Mark 6:11-15
Mark 6:11 (KJB)
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake
off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto
you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment,
than for that city.
One thing that Jesus is preparing the apostles for and that is that not everyone
is going to be amenable to their Gospel message. This has been something which
has been carried down through the ages. In fact, the majority of people on this
earth will not agree with the Gospel message. So Jesus is telling them that if
you go to a place and you are not received nor are heard, then you are to depart
to another city. Then in a symbolic gesture of rejection, they are to shake the
dust off their feet as they depart. When Jews had returned from traveling to a
foreign land, they were to shake the dust off their feet before they entered
Israel again. Soil from foreign lands was considered unclean. So when the
disciples shook the dust off their feet, it was saying that whoever heard the
proclamation of the Gospel and rejected or opposed it, was like the pagan from
the foreign land who held no regard for the teachings of the Scriptures. Then
Jesus states that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of
Judgment, than for them. The reason for this is found in Matthew 11:23. (Mat
11:23 KJV) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought
down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been
done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Sodom and Gomorrha
did not have the miracles and works done by Jesus but Capernaum and the areas
around Galilee did. So those who saw the miracles and still rejected Christ
would be more culpable than those who did not see any miracles or heard of
Christ.
Mark 6:12 (KJB)
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Then Jesus sends them out and gives us a description of their ministry. The
first and most important facet of their ministry was the preaching of the
gospel. Now repentance is the same as salvation. The word “repent” means to have
a change of mind.” The only way a person has a change of mind is if they become
saved first. (Eph 4:18 KJV) Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of
the blindness of their heart: The natural man has a darkened mind because
of sin and no matter what he does, he can never change it. Only Christ can
change the mind by taking it out of darkness and bringing it into the light.
(1 Th 5:5 KJV) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we
are not of the night, nor of darkness. Once a person becomes saved, they
have a different perspective on everything because of the mind which now dwells
in light.
Mark 6:13 (KJB)
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and
healed them.
They then proceeded to cast out many devils out of possessed people which showed
the Kingdom of God had total authority over the kingdom of Satan. Then they
anointed those who were sick with oil which was a symbolic gesture. The apostles
were able to tell the difference between those who were bodily sick with a
disease and those who were possessed of devils. The anointing with oil was
symbolic of the Holy Spirit although in some cases it have medicinal uses but
here it was symbolic of the Holy Spirit. They were in essence stating that it
was the Holy Spirit that was making the sick people well. After all, if the Holy
Spirit can partake in creation, He can surely heal a body.
Mark 6:14 (KJB)
And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That
John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show
forth themselves in him.
The Herod mentioned here is Herod Antipas who was a son of Herod the Great’s
fourth marriage. His mother Malthace was a Samaritan and he was educated in
Rome. Upon the death of Herod the Great, the kingdom was divided into four
sections. (Mat 14:1 KJV) At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame
of Jesus, The name “tetrarch” means “ruler of a fourth part.” He
ruled the area of Galilee and Peraea from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. The verse begins
with “And king Herod heard of Him;“ At that time” which is probably the time
when the reports of the miracles of Jesus came to Herod and was probably several
months after the martyrdom of John the Baptist. Hearing of these mighty miracles
which Jesus did caused Herod Antipas much consternation because he had thought
that John the Baptist was risen from the dead and was now doing mighty miracles.
He no doubt believed the way of the Pharisees because they believed in the
resurrection while the Sadducees did not. While John was alive, he did not work
any miracles because his ministry was to introduce the Messiah to the nation of
Israel as prophesied in Malachi.
Mark 6:15 (KJB)
Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one
of the prophets.
Probably some of Herod’s advisors were trying to quench his fear of John the
Baptist being resurrected. John the Baptist may have given the impression that
the coming Messiah may have been a person like Elijah. Between the Testaments,
the Jewish people had believed that Elijah would come and prepare the way for
Israel to be delivered in the final days and that he would be the High Priest of
the messianic age. Elijah was a very popular figure with the Jews. There were
probably many in Israel who had longed for the resumption of prophetic activity
in the last days.