How should we respond when our message is not received, according to Mark 6:11? Setting the Scene • Jesus sends the Twelve out two by two, giving them authority and clear instructions (Mark 6:7–13). • Mark 6:11 is His directive for moments when the gospel is rejected: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.” The Instruction in Mark 6:11 • “Will not welcome you or listen to you” – refusal both of the messenger and the message. • “Shake the dust off your feet” – a symbolic act used by devout Jews when leaving Gentile territory, signifying separation from defilement. Jesus applies it to any town that rejects His word, underscoring the seriousness of unbelief. • “As a testimony against them” – the action is not spiteful but a solemn witness; responsibility for rejecting truth stays with the hearers (cf. Ezekiel 3:18–19). What “Shaking the Dust” Means Today • Release the burden of personal offense. We distance ourselves from the rejection without harboring resentment (Romans 12:19). • Leave the results with God. Only He changes hearts (1 Corinthians 3:6). • Move forward in obedience. The mission continues; lingering discouragement hampers further ministry (Acts 13:51). • Maintain clarity: rejecting the gospel has eternal consequences (John 3:18). Our gesture—whether literal or figurative—underscores that reality. Keeping Our Hearts Right • Stay gracious: “Always be prepared to give a defense…yet with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). • Remain patient: “Preach the word…with complete patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). • Guard against discouragement: Jesus Himself was often refused (John 1:11). Following Him includes sharing that experience (John 15:18–20). • Keep praying for the unreceptive; dust-shaking ends the debate, not intercession (Romans 10:1). Encouraging Examples • Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch: rejected by Jews, they “shook the dust off their feet in protest” and pressed on to Iconium, “and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:50–52). • The Seventy-two return rejoicing after some towns reject them (Luke 10:10–17). Obedience, not universal acceptance, marks success. Summary Takeaways • Expect some will not receive the gospel. • Respond by symbolically “shaking off the dust”: releasing offense, affirming the seriousness of rejection, and moving on. • Trust God with the outcome while keeping a compassionate, prayerful heart. • Keep proclaiming Christ elsewhere, confident that faithfulness, not universal approval, is the measure of success. |
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