The Next Up

Gospel: Luke 6: 12-16

Jesus spent an entire night in prayer with God before selecting twelve individuals for a special task in being sent out to carry on his work in the world.  By now we know all too well their faults and misdeeds, both individual and collective.  This collection of men is unremarkable, coming from fishing towns, tax collector booths, and family members.  We might well wonder what criteria Jesus used in deciding who would carry on his work in the world.

Perhaps, though, there is no criteria, and perhaps that is the point.  Jesus chooses people almost at random, and the only criterion is whether they respond to the call.  There is work that has to be done.  People need to be healed.  They need to be liberated from their demons.  They need to be fed in body and soul.  Someone has to do this work, or else people will remain infirm, in bondage, and hungry.  The only criterion is whether we are willing and able to do the work.

Despite all their faults and failings, these people answered the call.  They wanted to do the work of Jesus in the world.  They had no special status or talents - and neither do we or anyone else.  Nothing can prepare a person for this work except following Jesus and watching what he does, imitating his example and carrying it out in our time and place.  The apostles and saints of the past stepped in to answer the call.  Now it is our turn.  We are the next ones up.