Keeping It Simple

 Mark 6: 7-11

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

⁷ And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 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.”

In typical direct and simple language, Jesus gives his apostles, the first missionaries,  the  basic instructions  for their inaugural journey. We recently read Matthew's version, a bit more "fleshed out" but basically the same:  KEEP IT SIMPLE! From their luggage to their word and deeds, stick with the basics.

We too are called to evangelize and can do it not with eloquent sermons, but by simple acts of kindness, or with simple explanations, or with quiet presence and listening.  When people expand on their problems, they are not always looking for solutions, but rather for the listening ear that allows them to "get things off their chest".  How many times have you heard, "Thanks for listening.".?    That's all that was wanted. May we learn to keep our mouths shut and not try to come up with answers; just stick with simple listening..

Bro. Rene