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.

 

 

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

 

 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 that that Jesus and His disciples 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.  Already in Mark's Gospel we're given to understand the great popularity of Jesus' ministry, and how the people respond to Him and follow Him.  They are from every region of the Jews and even from Gentile territory.  His effect is like that of a pop star; He's in danger of being crushed by the crowd.  So much so, that a small boat has to be kept ready for Him, so that He might escape the multitude if necessary.  His great effect is to heal, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.    My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading, above), although it was not time for Him to die; and in order to preach in other places.  At the same time, the unclean spirits know Him, and He does not want them to make Him known at this point in His ministry.  According to my study Bible, Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  His reasons for secrecy include the growing hostility of the religious leaders; the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly political leader; and finally, Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on the marvelous signs that accompany His ministry.  

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. Jesus appoints twelve, that they may be disciples (they might be with Him) and apostles (He might send them out to preach).  In Greek the word for disciple means "learner," and the word apostle means "one sent out."   He also appointed them that they might have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons, as He does.  But this power He gives to them (Matthew 10:1), while Jesus performed such miracles by His own power.  The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  In Matthew's Gospel, they are given in pairs, which suggests who may have traveled together on their first missionary journey (as further on Mark reports they went out two by two; see Mark 6:7).  

If we look at Christ's ministry as portrayed in all the Gospels, and specifically here in Mark, we see quite a progression.  Of course, Mark's Gospel moves along at a very rapid pace by comparison to Matthew, Luke, and John, and so we have had a chance to observe this rapid progression.  We're just on chapter 3, and Jesus' fame has spread from Galilee to all areas around historical Israel, to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, and beyond the Jordan to the east.  But it is this very sense of unfolding that we might pause to consider at this point.  If Christ is the Son of God, why couldn't He have simply come into the world and announced His arrival with a kind of splendid and extraordinary event which was known to all people all at once?  Why could He have not come into the world and corrected the sin that exists here, freeing people from the cumulative effects of a "fallen" world?  Why does His ministry progress instead of simply being declared by fiat?  These questions are important, because, first of all, we understand Christ as a divine being outside of time.  That is, the human Jesus, of course, exists in time as the rest of us human beings do.  But the divine nature of the Son is timeless, outside of time, eternal and also able to declare the time (and specifically the appropriate hour for His own glorification on the Cross).  In His various miracles, He shows Himself somehow to be beyond the physical laws of the world (such as walking on the water).   We understand that God being born as human being (the Incarnation) is crucial to the salvation of the world, and therefore for the Son of God to live as a human being, and be subject to the things fellow human beings are subject to, is central the the theme of salvation -- indispensable to the redemption of the world.  And so, the idea that the ministry somehow unfolds within time is important in this sense, even if we don't understand the specifics.  When Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, in Matthew's recording of the event, John the Baptist first protests, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus replies to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him" (see Matthew 3:13-16).   Perhaps there is a clue in Christ's response as to the reason things unfold in time, and are not accomplished in an instant and for all the world; in this way, all righteousness is fulfilled.  The manifestation of God's Kingdom depends on more factors than our limited understanding can grasp.  But one thing we know for certain:  human beings must also be involved in this work of redemption and salvation of the world.  The unfolding of Christ's ministry takes a new turn today when He appoints the Twelve for ministry.  It should be a key point of exclamation for us to observe that Christ, our Lord, now shares His divine power with these appointed twelve disciples and apostles.  In this way, we observe the true inclusion of human beings in this righteousness that will work to save the world.  It isn't only God's love that is at work here, but also God's love chooses to work through human beings, with our inclusion and acceptance of this unfolding plan.   Perhaps we might consider this reasonable in the light of the nature of how we consider the world to be "fallen."   In Romans 5:12-17, St. Paul reminds us that sin entered the world through one man, and death as an effect of sin.  We can pause to consider all the cumulative effects of sin in the world, even the effects under which human beings commonly suffer through no fault of their own (their own personal sin).  In the ancient perspective of Christianity, evil or the "fallen" quality of the world is analogous to children who suffer for the sins of the parents, not because they are guilty, but because they must cope with the consequences of sins like abuse, crime, addiction, and so many other things.  If we understand Christ's ministry as unfolding, possibly to "fulfill all righteousness," then perhaps we can understand that as human beings were instrumental in bringing corruption into the world, then it is through us human beings that Christ will work to redeem the world.  Jesus shares His power with those whom He has chosen, and if His saving power is that which transfigures all things, then perhaps we need to understand that God will not simply come and declare the world fixed and redeemed without our involvement as well.  To fulfill all righteousness, to redeem a world beset by sin and its cumulative and inherited effects, can only work through the "work of God."  That is, not through our own plans or ideas, but in a way that God teaches us to work.   There are all kinds of ways in which we human beings come up with our own ideas about how to address the problem of evil in the world, but it is a problem much further up than our paygrade, so to speak, and we are given a Savior and a saving plan through the gospel of the Kingdom, in which we are asked to participate.  Let us watch the unfolding of this ministry, and come to understand also how we may unfold that same faith in our own lives, His way, even as He shares His power and commandments with those whom He has appointed, who came before us to found the Church in the world.  For we inherit our faith and the work of God through them also.