The Pressures That Come with Faithful Ministry

Jesus called out 12 specific individuals and they came. As His disciples (3:7), they would follow Him, be with Him, and learn from Him. They were like apprentices. As His “apostles” (3:14), they would be sent by Him with His authority to proclaim Him in the gospel.

On the mountain Jesus “appointed” them to carry out His mission. They will have the authority to preach and to cast out demons. In word and action they are to carry on His work of building the kingdom of God. The work is so serious, though, that He wants them with Him for three years, watching and learning from the Master Himself. And, in choosing 12, He shows that He is establishing a new, holy nation—a new community called the church (1 Pet 2:9).

Each of the four Gospel writers gives a list of Jesus’ 12 closest followers. The lists are not all the same. Matthew and Mark list Thaddaeus while Luke names Judas (son of James). Judas may have been his original name, and it was changed later to Thaddaeus in order to avoid the stigma attached to the name Judas Iscariot. “Simon the Canaanite” is the transliteration into English of a Greek word that probably represents an Aramaic word meaning “zealous.” The Zealots in Judaism were a group that advocated revolutionary tactics to overthrow the power of Rome. Bringing him and Matthew the tax collector together is something only the gospel could do!

This group of men came from a variety of different backgrounds. They had different passions, interests, and agendas. But the thing they have in common was that Jesus called them out, committed Himself to invest in73 them, and used them to change the world. Likewise, we must call out those we wish to invest in as we continue to make disciples of Jesus today.

The Bible is brutally honest. It notes successes and failures. It has integrity in its reporting. One example of the ugliness of fallen humanity is Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus. In every list of the apostles he is listed last. In every list his betrayal is noted.

Judas was chosen by our Lord to be with Him (3:14). He did not worm his way in, and he would serve well for a while. He gave evidence of loyalty. He even served as treasurer (John 12:4-6), though he was dishonest in his assignment.

All of this is to remind us that if you live long enough and serve long enough you will be disappointed by people whom you love and who you thought loved you. You would let them guard your back, believing they would take a bullet for you, only to discover the knife in your back has their prints on it.

Mark 3:20-21

It is one thing to be misunderstood, let down, and betrayed by a friend. It is hard to put into words what it feels like when it is your family. In this text Jesus has returned home, probably to Capernaum, the home of Peter and Andrew.

Once more the crowds descend on Jesus with a selfish vengeance. It seems to never end. The house is so full of people He cannot find time or space to eat. The people are completely socially unaware; they care for no one but themselves. They will monopolize Jesus if they can, using Him only for His power to heal. They completely misunderstand that His true mission and agenda are to get to the cross and deal with their real need: their sin!

Still today socially unaware people and people who lack a kingdom mind-set reflect the ancient crowd’s mistake. They often flock to big-name preachers and cling to them because they are popular. However, they completely miss the message these leaders preach, and they will smother them if given the chance.

This is the first mention of Jesus’ family. It does not reflect well on them. They hear that Jesus is swamped, apparently to the extent that He is unwilling even to care for His own physical needs. Thus, they decide to “restrain Him,” convinced “He’s out of His mind.” The word restrain means “to lay hold” and is used elsewhere of an “arrest.” The charge “He’s out of His mind” is shocking and disturbing. They understand neither who He is nor what He came to do. Perhaps they are genuinely concerned for Him. However, “in a culture in which honor and shame were critically important, there may also have been an attempt to prevent shame on the family caused by Jesus’ ... behavior” (EBC, 745).

From His family’s perspective, Jesus is a religious fanatic who is hurting the family name, and He is also a danger to Himself. He has to be stopped. He needs a straitjacket and padded cell. Today they might have said, “Give the man some drugs that will calm Him down!” Oh, if they only knew what He was doing on their behalf!

What words of wisdom can we glean from this text so that we might have a faithful ministry where we start well, run well, and finish well? Jesus perfectly exemplified a master teacher and a faithful minister of the gospel of the kingdom, and we can list several points of application from His pattern:

Don’t lose sight of the goal. Jesus certainly did not. The cross was never out of view. It was His divine destiny. Praise God He did not let the pressures of75 ministry distract Him or deter Him! He stayed focused. He was faithful in His mission and ministry all the way to Calvary!