NOTES: 1] Nazareth, Jesus' probable home town is referred to by one writer as 'Nowheresville'. 2]  Rabbis often taught when 'passing through'.  3]  Compare the instructions Jesus gives The Twelve here with thos of MT 10:7-11, & LK 9: 1-6.  Variations may reflect different oral or written traditions.

WARMING UP:   When we travel, do we usually  end up taking too much with us despite our good intentions?

TREASURES OLD & NEW:  Identify God at work in anything this week?

ENTERING INTO THE STORY:

1-3      What kinds of questions can go through our minds when we listen to someone reading, announcing, praying in church? Are they (the questions, that is) always  relevant to both what's going on in worship & in our daily life? Or are they more personal  relating  to ourself or the person out front?  What kind of questions might it be helpful to ask ourselves? Does our mind wander, or is it just blank? How focussed are we on what we're doing at each point in our worship?

4          The proverb quoted seems to have originated with Jesus. Do we ever envy his gift of saying things people will remember?  Can we do anything about that? Do we usually remember what people say in church these days?  Did we ever? Where once the church did a lot of teaching  by memorising (e.g. Catechism, Creeds, Commandments written on walls, etc.) are we at a disadvantage now because we don't do these things so much if at all?  Were those old methods effective? Is the fact  that society's become more technologically literate & less dependent upon learning through hearing & repeating helping or hindering us getting the Faith across? What is the basic message of Faith anyhow?

5-6      Does it surprise us  that Jesus 'could not do any miracles there'? (That's what it says, quite literally!) Couldn't he always do anything  he wanted to do? Is it just lack of faith / trust that stops miracles happening today? Compared with the way Jesus operates here, does our strategy today centre too much on buildings & expecting people to come into them? Or is it just not reasonable to expect people to be out travelling the countryside with the Good News of Jesus today? Not even missionaries? What is a missionary? When did we last see or hear of one? What about the JW's, Mormons, etc.?

7-9      Do we recognise ourself as being in any sense: a) called?  b) sent? c)  given authority over 'unclean spirits' - or anything else?  What might it say about us if the answer is no? What equipment do we take with us 'on the road for Jesus' today? What do we lack? Where can we get what we lack?

10-11   How welcome do we feel among people as an ambassador for Jesus today?  Do we ever feel like 'cutting & running' & 'shaking the dust off our feet'? Have we ever done that?

12-13   What experience, if any, do we have of : a) our own life being turned around? b) someone else having their life turned around? c) driving out demons? d) anointing or otherwise healing people in some way?