The Problem of a Missional Prophet

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The Problem of a Missional Prophet

Jesus said, “There is no Prophet who is despised except in his city and among his kindred and in his house.” (Mark 6:4) Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010) The New American Standard Bible puts it this way:

“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.”

Sure, “Missional” is a buzzword and admittedly is trendy and slightly hipsterish. This however, does not negate the import of being missionary-ish wherever the Lord has you. It is not radical to be on mission with God. In fact, it’s quite normal, or I should say quite supernaturally normal. Being a missionary in the traditional sense, my focus has been transferred to a place “across the borders,” but for me, being a missional missionary is neither redundant or contradictory. Being missional or “living as sent” where I am does not depend on location or destination, but on intention. To become self-aware of my sent-ness, for me, is to be truly sentient.

There is a problem though. If being missional is living as sent wherever you are, i.e., the city, the mountains, the suburbs, etc., then what about the missional Prophet? If Prophetic leadership’s main concern is to further the mission of God’s people and communities and to sense of the mind of God on issues concerning growth and transformation, then:

How does live as sent if there’s no honor to be had in one’s own sphere of influence?