“We Are The Chosen!”

“We Are The Chosen!”(Lk.6:12-16).
Today, we round up the week in which we have been reflecting on “the call.” Today’s text from the gospel, according to Luke, is the choosing of the Twelve whom Jesus designated disciples.
Before the call and choice, Jesus went up a mountainside “and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…” Among the twelve that he chose was Judas Iscariot, “who became the traitor.”
There were at least seventy-two close disciples who were regularly with Jesus. One time, he sent them out two by two for an evangelistic mission(Lk.20:1). These are probably the ones whom he called on that fateful morning.
It is important to note the manner in which the choice was made. Jesus went to a mountainside “and spent the night praying to God.”
It is most likely that he was praying for spiritual enlightenment and discernment so that the choices he will make will be in conformity with his father’s will.
The choice of the twelve serves as a parameter for us emphasising the importance of having an inner circle – just as the three whom Jesus often kept close company with teaches us that there is always an inner circle within the inner circle.
Today, we choose our twelves, not after an all-night prayer as Jesus did. We choose our relatives and our friends – without being ashamed of their incompetence! We force square pegs into round holes, and the end result is mayhem. If the hole is round, it means the part of the peg above the ground has to be round to meet the purpose for which the peg is planted. Once you force a square peg into a round hole, the purpose becomes defeated.
In the shallowness of human reasoning, we may wonder why his choice should include Judas Iscariot, “who became the traitor?” Of course, Judas’ presence among the chosen was vital because he had to be the insider who would give Jesus away. Remember, your enemy can only get to you through a person close to you. “Only your best friend know your secret, and only he could reveal them…”
Today the love of titles has led some to take the title of apostle. It is not our place to argue against such titles. We are not all called to the presence of Christ at the same time. The word apostle means “one who is sent with a special mission.” While it mostly refers to the twelve, the New Testament has often used it in a general sense to simply mean “messenger.”
In this general sense we are all apostles, called and sent as messengers with a special mission to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. Amongst us are the outspoken Peters, the prayerful Jameses, the scholarly Matthews, the doubting Thomases, and the Iscariot betrayers. But we all are also the deniers of Jesus at the time he needs us most!
Dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ knows what each one will do because Scriptures must be fulfilled that when they strike the shepherd the sheep will scatter. Even so, he calls us all the same to make us his apostles.
Weekend prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for making us your messengers; even with your knowledge of our weaknesses. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
25/01/2025.