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The Calling of the Apostles

by Ian Davis    30th September 2009    0 responses

Many Biblical scholars believe Mark may well have been the Gospel written closest in time to Jesus, and that it may have been dictated by Peter.   Matthew gives a fuller account; Luke explicitly sets out to write a narrative set in the greater religious and historical context; John includes more theological depth and reflection.   Mark’s account of Jesus’ life is certainly not lacking in theology or scriptural references – the very first verse asserts that Jesus is the Son of God, and is immediately followed with a reference to Isaiah – but it has a vivid and immediate ‘eye-witness’ quality that makes it compelling reading.

Mark includes nothing about Jesus’ birth or childhood, and introduces John the Baptist and then Christ himself in quick succession at the start of his Gospel narrative.   Within the first chapter Jesus is baptised, anointed by God, spends forty days and nights in the desert, calls the first disciples, teaches in the synagogue, drives out evil spirits and is responsible for several healings.   This is not the story of a ponderous man of words, but a compelling man of action.  Jesus meets people where they are, engages with them as they are and helps them as they need.  He drives out evil spirits and heals the sick.   Jesus draws people to him because His miracles (1 v27-28; 1 v44-45) and calls them to Him because of His authority (1 v17-20; 2 v14)

Given all of this it is no surprise that Jesus, by Chapter 3, was attracting people to him (vs. 7 and 8).   They had heard what He was doing and they had come from all over the region.   In part, one would imagine, if human nature can be relied upon to have not changed much in 2000 years, this was to see what all the growing fuss was about, but it was also because people saw in Jesus the answer to their immediate physical needs.   He had healed many (v.10) and many hoped that He would heal them.

In our busy and frantic world we can see on television, even if we have not experienced it directly, large gatherings of people to get into a January sale before anyone else, to get a free gift before they run out, to get a good place at the front of a concert or wait for hours outside a premiere to get a glimpse of a star or, if they are really lucky, a scrawled autograph.   The people who had travelled to see Jesus were motivated by stronger motives than any of these and Mark’s vivid narrative helps us to picture “the large crowd” (v. 7), “crowding him” (v. 8) and “pushing forward to touch him” (v. 10).

Yet, despite a captive and enthusiastic audience, when Jesus was called Son of God he “gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” (v.12).   This seems remarkable, given that the very first verse of Mark’s Gospel proclaims Him to be exactly this, but Jesus had spoken in similar terms to a man with Leprosy (1 v44) and would apparently do so again (8 v30).   He was not denying his divinity, but wanted to make sure the truth was revealed in the right way, at the right time, to the right people.

Why does Jesus ask for a boat?   Perhaps it is out of understandable concern for those in the crowd, and not wishing them to be crushed in the push to see him, or perhaps because, even then, Jesus wanted to be able to take time out to reflect and pray.   When we are in a large group do we tend to lose sight of God in the crowd?

In the second half of the passage Jesus appoints his twelve apostles.   He had already called Simon and Andrew (1 v16-18), James and John (1 v19-20) and Matthew (2 v14).   Other than his comment to Simon and Andrew that he would make them “fishers of men” (1 v 17) there is nothing recorded in Mark’s Gospel about what Jesus said to any of these men, other than Him asking them to join Him and yet they did so “at once” (1 v18) and “without delay” (1 v20) and all twelve recorded in Chapter 3 appear to have joined Him equally without hesitation.

While crowds had begun to follow Jesus so much, even this early in his ministry, that he could not go to certain places (1 v45) and was in regular danger of getting mobbed, crushed or pushed into lakes, these men were different.  Jesus specifically asked them to follow Him and appointed them apostles.   ‘Apostle’ literally means ‘messenger’, from the Greek apostolos, which itself comes from the apostellein, meaning ‘send forth’.   ‘Disciple’ means ‘student’ and comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning ‘to learn’.  Mark’s Gospel records that Jesus wanted these men to be with him, to be equipped to go forth, teach and have the authority to drive our demons (v 14).

Jesus’ specific calling of these men, and their number, can be interpreted as significant.   The fact that Jesus called them is important because disciples would often choose who to follow, rather than be called.  Although we now associate the word ‘disciple’ most often with Jesus the Gospel account of Mark also records that there were groups of disciples who followed John and the Pharisees (2 v18).  Jesus called these men in particular to follow Him and He must have done so for a reason.  Some commentators claim that the twelve men were either descended from or at least representative of Jacob’s twelve sons – the Twelve Tribes – and that, as such, they symbolise the start of a new Israel.

The formation of the team is a mainstay of action cinema and television, whether it’s the Italian Job, the Fantastic Four, the A-Team, the Mission Impossible agents or Danny Ocean putting together a crew to hit the three biggest casinos in Las Vegas.    Each member of the team brings something to the table, whether it’s a super-power or a special skill or a specific area of knowledge.    The high-speed get-away driver.   The power of invisibility.   The master of disguise.   The multi-linguist.  The explosives expert.   Don’t you just love it when the plan comes together?

When Jesus chose his twelve followers he knew them better than any other leader could know their team, and he knew how hard the road ahead for them would be.   He knew exactly what would be required of them.   What special skills and talents did he look for in his ‘team’?    The religious expert?   The confident speaker?   The well-educated scripture specialist?   The military strategist?

As is so often the way with God, the answer appears totally counter-intuitive.  Jesus deliberately chose a group of people who were, for the most part, not important in society, not religiously significant and unlikely to have been able to join important religious movements of the time such as the Pharisees or Essenes.  They were not well-educated, trained in teaching or rich.  Four of them were simple fishermen, and even then they proved a bit nervy in a storm.   One, Matthew, was a tax-collector who would have collaborated with the Romans while another, Simon the Zealot, would have strongly resented their occupation of Jewish territory.  A number of them were related to Jesus, leaving him open to accusations of nepotism.

Jesus knew that this group of men would struggle to follow what he said and did, that they would lack faith and understanding, that they would argue among themselves about their own positions within the group and that, ultimately, one of them would betray Jesus, one of them would deny Him and one of them would doubt Him.   All seemed to desert Him.

Yet despite all their apparent limitations as students, God would ultimately use their weaknesses to show His power.   Several times in several Gospels the disciples’ lack of understanding prompts Jesus into further explanation, which aids us in our understanding of His teaching.   Their transformation from a group of frightened men in a locked room to confident preachers on the day of Pentecost would show the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

Jesus gave Simon the name ‘Peter’, which is the Greek translation of the Aramaic ‘rock’, because he knew that he would go on to be the foundation of the church.   Other disciples converted hundreds, performed miracles, founded churches, wrote parts of the New Testament, took the Good News across several continents and went to death unswerving in their dedication to their faith.

Mark’s vibrant, action-packed Gospel is really gathering pace by Chapter 3.   Jesus has already demonstrated something of his amazing nature in his words and works, in his teaching and his rejection of fleeting fame.   He now calls twelve men to him and tells them to follow him so that, ultimately, he can send them out to do great things in His name.

Like the people of Mark’s time we find ourselves drawn to Jesus, both because of his teaching and because of his actions.   We desire to be close to him, for him to help us with our problems and to teach us how to live.   Like the apostles He calls us to follow Him and, like them, He already knows our weaknesses and the struggles that lie ahead, and how we will overcome them all, in His strength.  Like the apostles we are called by Jesus to leave behind our old lives and follow him and, like them, we have to choose to do so.

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