Sunday, July 14, is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass readings: Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10; Mark 6:7-13.

One of the reasons why Christians have difficulty evangelizing effectively is that most lack the freedom and simplicity of life to carry forth the task consistently and coherently. In today’s Gospel, the Lord offers some counsel on the freedoms required for effective evangelization. 

Summons

The text says, “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” It may not be immediately obvious how a summons is freeing, but consider that when we know we are called to do something by someone in authority, we are often more courageous and diligent in doing it, even if it is hard. 

Simplicity

“He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick — no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic,” Jesus continues.  

We have too much stuff, and stuff needs attention. We also have too many commitments. We’re overscheduled and overbooked. We have many wrong priorities, such that we spend too much time worrying about things that don’t matter all that much in the end, and, often, what does matter gets put on hold. All of this extra baggage weighs us down and entangles us with the world. The Lord says: Simplify! 

Stability

The text then says, “He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.’” Stability is the freedom to accept what is and do well there; it is the freedom to bloom where you are planted and to use what God has given you, rather than waiting for something better. There’s a real freedom to staying put and developing the deeper relationships that are usually necessary for evangelization to be effective and lasting. One of the bigger problems with handing on the faith today is that there is very little stability in families, communities and parishes. When things and people are passing and ephemeral, how can values rooted in lasting things be inculcated?

Surety

“Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them,” Jesus also instructs. 

Here is one of the greatest freedoms of all: the gift to be free of our obsession with being liked, approved of and popular. We often care too much about what others think of us, at the expense of the truth of the Gospel. Jesus implies here that rejection will surely happen, and he counsels that when it does, we should shake it off and let it pass over us. Takeaway: Speak the truth, and don’t worry about rejection.

Substance

The text describes the fruitful, miraculous outcome of following the instructions of Jesus: “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” 

The text describes the the Twelve as driving out demons and curing the sick. We too drive out the demons of sadness, meaninglessness, ignorance, misplaced priorities, atheism, agnosticism, worldliness, materialism and so forth by our Christian witness. 

Consider: Are you free enough to evangelize?