Sunday Sermon - June 21, 2026 - Gospel of Mark 7:24-30 - A Woman of Faith

Sermon - Sunday, May 17, 2026 - Gospel of Mark 6:1-13 Prophets and Apostles

Our Roman reader has taken in a lot at this point. This Jesus has done many things that would be considered beyond the supernatural, He has healed people, cast out demons, calm the wind and the waved, and now brought back a young girl from the dead. Such remarkable acts cannot be keeping a secret, and would have spread rapidly even during a tine such as the 1^st century, while not nearly as fast as to today, information was still getting out especially in a small area that was Galilee, Judah and the surrounding countries. People travel through these areas often, and so that is would not take long for the word to get our about this Rabbi and his disciples who were going through the countryside of Israel. One such place being Jesus’ hometown, not the place he was born, that was Bethlehem but the place that he grew up in, and until recently is the place that he lived. Nazareth. Nazareth was a very small place with a very small population; to say everyone knew everyone is an understatement. And as our Roman reader picks up the story, he finds Jesus going back to his hometown back to Nazareth. 

Mark 6:1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

Mark 6:2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?

So as normal Jesus goes to the synagogue to teach, and of course as in all times before Jesus teaches with authority, he knows what he is saying, he is interpreting the scriptures, he is giving details, he is making illustrations and application to the text. But there is a difference here, because in those other places, they did not know who Jesus was, to them he is just another Rabbi is who walking in to teach to them, of course until he opens His mouth and then all of this wisdom, and knowledge come pouring out, and people are like, wow I did not see that coming.

But in Nazareth, it is not taken from a point of ignorance, it is taken from a point of knowledge. See what is said next.

Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

The people looked at him and said, “Who are you to do these things. We know who you are, you are no body special, you are a carpenter like your father, and we know who your family is, in fact they are right here, and guess what they think you are crazy.

You see there is a certain element among people who we are a part of that do not want to see anyone become successful and they will go out of their way to tear them down. It did not matter that Jesus had cast out demons, healed people, calmed the sea and the winds, and even had brought back a little girl from the dead, you see none of that mattered, because you Jesus had stepped outside the bounds that we have determined, and you think you are doing all these great things, but as far as we are concerned, you are still the same no one that we knew as a carpenter.

This again is the depravity of man, you need to stay in your lane, you are a carpenter, you are not of the priestly class, you have no formal education, you are just some local kid who has gotten a big head well as far as we are concerned, you are still the same old Jesus, son of Jospeh the carpenter, aka, a no body.

Mark 6:4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

What are Roman reader is missing out here is that the prophets in the Old Testament are often rejected despised and sometimes even killed by their fellow Israelis. Jesus comes back to his hometown after doing all these remarkable things and all he is met with is hate. It was to the point that even his siblings did not respect him or his ministry. We humans want to pull everyone down to the lowest level, we do not celebrate the success of others, rather we diminish it, doubt it. Just because Jesus has done all the healing, the casting out of demons, he is still look down upon, maybe even more so. Humans do not like it when others succeed, they only like it when they succeed, and unless that are just as, or more successful that someone else, well get ready to be dragged down to the pit.

The Roman reader can reflect on these two ways, has he been successful in things that he has done and had face the criticism of those closes to him, or has he been the one who has been the critic, either way this is a time for self-evaluation, examine oneself. If we love our neighbor as ourselves then when our neighbor succeeds then we should rejoice with them, and when they do not we should not mock their failure but seek to support them, lift them up.

Mark 6:5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

Mark 6:6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Maybe this is the saddest testimony of all. There are sick, hurting, possessed by demons and rather than have Jesus help them, rather than come to him and humbly submit themselves to him, that chose rather to continue in their pain and suffering. Our Roman reader realizes that Jesus will not help you unless you are willing to come to him. When you come to him, his mercy and grace are freely given. You ever purchased a Christmas gift for someone, and it stayed under the tree to the point that it was still there even when you took the tree down? You are like, why did I bother? Jesus is that gift sitting under the tree waiting and these people in his home town never bother to come and take hold of that gift. Jesus could have helped so many, but these people refused his gift of help.

Now honest question, what have you decided that you are going to keep Jesus from helping you with? What have you been unwilling to take before Christ and lay it down before him and allow him to take it? How are you any different than these people? They refused to take themselves to Jesus to have their problems, and so are you, you are saying to Jesus, you know what Lord, I know that you can take care of this, but you know what I do not trust you to do it the way I want it done, so I am just going to do this in my own power, and all you are doing is building up frustration onto yourself, because it will not work out, so place it before the throne of God, hand it over to Christ, do not be like these people.

 

 

Now Mark moves on to the next subject, and it is important and related to what we had just read, Jesus knows that it is time to expand his ministry, that sending out others to cover more territory is the best decision.

Mark 6:7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

Mark 6:8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—

Mark 6:9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

So, Jesus sends them out in pairs. This is two fold, accountability and safety. They are to hold each other accountable for their behavior and for the support that others would give them, and safety because the 1^st century world is no different that it is today, a person walking alone is an easy target.

What is the next part, take no food? Why, one because you will not get very far if you have to carry enough food for your trip, it is extra weight, take no bag, in this case it means a beggars bag, one who begged for money, they were not to beg, but to take whatever people were willing to give them whether it be food or money, and without a bag they could only carry that which they could hold. No one was going to get rich on this missionary journey. And one set of shoes and one set of clothes. This is bare bones, but we have not answered the question, why?

Because Jesus wants them to go out on faith.

Now this is very triggering for me the Boy Scout, well trained by father the double whammy of a Marine, improvise adapt and overcome, and of course Be Prepared, be prepared for what? To improvise adapt and overcome. So, this going out on this mission with basically nothing, well that is going to take a lot of faith Lord.

Yes, yes, it is. But it is necessary, because unless we are willing to step out in faith, unless we are willing to go out and take risk, to expose ourselves to that which is unknown, then we will never have the opportunity of the blessing of seeing God come through for us when we are willing to step out in faith. This is God breaking us, and these 12 of their need to control, they are going to have to go bare bones, they are going to have to place their trust in God, God you will provide, I can trust you to do that.

But can you? You say, Lord I trust you, but unless you do it in this way, well then I am going to have to take it back, because, well, I trust you, but only so far.

As Jesus said to those same Apostles, Oh ye of little faith.

 

 

 

 

Mark 6:10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.

Mark 6:11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

Do you see this? I bet our Roman reader sees it, do you. What does Jesus tell them?

You are going to fail. There are some people that are not going to listen, they are not going to want to hear what you have to say, they are not going to support you, in fact they might even be really hurtful.

See what Jesus says? Shake it off. As a old coach I cannot tell you how many times I have told one of my players to just shake it off, you are ok, get back out there. One of the biggest problems with our nation with our culture is that we have forgotten how to shake it off. We get offended by the littlest things, oh they hurt my feelings, my grandfather told me way to often boy I am going to hurt a lot more than your feelings if you do not straighten up. We have as a people how to shake it off, how to not take every little thing personal and we are so much in our feels, and Jesus says to the Apostles, hey look these people I am sending you to, a whole lot of them are not going to be nice, and some are going to right down nasty, but you cannot let that bother you, you have a mission, you are to go out and spread the Gospel of Christ, you are to call them to repent and turn to God, and if these people are means to you, if they are nasty to you, you know what you have to do?

Shake it off, move on, get over it, do not dwell on it, you have done what you were called to do, you have them the literal words of life and if they reject it, then it is on them, you have been faithful.

But we are not, because someone has hurt our feelings, someone has done us wrong, we hold onto a grudge, and we refuse to share the Gospel with them, we are unwilling to forgive, we are unwilling to shake it off. Jesus said shake it off, get over yourself, get out there, there are souls to be won what are you waiting for?

Mark 6:12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

Mark 6:13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Did you see what just happened? I bet our Roman reader sees it. Where there was once only one, how many extras are there now? 12. Now there are 12 more out teaching in the synagogues, there are 12 more casting out demons, there are 12 more healing people and there are 12 more areas hearing the what? They are hearing the Gospel. The Roman reader sees this, that Jesus has just multiples his ministry times 12, he has gone from a one-man band, to a 12 piece orchestra.

But please notice verse 12, what are the first four words of that sentence?

So they went out. Guess what, unless you go out, nothing is going to happen. If you never leave the comfort of your home except to come here on Sunday and or Wednesday, umm nothing will happen, no gospel will be preaches, they cannot be healed of the worst condition one can have, the illness of unbelief, they will never rid themselves of the demon that has a hold of their heart, which be themselves.

Nothing will happen.

Note that Jesus could have just kept doing it alone, but He knew that he was not going to be here forever at some point he was going to leave and they would be on their own, so he started preparing for that day, now, by doing what? Sending them out.

You guys have to do this as well, I can only do so much, I can only preach one sermon on Sunday, I can only teach one Bible Study on Wednesday, I can share out there as much as I can, I can share online, post content all days long.

But in the end, just like Jesus, I am just one guy, and there are a lot more of you, that there is of me, so you have to be willing to go out, you have to be willing to do what the Apostles did, they went out, Jesus sent them out and He is sending you out, the question is are you willing? When God asked in Isaiah 6, Isaiah did not hesitate

“Whom shall I send said the Lord?

Isaiah Here I am, Send me.

Darin Bracy is the pastor at Yorktown Baptist Church in Yorktown Virginia. He is a graduate of Veritas Baptist College with a BA in Ministry and a minor in History. He has a wife Stacy, two daughters, Ashlynne and her husband Justin, their daughter Harper and Aftyn, and her two dogs, Eddie and Lulubelle.

You can reach Darin at his email address, Darinbracy@gmail.com and you can see his video content on YouTube – Basic Baptist Guy