June 10, 2018 Sunday

“And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.” (Mark 3:13-19 NKJV)

            Here we have one of the pivotal moments of the ministry of Jesus as He extends what will become the church out by selecting the 12 to serve with Him as a revelation of how we should serve. We should serve by sitting at the Masters feet and learning and growing as we spend time with God, we also serve by using the gifts God gives us through the Holy Spirit and by joining together to extend God’s ministry.

            We see here the gifts for the ministry God appoints the disciples to do.  The disciples are called to preach, to have the power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons. Through the power of Jesus and under the authority of God the disciples would be able to not just stand in the face of evil but to conquer evil!

            This call by Jesus to serve with Him would make such a radical change that many would receive a new name! For some these new names were a description of who they were but for others the new names were a description of the call God would place on their lives.

            One of the striking parts of this call is Jesus would knowingly call the man who would betray Him.  The calling of Judas resonates so much in people’s minds we often try to fill in why Jesus did this. Was it an attempt to reform Judas? Did Jesus call Judas just to fulfill the prophecies? These questions are made even more frustrating because they are of the mind of God and beyond our reach.

            We might miss the very last sentence and put it down as just an afterthought but that would be a mistake. Jesus had selected 12 very different and unique people and now they would go together into a house. From now on they would have a unity not of who they were but of following Jesus and becoming who they were called to be. Could it be Jesus is calling us to remember the places of worship here and the houses and mansions God has for us?

            Are you someone who has cast off your old life for the new life through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ? Have you sought God’s call for you? Are you living out the gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s call on your life? Are you in the house that is the Church, the body of Christ?