GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 6:8
Brass in the Belt
Runners practice for weeks for their races. Sprint runners, however, practice differently than marathon runners do. Sprint runners want maximum speed and explosive power from the starting blocks; therefore, they emphasize techniques that focus on power and anaerobic capacity. Marathon runners, however, train for long-duration endurance, emphasizing aerobic conditioning, pacing, and mental stamina.
Instead of withdrawing after being rejected by many in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus and his disciples went to other villages in the region where Jesus continued to teach. It was time for the disciples to have their first experience in evangelism on their own, so Jesus gathered them, commissioned them, “And he gave instruction to them that they might take nothing for the journey except a staff only—no bread, no sack, no brass in the belt.” (Mark 6:8) Jesus intended that the disciples’ first tour would be brief, so they should not store up provisions for a long trip. If they had a staff, they could take it, but if they didn’t have one, they should not spend time searching for one (cf. Matt. 10:10; Luke 9:3). They were to take no bread, sack, or money—brass in the belt.
Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome and often used terms Latin readers would understand. In this instance, when the disciples were instructed to take no money, he used the term “brass” because readers in Rome would understand that term. Jesus’ disciples wore the belt or “girdle” over their other garments, a piece of material eighteen inches wide at each end, which was often doubled. The pocket created by the double fold in the belt formed an area in which the wearer could carry packages or money, hence, “brass in the belt.”
In this instance, the disciples were to do a sprint—a short-term evangelistic tour; therefore, the accumulation of extra supplies was unnecessary. One should not use this scene as a pattern for long-term Christian service, a marathon. Being always ready is a theme in this first apostolic commissioning.
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