Choosing the Twelve Apostles and Powerful Lessons to Learn

Breakfast with the Word 23rd Week Ordinary Time of the Year

Luke 6:12-19

 

In the gospel of today, Jesus went out into the hills alone to have an intimate communication with the father, and scripture says that he spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Then during the day, Jesus summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them. Luke tells us that He selected His apostles from His disciples who were already following, listening and learning from Him.

 

From the passage of today in Luke 6:12-19,We can actually learn a lot of lessons from Jesus Christ. And they are:

Prayerful discernment: We need a time with God, before we do anything in life. We need to seek direction, and inspiration.

 

In the gospel, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer before choosing the apostles. So, this reflects the importance of seeking guidance from God whenever we want to make a decision. Before you marry, take exams, build a business, create an innovation, etc, we need a time with God. Let us always take time to pray and seek God’s wisdom. We do not have to stand up and begin immediately to do what pops up from our head. We need God’s direction.

 

2.Always show Dedication and Desire: Wherever you are in life, always show dedication and desire. You may not actually know who is watching or asking of you. In the gospel, we shall discover that Jesus chose His apostles from among His disciples and this could be for various reasons.

 

Jesus may have selected His apostles from His pool of disciples because He had already established a close relationship with them. They had spent time together, listened to His teachings, witnessed His miracles, and exhibited faith in Him.

 

By choosing from His disciples, knowing their names already, it simply indicates that Jesus knew them well and they knew Him.

 

So,Jesus may have chosen individuals who had already demonstrated their willingness to follow Him and their commitment to His teachings. These disciples who had chosen to follow Jesus had shown a level of dedication and faith. This suggests that Jesus chose His apostles from among His disciples because of the existing relationship and commitment they might have demonstrated.

 

3.Divine calling: Jesus hand picked each of the twelve apostles, indicating that their selection was not arbitrary but divinely ordained. So we have to recognize that God has a unique purpose for each person.

 

4.Representative of various backgrounds: The twelve apostles were chosen from diverse backgrounds and professions. This teaches us that God is not limited by our backgrounds or occupations; He can use anyone for His purpose. He can use you. He can use you to do a mighty work, you have never imagined.

 

5.Intimacy and companionship: Jesus chose twelve individuals to be His close companions in ministry. This simply means that we need each other in every work that we do. Let us always cultivate deep, sincere and meaningful relationships with others. We can never work alone. We need the other person for support and encouragement in our spiritual journey.

 

6.Equipping for ministry: Jesus chose these individuals to be His ambassadors and carry out His mission. They continued from where Jesus stopped after His ascension. Let us understand that this is the reason God equips and empowers us to serve Him and fulfill His purposes, to carry out His purpose and build the body of Christ.

 

7.Witness to His teachings: The apostles were chosen to witness Jesus’ teachings and miracles firsthand and proclaim them to others.  We are called to be witnesses of Christ’s love and truth, sharing His message with others. The testimonies, encounters and God’s love for you is not for you alone. Use it as a message to touch the lives of others.

 

8.Healing and deliverance: The apostles were given authority by Jesus to heal the sick and cast out demons. This simply means that whoever connects and relates with Jesus can never be left empty handed. Sometimes, more gifts are given to those whose lives were rooted in Christ. So let us connect with God and  trust in His power always to bring healing and deliverance, both physical and spiritual, and to those in need. The more we remain close to Jesus, the more we become living instruments of the gospel and evangelisation.

 

9.Unity and teamwork: Jesus chose a group of individuals to work together as a team, each bringing their unique strengths and gifts. This is a secret from Jesus. We have to value teamwork and unity in the body of Christ, recognizing that diverse talents will always contribute to the growth and progress of the common goal.