#DailyDevotion Is This Text Descriptive Or Prescriptive?

Mark 6:7-13 ⁷Jesus called the twelve and sent them out in pairs, giving them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He gave them these instructions: “Don’t take anything with you on the way except a staff — no bread, no bag, and no copper money in your belt. ⁹But have sandals strapped on your feet. And don’t wear two tunics. ¹⁰“Wherever you go into a home,” He told them, “stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If the people of any place don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave that place, and shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a warning to them.”¹²They left and preached that people should repent. ¹³They also drove out many demons and poured oil on many who were sick and made them well.

Despite what some people want to do with this text, we should distinguish between descriptive text and prescriptive text. What do I mean? Well some people want to take this text and make it prescriptive. Well, what does that mean? It means they take Jesus’ words to his twelve disciples and want to make them be commands to the entire Church and every individual in the Church. They would say perhaps pastors, evangelists, or missionaries should go out into the world by twos. They should take a collection but stay at someone’s home the whole time they are doing ministry there. They should only have one set a clothes and the like. But we know in Luke Jesus reminds them of their experience here before his crucifixion and reverses a number of things.

So what should we make of this text? Jesus is teaching his apostles to depend solely on the grace, mercy and kindness of their heavenly Father. They are going to have to rely on that at times during their apostolic ministry after Pentecost when they go into all the world starting at Jerusalem. It’s not a bad lesson for us to learn as well, i.e. always depending on our heavenly Father for every good in life.

But then we come to the part that will continue for the ministers of Christ’s church until his return. They are to preach people should repent and to drive out demons and pray for the sick. In the Gospels when the word repent is by itself it carries with it a wider meaning. Of course the first meaning is always to be in horror over one’s sins and to turn from them. The wider sense also has the meaning to turn to God the Father and Jesus Christ to trust in them for the forgiveness of sins and life then start leading a new life in them.

This is the Church’s proclamation in every age in ever place. All people everywhere should turn from their sins and sinful life and turn to God the Father through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and newness of life in Christ Jesus. The apostles were able to give a visible demonstration of that newness of life when the cast out demons and healed the sick. That was a visible representation of the forgiveness of sins. Now pastors still cast out demons when they baptize people and occasionally when demon possession becomes manifest. We still pray for the sick but it is up to God whether or not healing will occur in this life or have to wait for the life to come. Pastors, evangelist and missionaries no longer have to travel in pairs or stay at someone’s home during their work in a specific place. The Church is called to provided for all their needs. A laborer is worth his wages. Thanks be to God Jesus continually provides pastors and the like to preach, teach and administer the sacraments so we may repent and lead new lives in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father, continually send your servants so we may repent of our sins and return to your life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.