Fr Paolo Consonni, MCCJ
15th Sunday OT Year B
”He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two” (Mk 6:7)
I am a person who likes to work alone. You can therefore imagine my difficulty in commenting about this Sunday Gospel (Mk 6:7-13). Jesus’ choice to send the disciples out “two by two” puts the finger into a fragile spot of my personality. I am not too fond of this binary aspect of mission.
Most commentators underline the cultural connotation of the “two by two” methodology. In Jewish law, only the testimony of two or more witnesses was considered reliable. By sending them in pairs, Jesus ensured a credible witness to His message. This is surely a good reason, but not the ultimate one.
In my opinion, Jesus did not send them “two by two” only out of convenience, to protect each other in case of danger and to help each other in times of need. It is not even a matter of efficiency. True, each disciple has unique gifts and abilities. When paired, they could complement each other. By working together, they can act more effectively.
However, I suspect that in this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is not simply emphasizing teamwork, community life, or “synodality” because there is no group nor community in a strict sense here, only two people: me and the other person. The hard point Jesus wants us to learn is this: to accept the fact that my witness and the efficacy of my mission depends not solely on my skills, virtues, or style, but on how I relate to “that” one companion, not chosen by me but entrusted to me by Jesus himself.
Group work is, in a way, simpler even though one has to deal with more people. More personalities make relational dynamics more complex and often intricate. Yet, in a group or a larger community, if you can’t connect with a person, you might look for another. If you don’t agree with one, you might find support in another. In larger groups, you don’t necessarily need to collaborate with only one partner, and it is easier to find ways to avoid people we don’t like. Instead, in a “two by two” mission, there is no way to escape the uneasiness of having to deal with that only companion that, at a given time, Jesus put at our side in our life journey.
As a person belonging to a religious congregation, I need to deal with the “two by two” principle most of the time. Over the years, I have learned that I have seldom been assigned to work with a companion who is ‘naturally’ compatible with my character and style. When it happens, it is surely a gift to be grateful for and to enjoy as much as possible. But most of the time, the opposite is true. The mission companion sometimes has a very different way of living and working which underlines another set of values.
But I understood that the resulting difficulties are not an “accident”, or a “paring mistake”. On the contrary, they hide the graces that Jesus wants us to receive by sending us two by two. These graces only emerge when the relationship needs to be worked out in the gruesome daily commitment of listening to each other, discussing issues together, trying to compromise different points of view, and sacrificing speed and success for a slower and low-key style of action. All of this occurs while simultaneously forgiving each other because of the inevitable mutual wounds that occur in the process. It is a draining process indeed, and only those willing to go through it avoid the danger of becoming self-centered protagonists of mission or building communities formed only by close groups of friends. Then, they can focus on the Gospel rather than their personal achievements or comfort, and let Jesus more clearly emerge in what we do or say.
However, this approach does not always work out, and “two by two” relationships can become toxic. The Bible does not hide the possibility of failures in maintaining partnerships. Just to quote one example, the partnership between Paul and Barnabas was paramount in opening the Church’s doors to the Gentiles. Their collaboration was incredibly fruitful. However, when faced with certain choices, as the Acts of the Apostles narrates, “the disagreement became so sharp that they parted company” (15:39). Paul’s mission continued in Europe with another collaborator, Silas, and it was very successful. But the bitter taste of relational failure remains. These conflicts should make us humble and constantly in need of conversion and grace. In putting in practice the Gospel, even the best can fail.
As a matter of fact, the apostles were sent out two by two to proclaim that all should repent (Mk 6:12). And those of us sent by Jesus are the first in need of repentance. The “two by two” style of mission is a constant, humbling reminder of that.
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