reflection on selection

 

(Initiated by John Sefton's teaching today on Jesus choosing his 12, "to be with him, and that he might send them out to ...")

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A crucial moment in his kind of war

on individu’lism, where we keep

from walking in a garden with who’s more..

more wise and loving, willing too to weep

at what true love & knowledge would weep for.

Instead of just embarrassed that they’d see

his weaknesses & pain, when tired & sore,

he purposely chose men quite ordin’ry

to be with him, along the course of years,

& in extremity & frust-ra-tion,

misunderstanding, joy & love & tears,

on foreign soil, and throughout the nation,

with crowds & people glad of him, & those

who were embittered, trying to get rid

of him, they'd do what they could to expose

him as a fraud, who’d pay what folk would bid.

And he would share his life, & health, & call,

pass on his job & mission - delegate

his spirit - motives, hopes & dreams, yes all

these pers’nal things he’d give. And he’d relate

as close committed friend with hesed* love

a covenant of faithfullness of friends.

He’d love & trust who sent him from above;

and let these see how much & to what ends

he’d go to show, and live, that way on Earth.

His night in prayer was one such thing they knew.

When they could catch from him his very birth,

and kind of life, then he would send them too.

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*  heséd: Hebrew word for determined, covenant, loyal love, variously translated as loving-kindness, faithful love, covenant love, steadfast love etc.

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. [14] He appointed twelve 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.” (‭Mark 3:13-19 NIVUK‬)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. [13] When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: [14] Simon (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, [15] Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, [16] Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (‭Luke 6:12-16 NIVUK‬)

“The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. [6] Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. [7] They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: …

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (‭Acts 4:5-7, 13 NIVUK‬)

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