Taking No!

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Heb 12:18-19, 21-24; Mk 6:7-13

Today’s Gospel highlights the missionary training given by Jesus. 

It is interesting to note that the missionary training given by Jesus consists of saying ‘no’ to taking food, sack, money, or a second tunic with them. 

What is the reason that Jesus denies all these to his disciples, especially when he wants to form them for a mission?

Jesus wants his disciples to say ‘no’ when he even slightly doubts that a desire for these would end up being their trap. 

Hence, Jesus wants his disciples to say ‘no’ to what might make them feel that they can exist independently of others. Jesus wants them to say ‘no’ to what might give them a false sense of self-sufficiency. Jesus wants them to say ‘no’ to what might make them think that God is irrelevant and our earthly existence does not depend on God. 

Instead, Jesus wants them to discover humanity through poverty, love through sharing, and God through dependence. The missionaries are meant to honor God and love God’s people in extension of loving and serving the good Lord. 

Through the missionary formation of his disciples, Jesus makes sure that they won’t be trapped by anything that would make them superior, self-sufficient, and omnipotent.

The secret of succeeding as God’s missionary lies in holding on to God through thick and thin. 

Let us pray that we may succeed as God’s missionaries through poverty, sharing, and solidarity.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar