Then He appointed Twelve

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

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 3:7-19

On Saturday, we read of Jesus and the disciples walking through the fields, plucking heads of grain to eat. When criticized by the Pharisees for doing so on the Sabbath, Jesus pointed out to them the story of David. When he and his men were starving, the high priest gave them showbread to eat. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." Jesus went into the synagogue, and all were watching to see what He would do. There was a man there with a withered hand. Jesus asked, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. Not for the first time, nor the last, we read that Jesus avoids deeper confrontation with His enemies at this time. But Mark's Gospel has now introduced us fully to the conflict that arises and will continue between Jesus and some of those in the religious leadership.

And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. While the leadership begins to plot against Him, Jesus' fame grows and spreads. Here it is spelled out for us by Mark -- from the central areas of worship outward, and even Tyre and Sidon, coastal areas of the Gentiles, all are coming to Him from North, South, East and West. This is a picture akin to some form of modern pop star, perhaps even greater fame. Jesus needs a boat to be kept at hand by the sea in case the crowd should crush Him. Everybody wants to be a part of what He has to offer!

For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. Here, the problem of the demons arises yet again in Mark's Gospel. This spiritual Kingdom in which He rules also contains those who are "unruly" but who know Him. They recognize His divinity. But His signs are for the children He will gather to Himself through faith, and, as my study bible puts it, "the messianic secret" must be preserved until it is time for revelation in His time, His way. He commands the demons to be silent.

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. Up on the mountain, the business of the Kingdom continues. The Twelve are appointed. My study bible has some important notes here. This passage sets forth, it says, "Jesus' authority in calling people to ministry; many might have volunteered, but He appointed whom he would; (2) the requirement of discipleship before ministry; to be with Him -- for intimate fellowship and training -- and to follow Him in order to be sent by Him; and (3) the commission to share in Jesus ministry of preaching, healing, and casting out demons. In Mark's view," it continues, "demonic oppression is characteristic of human existence under the bondage of evil. The mission of Jesus' disciples is to liberate humanity from this bondage. Every age has its own manifestations of demonic power. Thus, we who are His disciples have a similar mission today -- helping people to break loose from bondage and come to freedom in Christ." We note that Thaddeus is most likely referred to as Judas son of James in Luke's Gospel, and that Bartholomew is also known as Nathanael.

What do we make of this Kingdom coming into the world? It is as if it is simply "breaking through." We catch glimpses of this tremendous light, so bright it cannot be hidden -- and yet, to those without faith, the light may be so blinding that it cannot be seen. The phenomenon we noted earlier of being "hidden in plain sight" continues. Many are chasing after Him, the multitudes grapple for what He offers to them. And yet there is the secret of His identity. Paradoxically, only the demons know and openly proclaim who He is. But they act out of fear. My study bible's note is interesting in the way it ties the themes of today's reading. How do you identify demonic power in your own life experience or in the "manifestations of this age?" Are there ways in which you feel this light is obstructed, hindered, acted against? We note the manifestation of fear on the part of the demons in today's reading. What has fear to do with our capability to embrace this good news of the Kingdom? What keeps us from basking in this light? There is the "fear of God" that teaches us awe and reverence for the power of the holy, and then there is the sort of fear of Christ exhibited by these demons in this story. When the light shines, it is time to embrace it. When the gift comes, what is our response? This is the fear that is linked to rejection. It implies a rejection of change. How does His light call you? The authority, the calling ("Follow Me"), the appointment, come from Christ.