David Bahn – Reflections

Mark 3:13-19

And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. ¹⁴ And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach ¹⁵and have authority to cast out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);¹⁷ James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); ¹⁸ Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

One of my favorite movies is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Robert Redford and Paul Newman team up to portray two Western bank/train robbers flee to Bolivia when the law gets too close. One particular scene has the two being chased by a posse as Butch and Sundance watch from a distance. The conversation goes something like. “Who are those guys? They can’t track us over solid rock. That’s solid rock and they’re still picking up our trail. I can’t do that, can you do that? Who are those guys?!?”

These twelve men, called by Jesus and named here by Mark have an even greater and more profound calling and impact than the posse chasing Butch & Sundance. They were appointed to be with Jesus, be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

These three purposes appear to progress in difficulty, starting with the easier – being with Jesus – progressing to the more difficult – being sent out to preach – and finally taking on the challenging and frightening – casting out demons. The progression in difficulty is not only apparent, it is vital toward the accomplishment of God’s kindgom’s goals and the success of their endeavors.

If anyone would preach the word of Christ he must live with Christ. The early disciples were noted to have been common uneducated men who had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Being with Jesus enables us to have an impact in the lives of others. And this is a key to understanding discipleship as much more than transfer of information.

Being with Jesus is about catching the faith by example, by challenge and invitation, and by life itself. A woman does not put on a show or simply drum up a spiritual/emotional frenzy if she wants to have an impact in people’s lives. A man does not simply use the name of Jesus to battle Satan apart from faith in Jesus (see how that went awry in Acts 19:13-16).

To be with Jesus is to be given a look at perfect faith and love. It is to see how people’s lives are truly changed. It is to learn by watching and doing and having God’s grace work its way out in your life so that you get it in your heart. By that means you are able to make such grace available in others’ lives.

Twelve men are named here, one of whom went on to betray Jesus. Most significant in this regard, however, is that these men were ordinary men, and Jesus chose them to do these three things. It is because they were first chosen to be with Jesus that they were able to accomplish the great things they accomplished. They gained information no doubt, but even more important, they gained experience by example of faithful love.

We are not one of the twelve apostles. But the more time we spend with Jesus – in his word, in the body of Christ (his church), and in conversation and prayer with him throughout the day – the greater our impact will be in the world around us. We may never preach a formal sermon or cast out a demon. But we may well touch someone for eternity as Jesus’ grace, truth, and love work their way through us into the lives of others.