And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted

 

 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 

 

Yesterday 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.  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.   My study Bible comments here that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (although it was not time for Him to die) and also in order to preach in other places.  Let us note that at this time, although it is still early in Mark's Gospel, a great multitude follows Jesus not just from Galilee, but also from the other regions of Israel, and even from Tyre and Sidon, which are Gentile regions.   His fame is similar to what we might call a rock or movie star today, which we read in the description that He must have a small boat ready, lest they should crush Him.  People with afflictions crowd around Him to touch Him, because He is known for the healings He has done.  Note also that the unclean spirits continue to identify Christ as the Son of God, for they know His power.  He warns them they should not make Him known, as it is not the appropriate time for His revelation as Son in His ministry, for all kinds of reasons.  He has sought to withdraw because of the increasing hostility of the religious leaders, who have now gone even to the Herodians to plot against Him in Galilee.  People popularly expect a political Messiah to deliver them from Roman rule, and He desires a kind of faith that does not come solely from the signs He does.

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 disciples and apostles are often used interchangeably for these twelve.   The Greek word for disciple literally means "learner" (those who will be with Him), and apostle means "one sent out" (He will send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons).  We are told that Jesus gave the name Peter to Simon, and also that James and John Zebedee He has given the name Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder."   If we look closely, we also observe that Levi the tax collector, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14) is now called Matthew in this list.  My study Bible notes that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.   In Matthew 10:2-4, the names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled together on their first missionary journey, as Mark will report they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

In today's reading, we begin to understand how Jesus prepares His ministry, how it unfolds in seeming succession, and step by step.  Now that multitudes are following Him,  He chooses the apostles who will be sent out; they are the Twelve who will also "be with Him," especially to learn from Him and be prepared for their future roles in the Church.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells them that they are not to go to the Gentiles, but to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:5-6), and so we may also assume these multitudes who follow Him from all around the region of Israel and even Tyre and Sidon are Jews from all of these places.  This is the foundation He must lay for what is to come, for the proper understanding of who He is and what His ministry must be about.  As He went up on the mountain to appoint these Twelve, we are also to understand the significance that this plan for an unfolding ministry, for creating a foundation for the future, is not made by Jesus "alone" as human being, but that everything is done in cooperation with God the Father.  This place of the mountaintop we can thereby associate with the change in the disciples.  Their new names given by Jesus may indicate for us the transformation happening so that they may now become apostles, and be prepared as those who will be sent out and become the pillars of the future Church.  In the renaming and transformation of these disciples, and on this "mountaintop" occasion, we also must by extension apply this understanding to all that is connected with our faith and our lives as those who are called "faithful."  As Jesus shows by His example at each turning point in His ministry, in the times when He is up on the mountain such as in today's reading, or departing to a solitary place to pray (Mark 1:35), we find that nothing happens without the involvement of reaching out to God and the communion of faith.  Even in appointing the Twelve, we don't know what considerations went into choosing them, but we do know that nothing happens without the involvement of faith and communion with God.  The names Christ gives to them express the change in them due the power of God.  This would even apply to choosing Judas (John 6:70).  Everything relies on a communion which does not simply include our fellow members in the Church, or our loved ones, but a whole communion of saints defined by all who live to God, with this divine reality at its center and acting as that which draws us together and gives shape to our lives.  This is true, also, of negotiating the evil in our world, and our own temptations and desires and needs for change.  So let us consider all things together and not leave out what we need to guide us, as we are shaped by our faith in Christ.

 

 

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him

 

 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 the 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.  Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were now planning to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading, above) though it was not time for His death,  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.  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.   By now Christ's renown as a healer is so great that He must be able to get away from the crowds with a small boat kept ready, lest they should crush Him, as they pressed about Him to touch Him.  My study bible comments on Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah.  It says that this is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  There are varied reasons for secrecy, which include (1) the growing hostility of the religious leaders; (2) the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and finally (3) Christ's desire to invoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  This is the second time Mark's Gospel has given us an example of the unclean spirits knowing and identifying who Christ was, and His command to be quiet (see Mark 1:23-26).

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed the 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.   Jesus goes up on the mountain as a sign to us that what is happening is given from God.  Although Mark does not mention either word, it's worth noting that "disciples" and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word for disciple means "learner" (mathetes/μαθητὴς) and for apostle means "one sent out" (apostolos/ἀπόστολος).  This act is an important sign or marker of the expansion of Christ's ministry in the world, as now it is not only Christ, but those whom He appointed will not only be with Him as disciples, but also sent out as apostles to expand His work.  In their capacity as apostles they are sent out to preach as He does, but even to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  This is a power given by Christ, who performs such things by His own power.  Also noteworthy is the change of names for a few:  Simon is renamed Peter by Christ, James and John are given the name Boanerges or "Sons of Thunder," and Levi the tax collector is now called Matthew (see Mark 2:13-17).  

In pursuing His worldly public mission, Jesus has any number of variables to juggle.  As my study bible points out, there is first of all the revelation by the demons of His true identity before the time is appropriate for this unveiling.  The people expect the Messiah to be a worldly king, one who will rule as do the Romans, with a great dominant kingdom in the lineage of David, which will set aright the fortunes of Israel and the people of God.  Jesus therefore does not publicly explicitly reveal Himself as such, nor has it even come time for the confession of faith by Peter on behalf of the disciples.  That will come in Mark's 8th chapter, and even then Christ will demand that they tell it to no one (see Mark 8:27-30).  Therefore we are to understand that there is a particular way in which Christ's ministry is to unfold, and there are particular times when things are appropriate to be done (John 7:30).  In that pursuit of understanding what correct timing is all about, we can look at this new phase in Christ's ministry and see its components.  As Jesus goes up on the mountain to appoint the twelve, we know this as a sign of something given by God.  It is a new turn or twist in His public ministry.  But accompanying this new turn is another fact we can't overlook, and that is that the religious authorities have decided to destroy Him, in collusion with those who represent the state power, the Herodians who support the ruling house of Herod, which rules for Rome.   At the end of Saturday's reading, we were told that "then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him" (see above).  In this new phase of Christ's ministry, through His shared power and the discipleship of the twelve, His ministry expands, even as it begins to be pursued by the alliance of religious authorities with the ruling empire.  And then there remains the whole open question of who will respond to this ministry, and how people will respond to it.  It might sound strange to say it, but this is a dimension which is entirely outside of Jesus' control, for it is by God's choice outside of God's control.  God grants us free will, and in our choice to say "yes" or "no" to God we remain in that sense free.  God does not compel anyone to love God, and yet God always has love for us.  As my study bible notes it, Jesus does not want people to come to false faith, which would be based solely on marvelous signs.  His real search in this world, the goal with which He encourages others to become "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17), is to find those whose faith is genuine.  And that is entirely in the hands of human beings.  If we really observe Jesus' ministry from this angle, and including this new expansion of choosing the twelve to go out and in whom He invests His power and shares it with the world through them, we see what great tremendous leaps God takes to place faith and investment in human beings.  What kind of response will there be?   In Luke 18, when Jesus exhorts His followers to persistent prayer, He also asks, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (see Luke 18:1-8).  And this is our question and what remains of this tremendous effort on our behalf and for our salvation.  Jesus invests His life, manifests Himself as human being, God's love expands this human-divine ministry into the world, and we are still left with this question.  Will we understand?  Will He find faith?  Do we look simply for miracles and signs?  Or is faith somewhere else in the heart that replies with justice to the One who is the Sun of Righteousness, with love to God who is love, with faith in the One who is true and faithful?  These are the questions which remain, for every generation, and with us now, today.

 

 

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted

 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. 

- Mark 3:7-19a

Yesterday, 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 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.  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. Jesus' ministry is at the point where there is conflict with the religious leadership;  in yesterday's reading we were told that they were plotting against Him, as He healed on the Sabbath in their presence as a form of direct contradiction.  But we see also that Jesus' ministry is simply growing and has expanded beyond Galilee, so much so that others come both from the north and the south, from the Jewish heart of Jerusalem and Judea and those who live in what are considered to be Gentile territories in Tyre and Sidon.  We're again given detail in Mark's Gospel, so as to emphasize the power of His presence, and His draw upon all the people:   He must stay at the seashore in a boat because of fears that He could be crushed by the crowds.  Can we imagine Jesus' ministry ending that way?  Nevertheless, precautions are taken.  All those with affliction come to Him, and they seek to touch Him.  Again, the thread of healing is ever-present. Jesus withdraws to sea because it is not yet time for direct confrontation with the leadership, and also so that He preaches in other places.

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.  Again, there's emphasis here that it's not yet time for full revelation of Jesus' identity.  His ministry must unfold in the proper way so that His mission can be understood properly, His teachings and the nature of the Kingdom He seeks to bring.

 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.  A further withdrawal from the crowds and from the clamoring leadership as well, to a mountain.  Here the great work of choosing His Twelve, those who will live with Him and learn from Him, to be sent out on the first apostolic mission later on.  Disciple comes from a Greek word for "learner;" an apostle is one who is "sent out."  As we can see His ministry spreading wildly, so much so that He's in danger of being crushed by people who want to touch Him to be healed, He's at a place where it's time to share His power, to "spread it out," so to speak.  These Twelve first will "be with Him" and then He will "send them out to preach."  They are also given power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons.  With His life, with His preaching and teaching, there is always a parallel healing and casting out of demons.

It's paradoxical and interesting to note that in all the lists of the Twelve in the Synoptic Gospels, the names may vary (some individuals used two names), but each names Judas as the one who would betray Christ (see also Luke 6:12-16 and Matthew 10:1-4).   John's Gospel doesn't give a list like the other Gospels, but does mention Judas as betrayer in John 6:70-71.  Jesus says, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"   While we are getting indications now of opposition from the religious leadership, we also are told that one whom Jesus chooses is going to betray Him.  It has to make us wonder:  Did Jesus know this?  If Jesus is God, how could He not know this when He chose Judas?   Another aspect of the lists of the twelve disciples is the variance in names.  Earlier we learned of Levi's being called at the tax office (see Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick).   But here, Levi is named as Matthew, indicating a change in life and in character.   The same is true for Simon, who is renamed Peter ("rock") by Jesus.   If we look at the names, we're given something deeper to understand -- that it is the memory of a person that is meaningful in the life in Christ.  St. John Chrysostom says that these new names and their meanings are those of memory eternal.  Matthew means "Gift of God," while Levi is "taken up" or "added" -- as in one who is taken up by the Lord.  Levi as tax collector and sinner, and hence outsider, is "taken up" and "added" by Christ and becomes Matthew.  He is "healed" -- as one who was "sick"-- by the grace of God and given a rightful place.  Simon will become "rock" -- based on his great faith.  James and John Zebedee are called by Jesus Boanerges, meaning "the sons of thunder," indicating the power of their preaching and teaching that will come from the transformation of their personalities in the power of the Lord.  St. Basil has commented, "The eloquent teaching which leads from baptism to sanctification is like thunder to the soul. That the gospel is like thunder is made evident by the disciples who were given a new name by the Lord: sons of thunder."  John, of course, is the Evangelist and author of three Epistles and Revelation.  His brother James is the first of the Twelve to die a martyr's death.  And what do we make of Judas?  Somehow, he is the one who fails to fully "repent" of what needs healing inside of himself.   He cannot fully accept this great power (like thunder to the soul, in St. Basil's words) that he's been called to follow as disciple.  He's the one who, rather than changing himself, will betray His master.    He's the one who, somehow, can't fully accept the grace of God, the gift of discipleship.  He "turns" the other way, he betrays.   He gives Jesus into the hands of the leadership who seek to destroy Him.   Did Jesus know this from the beginning?  Perhaps He did.  That may remain a mystery.  But it does tell us something important:  that it is up to each of us to accept the work of God in ourselves.  Each of us has free will.  Each of us must accept the difficult cross we've been given to carry, and the particular kinds of changes we may need to make in our own ways of thinking and being in the world.  It all comes down to the question of who we serve, where our ultimate loyalty lies.  Judas, in the end, collaborated with the authority he knew, rather than following the Master all the way.  We may each be called to make the same difficult choices in the course of our own salvation, our true healing as persons into the wellness of God.   In John's Gospel, we remember, Jesus calls His betrayer "a devil."  Whom do you serve?