Day 7: Called from the Crowd
“Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.”
Mark 3:7-19
Large gatherings seem like a distant memory just now eh? There’s been no football matches, no concerts, no Christmas celebrations. We’re not even meant to gather family or friends in our homes at the moment.
Crowds gather for a common purpose, whether to watch sports, listen to a band, or simply to spend time with mates. In every crowd though, there will be some folk who wholeheartedly want to be there, and some who have just been swept along in the buzz.
Most of us want to be part of a crowd at some point or another.
In today’s passage, people were coming from nearly a 200 mile span to see Jesus (3:7-8). They’d heard about all he was doing, and wanted him to heal diseases and cast out demons. Jesus gathered a crowd wherever he went, but this time, he went up a mountain and only invited twelve men to join him.
This wasn’t usual protocol for a Jewish Rabbi, normally a disciple would choose who to learn from. But Jesus bucks the trend. He’s the one doing the choosing. He chose quite a diverse bunch as well. None from religious leadership, but some fisherman, a tax collector, a political activist. All chosen. All called. They were to be a new crowd, a new people. He probably had a ton of followers, but these 12 apostles were to learn closely then go on to lead the church.
He called them ‘to be with him’ and ‘to send them out.’
‘to be with him’
To be with someone is to have a relationship. Jesus called them firstly to know him intimately. They were going to eat with him, travel with him, have banter with him, be challenged by him, be comforted by him. They would live with Jesus.
Jesus was called ‘Immanuel,’ which means ‘God with us.’ The only way we can be with God is because Jesus came to break the barrier of sin and call us to follow him. The first call for a disciple of Jesus is to follow him, to be with him. It means to leave behind whatever other crowd you are in and take the name ‘Christian’ as your identity. It means you’re now defined by your relationship with Jesus.
‘to send them out’
Secondly, Jesus sent out his disciples to preach and to drive out demons. He sent them into a spiritual war to share good news, that the victory has been won. Knowing Jesus means fighting in daily battles against sin and the devil. We fight with the Gospel, with the news that Jesus has won the war, and will one day end all conflict. We fight personally to flee from sin and run to Jesus. We fight for lost souls by sharing the call of Jesus to follow him. We fight as a church by sharing the battle together.
It’s always easier to blend into a crowd, but Jesus has made a new people, a new crowd. Today he calls us to be with him, to spend time with him, to walk through our day with him. Then he sends us out, to share him with others.
Passage for today: Mark 3:7-19
A thought to remember: Jesus calls his disciples to be with him, then sends them out.
A question to ask: How can you be with Jesus today? Where is Jesus sending you today?
A song to sing: Who Are We?