Context is everything.
This past week, I came across a verse that stuck with me. It had alot of appeal because I felt like it fit my circumstance. From Mark 6:11 (Jesus' instruction to the disciples before He sent them out) "... And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust from the soles of your feet..."
In my ignorance, and in my desperation to receive consolation, I skewed the verse to justify my emotions. Sometimes I feel so frustrated when I try to speak truth into my friends' lives and they don't take heed to my advice. It makes me feel completely ineffective as a friend. And I try different methods to get them to see the Biblical perspective. And NOTHING. In one ear and out the other. Why do I let my heart get so burdened by their "struggles" when they don't even care themselves? I saw this verse as a way to release myself from their situations..... from their apathy. I acquired a "good luck on your own, i've done all i can, and now i'm moving on" attitude.
BUT I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT, praise the Lord! My father and I had a discussion on this chapter a couple days later and his insight helped me see the true meaning behind the verse. I had left out the most important part of the verse- "...as you go from there, shake the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them." Jesus was actually making an allusion to the Judgement Day, when nonbelievers will come before God and plead their case. Many will lie and say "but Lord, I never heard the gospel" and some may say "but Lord, that man taught me the wrong gospel" at which point the Lord will call forth trees and stones and YES, even the dust of the ground, to speak and testify against them. Jesus literally meant to leave behind the dust from that place, as a witness of the work they did.
What a large discrepancy between my interpretation and the truth! Remember, CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING! Someone once told me (was it Liviu?) that "if you don't understand the context of the verse, then you're actually not understanding the verse at all."
The Bible is AMAZING!
In my ignorance, and in my desperation to receive consolation, I skewed the verse to justify my emotions. Sometimes I feel so frustrated when I try to speak truth into my friends' lives and they don't take heed to my advice. It makes me feel completely ineffective as a friend. And I try different methods to get them to see the Biblical perspective. And NOTHING. In one ear and out the other. Why do I let my heart get so burdened by their "struggles" when they don't even care themselves? I saw this verse as a way to release myself from their situations..... from their apathy. I acquired a "good luck on your own, i've done all i can, and now i'm moving on" attitude.
BUT I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT, praise the Lord! My father and I had a discussion on this chapter a couple days later and his insight helped me see the true meaning behind the verse. I had left out the most important part of the verse- "...as you go from there, shake the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them." Jesus was actually making an allusion to the Judgement Day, when nonbelievers will come before God and plead their case. Many will lie and say "but Lord, I never heard the gospel" and some may say "but Lord, that man taught me the wrong gospel" at which point the Lord will call forth trees and stones and YES, even the dust of the ground, to speak and testify against them. Jesus literally meant to leave behind the dust from that place, as a witness of the work they did.
What a large discrepancy between my interpretation and the truth! Remember, CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING! Someone once told me (was it Liviu?) that "if you don't understand the context of the verse, then you're actually not understanding the verse at all."
The Bible is AMAZING!
posted by sarah braica @ 12/06/2005
2 Comments:
At 9:48 PM,
Dan Ciupuliga said…
As much as I like reading your spiritual findings.. I don't really see the difference between the two views of the verse.
They are both right. God does not call us to convert people to our faith.. that as you even said can be very frustrating.. all God did was call us to preach the gospel (by example or through our speech)..
What I understand from this verse is those that do not want to accept the Gospel WITHOUT EVEN HEARING IT "..place that does not RECEIVE you or LISTEN to you.." are no longer our responsability our responsability is to preach the gospel constantly.. we do not have to deal (harrass them continually to listen) with those that do not want to hear it. Its their choice and it will serve as evidence against them on Judgement Day
As for the shaking of the dust, tradition says that when Israelites returned from a Gentile city they were to shake off dust from their sandals to not pollute the holy land with Gentile land. So I am guessing this would have a special meaning to those rejecting the missionaries.. it would tell them that they are now cut off from the people of God. I think its irrelevent now-a-days but then it must have been a powerful symbol with a powerful message to those seeing it.
So ya I since it was meant as both being cut off or as you said ("ive done all i can i am moving on")and it stands as evidence on Judgement Day.. explain
At 10:58 PM,
Anonymous said…
hey sarah-
i really liked the interpretation of the verse...it got me thinking...
i see myself using verses from the Bible as excuses not to talk to someone or feeling that i did my part...foolishness!
thank you sarah, you are one of my coolest friends!
-mic
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