Week 10, Day 3: Shaking the Dust Off
Today’s Reading: Mark 7:1-8:38
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
In Mark 6, Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the message that He had been teaching them. In the process of giving His instructions, Jesus told the disciples that they were to leave any place that did not listen to them, and as they went out, they were to shake the dust off of their feet. This was to serve as a testimony against those who were rejecting the message (Mark 6:11).
Today, we also have to make a decision about when a person, or a group, have rejected the message of Christ. The time comes that we must decide to shake the dust from our feet, and move on to another, more receptive audience. But, the question that is more difficult to answer is: When do we do this? At what point do we decide that a person or a group is unworthy of further time or effort in teaching the gospel message? I am sure that I do not have all of the answers to that question, but certainly, I can offer some thoughts.
First, a person declares themselves to be unworthy of the gospel when they mock the message of Christ. There are some who simply refuse to listen long enough to decide whether there is any merit to the message that is being delivered. I can call to mind at least two instances in which a person declared themselves unworthy of the message by their mocking reception. In one case, I remember a man taking a flyer, tearing it up and throwing it down on his yard, and then instructing the person who delivered it to pick it up. Of course, that person did just as she was asked, and then left. This man decided for himself that he was unworthy of the gospel message. The second case I remember was a man who actually tracked us down, and fussed at us for leaving a meeting invitation on his front door. He did not want our “propaganda” and he was going to make sure we knew it. He didn’t read the pamphlet, he only looked and saw that it had something to do with religion. He decided that he didn’t want anything to do with God! He too decided for himself that he was unworthy of the gospel message!
Secondly, a person who has heard the message and rejected it declares themselves to be unworthy of the gospel. There is only one gospel message, and if a person is unwilling to accept it when they have heard it, there is nothing more we can do for them. I have studied with many people who would be very happy to continue studying “religious” topics with me, but they want nothing to do with the saving power of the gospel message. They want to reject the basic commands of God, but think they are OK because they are “religious.” This reminds me of the people that Paul warned Titus about in Titus 1:6. They had profess to know God, and then are disobedient to what He has revealed in His word! We could continue studying with a person like this, but what good is it to come to agreement on “religious” or “moral” principles, if a person will not put on Christ? When a person rejects the message of Christ, he has declared himself to be unworthy of the gospel.
It is a hard thing to give up on a person, especially if you have invested a lot of time and effort into teaching them. However, we have to look forward, and realize that there are hundreds and thousands of contacts out there waiting for us to come and talk to them! When we realize that our teaching is being rejected, we must move on to someone who is “worthy of the gospel”, which will be shown by their acceptance of the pure gospel message. Also, keep in mind that we have the job of spreading the seed (Mark 4:3-9) and it is God who gives the increase! (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) When the time comes, we must make that difficult decision to “shake the dust off” and find another person to share the gospel with!
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