no higher compliment than being called a "Jesus freak" because that means someone has seen something of Jesus in me, and if we don't look at least a little bit like Him, then we don't really belong to Him. So keep on doing good. Keep on sharing the gospel. That's what Jesus would do.
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