Mark 6:30-31

 Q – Tama po ba for church to require members to convert and recruit new members in ever-increasing numbers to the point of pagod/exhaustion?

At talaga pong inire-report, binibilang at chine-check, to the point na sobrang nakaka-pressure at wala nang joy?

A - Let’s see what Jesus and his disciples did along that matter:

Mark 6:30-31

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

• The apostles were not required to report.

Out of joy, they volunteered to share their experiences.

• Walang bilangan ng converts.

• The sharing focused on WHAT they had

1. DONE (most probably healing, feeding, comforting, counseling, even raising some dead?).

2. TAUGHT the people: Message /Content /Lesson

The disciples GAVE to the people, not TAKE from them; they benefited their hearers, not themselves.

• So many people were coming and going. Sila ang pumupunta nang kusa kasi nakikinabang sila, hindi pinakikinabangan.

• Sobrang naging busy, napagod at nagutom ang disciples.

Hindi sila lalung pinagod ni Jesus; PINATIGIL sila sa “ministry”, inilayo sa field work, niyaya at pinangunahang

pumunta sa tahimik at relaxing/relaxed place to eat and rest.

Pinaiwan ni Jesus ang mga tao.

(Note: “Come with me by yourselves---KAYO LANG ---and get some rest.

Hindi (lang) sa converts/numbers focused si Jesus: Focused sya sa wellbeing ng workers, especially sa kanilang pagkain at pahinga.

THIS IS JESUS. THIS IS JESUSNESS.

Meanwhile, may teaching/comment si Jesus on this similar matter of recruiting converts:

Matthew 23:15-16 NIV

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites (WITH YOUR MOTIVES)! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

• The work/What is DONE TO and TAUGHT the convert turn

him/her become like the missionary:

“a child of hell”---only twice as much!

Jesus calls the Pharisee a child of hell, which could mean

1. Suffering as if in hell. Victim of hell.

2. Promoter and recruiter to hell /hell-like physical, mental, emotional and spiritual condition.

3. Guilty at nagpapa-guilty.

4. Judgmental and teaching converts to be judgmental, too.

5. Hirap at nagpapahirap sa convert.

Pagod at pumapagod.

In all these, nagiging “twice as much a child of hell” ang recruits: napapahamak ---kasi matapos ma-recruit ay gagawin

ding recruiter/recruitment machine.

Ang “mission” ng Pharisee ay hindi para pakinabangIN ang recruit kundi para pakinabangAN.

SURIIN, URIIN ANG

- MISSION.

- GAWA AT ANG MESSAGE.

TEST FOR AND AVOID PHARISEENESS.

GO FOR JESUSNESS.