Day 12 | March 15 | Mark 6:7-29

Think back to your high school days: What was your reputation? Were you known as an athlete? Musician? Brainiac? Prankster? A reputation is a belief or opinion that is held about someone based on how people perceive that person. During my school days, your reputation seemed important because it affected how people spoke about and treated you.

In today’s passage, Jesus gives His followers a command to go out and preach His message- giving them authority to heal, exorcise demons, and raise the dead (Matthew 10:8). They were to go from place to place, preaching repentance and living out the mission of God.

The disciples did as Jesus commanded. As a result, King Herod heard about their reputation. John the Baptist also had a reputation for preaching repentance and speaking out against evil, which included the adulterous marriage of Herod Antipas. John’s actions earned the wrath of Herod’s wife (Herodias), landed him in jail, and eventually led to his death.

God calls us to follow and be His witnesses. And let’s be honest, following God is not always easy. As we obey the Word, share His message, serve others, speak out against sin—being Christlike in our world—we will get a spiritual reputation. While some may welcome us as those who have dedicated our lives to Christ, others may reject us, seeing us as radical, fanatical, or close-minded.

Jesus warns the disciples they will meet resistance for sharing and living out the gospel. The truth is, the way people act and react to our faith journey will not always be with warm smiles and hugs. The good news is that Jesus did not (and does not) send his followers out on their own power and strength. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Today, as we surrender our lives to Christ and live everyday guided by the Holy Spirit, regardless of how others treat us based on our spiritual reputation, we can live in the promise that the power of Christ is working in and through us!