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"

 

 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 3:7–19a 

 

On Saturday, we read that it happened that Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "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.  My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (see yesterday's reading, above) -- although it was not time for Him to die -- and also in order to preach in other places.  

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.  Note Christ's popularity at this point in His ministry, already so great that He's in danger of being crushed by the multitude.  Surely His growing popularity was not lost on the Pharisees who already plot against 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.  Once again, St. Mark emphasizes that the demons know who Christ is, the Son of God (see also Mark 1:25).  Once again, my study Bible notes that Christ's desire to keep His identity hidden as Messiah is foreseen by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Among the reasons for secrecy are the growing hostility of the religious leaders (the Pharisees already have begun to plot against Him with the Herodians), the people's misunderstanding and expectations of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader, and finally in the midst of their clamor for healing, He wishes to evoke faith among the people not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

 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.  My study Bible comments that terms "disciples" and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve who are called by Christ, and appointed by Him.  Disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out" as these will be.  Jesus also appoints them to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  While Christ casts out demons, heals, and performs miracles by His own power, He gives to the disciples this power.  My study Bible comments that the names of these Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  At Mark 6:7 we read that they were sent out two by two, while in Matthew's Gospel the names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).

 

The commentary on the different names for the Twelve is quite interesting.  It becomes even more intriguing to think about what we might call nicknames or second, special names given by Christ to those who are closest to Him.  The one who will become known for his faith (and also for his failures) is Simon, whom we know as St. Peter.  The text tells us that Simon is the one to whom He gave the name Peter.  Our English name Peter comes from the Greek word Πετρος/Petros, which means a "stone."  This name has both a serious and perhaps is also a fond play on words, because from our Gospel stories we also know Peter as the one who, at the Last Supper, swore he would go to prison and even die with Christ before betraying Him (Luke 22:31-34), but following Christ's arrest, was so terrified of being identified as a follower that he denied Christ three times (Luke 22:54-62).  Yet, Peter nonetheless had the faith to return to Christ, and was clearly forgiven.  Such was his faith that we know he fulfilled Christ's prophecy for him, dying for Christ as a martyr to the faith following the period of his leadership among the apostles (see John 21:15-19).  James and John Zebedee here are said to have been given the name "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus.  Once again, we might note a possible double meaning in this name, perhaps affectionately given by Christ to His good friends.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we're told that at one point Jesus and the disciples pass through a village of Samaritans who refuse to receive them, because Jesus at that time is set to go toward Jerusalem.  These brothers, the "Sons of Thunder," upon seeing this, ask Jesus, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  Jesus must turn and rebuke them in turn, saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them" (see Luke 9:51-55).  But as the early Church unfolded under the leadership of these apostles, James became the first bishop of Jerusalem, and was then the first to be martyred among the Twelve, executed by sword by King Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  John would go on to live a long life of struggle and exile, but producing five books of the New Testament:  the Gospel of John, three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation.  This is indeed another fulfillment of their name, "Sons of Thunder," both in preaching and boldness, in their courage and the profound contribution of the written word by John.  Moreover, John would become the one to whom Christ entrusted the care of His mother, calling him her son in His stead (John 19:26).  These three given the special names reported here in Mark's Gospel are also significant in the sense that they would form Christ's inner circle during His ministry, called to accompany Him at particular moments, perhaps due to the fact that their faith was the strongest (see Mark 5:36-37, 9:2, 14:32-34).  Together, the three of them form what is called His "inner circle."  What we see in these special names tells us things which are significant for our faith.  First of all, they give us a sense that in Christ's sight, each one of us has an identity that is particular, and to which we are called, within which we are seen fully with both our contradictions and potentials for growth in His light.  Each of these three would fulfill the prophecy inherent in the name given to them, and yet each also would notably fail at times to do so, as recorded for us in the Gospels.  These names teach us that Christ knows us personally and intimately, and that while we may be called to become an integral part of a community of His followers, learners, and even perhaps apostles, we are each also known within that community as individuals.  Christ sees with the eyes of love, and so these names also reflect that love and care, and perhaps even His deep and affectionate humor and correction for our flaws.  One thing is certain, that they give us a sense of how well we are known, and that we are loved despite our failures and need to learn and to grow.  Let us remember this gift of the personal that teaches us so much about who we are in Christ's sight and how we are loved.  Let us know how and by Whom we are called.  For our saints exemplify in each one how we are called to identity, uniquely and specifically, and yet serving the One.