And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, — Mark 3:14

Even though there are many interesting and intriguing ideas in this short sentence, the phrase “… that they might be with him” is what really gets to me. This makes me think of that great verse in Acts 4:13: “They knew they had been with Jesus.” Now I understand that we can’t “be with” Jesus like the twelve apostles did. But we do have his story in the four Gospels. When did you last sit down and read one from start to finish? When did you last read a Gospel and ask Jesus to show you who he is and what he wants? This week, why not spend some time with Jesus?

 

Thought

Even though there are many interesting and intriguing ideas in this short sentence, the phrase “… that they might be with him” is what really gets to me. This makes me think of that great verse in Acts 4:13: “They knew they had been with Jesus.” Now I understand that we can’t “be with” Jesus like the twelve apostles did. But we do have his story in the four Gospels. When did you last sit down and read one from start to finish? When did you last read a Gospel and ask Jesus to show you who he is and what he wants? This week, why not spend some time with Jesus?

 

Prayer

Thank you, Holy Father, for the Bible. Especially, thank you for the Gospels, which tell the story of your Son. I’m sorry I didn’t take more time to get to know him better. As I make a new promise to follow your Son, please bless me with a real sense of his presence and a better understanding of what he wants. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.