A New Devotion - Realistic Expectations

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Mark 6:1-13

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Realistic Expectations

I think a lot of Christians have unrealistic expectations about the impact they can have within the world around them. Of course, what they expect is really not surprising. I mean, it’s based on the stories that we share in order to motive evangelists and evangelism. I mean, let’s get real; seldom do we hear about an evangelist who struggles much less those who fail to be numerically successful. Instead, we share wonderful stories about spectacular success. As a matter of fact, we often offer the same kind of stuff that a salesman might use to motivate a group to buy or to invest. And that’s probably the reason that our evangelical feelings end up being very similar. You see, I think those Christians who step out with sky high expectations wind up with the same kind of frustrations and sadness felt by the guy who finds that there’s no magic system that explains the stock or real estate markets.

But these promises of great and easy success were certainly not part of the message given by Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, when he sent out the twelve, he was painfully honest about what they should expect and how they should respond. But even more dramatic than that, as Mark was describing Christ’s ministry in his hometown, Jesus didn’t exactly dazzle his homies. You see, if we rely on what Jesus taught and experienced, the expectations he encouraged were definitely realistic.