Mark 3:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.

NIV: Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.

NASB: And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him.

CSB: Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him.

NLT: Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.

KJV: And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

NKJV: And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.

Jesus often finds it difficult to get away from the crowd, but this time seclusion is essential. The night before, He had spent alone praying to God (Luke 6:12). It is only after conferring with His Father that He chooses who will be His closest followers. He has already chosen Simon and Andrew (Mark 1:16–17), James and John (Mark 1:19–20), and Levi (Mark 2:13–14). Now He rounds out the number of His inner group, or as Mark calls them, "the twelve."

The "mountain" is probably one of the hills around Capernaum. The town sits at 600 feet below sea level. The land rises steeply, and within a few miles comes to 236 feet. That's not very high as far as altitude goes, but it's still a rise of over 800 feet.

When Jesus "calls" these men, from the Greek root word proskaleomai, He doesn't mean for them to just leave their jobs or their homes, which is still a significant sacrifice. Jesus commissions them to follow Him, mind and spirit. These are men who apparently show interest in His ministry beyond the healings. Their hearts are open to His teaching.

This is the same attitude we should have. When Jesus calls us to follow Him, we should respond with our whole selves: our minds, hearts, time, effort, priorities. If necessary, we should also be ready to sacrifice our relationships (Luke 14:26), possessions (Mark 10:21), reputations (Philippians 3:3–11), and even our lives (Philippians 2:17).

But here, the twelve are just beginning. They don't know that ten of them will be martyred for Jesus and an eleventh exiled. They just know that at this moment, they need to say yes. Over the coming years, they will allow Jesus to work in their hearts and learn that the sacrifice is worth it (1 Corinthians 2:9). God promises He can do that in us, as well (Philippians 2:13).

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about the reactions people had to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. But they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority, and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew 10:1–4 and Luke 6:12–16.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.