UNDERDOGS, NOT TOP DOGS
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, as I come to you today, help me to obey what you ask me to do and trust you to work in and through me.
Read MARK 3:7–19
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Footnotes
- Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles—
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7). As you turn to God now, what does he see in your heart?To be a part of this kingdom of God that Jesus was announcing and that was breaking into this world, as we have seen, it is not enough to passively observe tradition and rules. The kingdom of God demands action from us which is simply this—follow Jesus (1:17, 18). Jesus doesn’t pick his team the way we might, however. Have you ever assembled a team for a project? You probably look for the brightest, the most competent, the best at following instructions, and the team players. Not Jesus! He chooses traitors to Israel (Matthew, the tax collector), xenophobes (Bartholomew, aka Nathanael*), political activists (Simon the Zealot), doubters (Thomas), deniers (Peter), hotheads (James and John), and even betrayers (Judas).
Thank God that Jesus doesn’t choose the brightest and best! The only qualification seems to be a willingness to follow him wherever he goes. In his kingdom, Jesus doesn’t assemble crack squads to storm the enemy; he simply invites anyone, even the most unqualified, on the adventure of following him. Will you follow him today?
Apply
What has Jesus been asking you to do recently? Have you done it?
Closing prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for the privilege that is mine to follow you. Help me to follow closely; use who I am and the gifts you have given me to honor you and proclaim the gospel.
*See John 1:43–50. Bartholomew and Nathanael are probably the same person
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