The “FIDO” Principle
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Mark 6:7-13
A dozen or so years ago, I heard a speaker discuss what he called the FIDO Principle. FIDO is an acronym for:
Forget It, Drive On
Ironically, this principle is seen in the actions taken by Jesus after being rejected in his hometown, Nazareth, in my previous bLOG (Mark 6:1-6). After marveling at the people’s unbelief which creates an obstacle in their hearts, Jesus moved on and taught among the other villages.
Now to today’s story. So far, we have seen the twelve chosen by Jesus (3:14-15) and taught the mystery of the Kingdom (4:10-12). Now it’s time to send them out under his authority. In a way, this is their student teaching moment, internship, etc. Notice that Jesus sends them in pairs to support one another, and he reminds them that not everyone will like the message they bring. He instructs them to shake it off and move on when that happens. Jesus teaches them the FIDO Principle!
I love that Jesus does not expect them (or us) to do anything he wouldn’t do. But like a good teacher, he knows his students, teaches them theory, models it, and then lets them go out and practice it.
O Good Teacher,
Continue to teach us the theory and best practices of the faith! Please help us not be discouraged when people in the world reject your message and remind us that there are those out there waiting to hear and receive it with great joy.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!
SEARCHING FOR 42 