Elemental: S2 - Day 29

“Then He chose twelve of them to be His  apostles, so that they could be with Him.” Mark 3:14

One of Jesus’ most common opening lines is,  “Follow me.” Not, “Act like me. Change your  behavior. Start by being perfect,” but, “Follow  me.” Listen to this invitation in basic terms.  He’s asking that we spend time with Him,  rearrange our lives so He fits, help Him create  a community.
 
Jesus throws this invitational phrase  around quite freely. He said it to Peter and  Andrew, James and John, Matthew and Philip.  And He invited plenty of people who didn’t take  Him up on it: Pharisees and teachers and a rich  young ruler. His universal question is, “Do you  want to be with me?”

Frankly, Jesus invites people I wouldn’t. His  crew is made up of all those who say yes. And  He asks so many people. So open are the doors  to this community that prostitutes and tax  collectors walk in even when religious leaders  and high society won’t. But there are fishermen,  women and children, rulers and teachers, and a  great many regular folks. Jesus doesn’t want to  be alone. Neither should you.
 
As God walks the earth in human form, He  behaves on the principle first voiced in Genesis  2:18, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

So, if you thought Jesus set up His band of  disciples simply to teach truths or create an  
evangelistic strategy for once He leaves, think  again. Selecting the building block of community  is not original to us. Jesus started it.  

Let the words of Mark 3:14 sink in: “Then  He chose twelve of them to be His apostles, so  that they could be with Him.” Did you catch  it? A reason He chose disciples and asked so  many to follow Him? Simply to be with them.  He didn’t want to be alone. Jesus will draw  aside by Himself for only so long before walking  across a lake to join the disciples in a boat amid  a storm. He sounds desperate in the Garden  of Gethsemane amidst the pain of decision  because they’re asleep and not awake with  Him. Catch His eyes filled with tears as Peter  denies he is his friend. And in John 6, as the tide  of Jesus’ popularity turns, He painfully asks His  twelve closest friends, “Are you also going to  leave?”
 
So yes, it is safer for us to be in community.  We find and keep faith more easily. But more  basic than that, Jesus wants to be with us. He  would rather die than go without us.

1. How many friends did you typically hang  out with in high school? Who were they? 2. How much alone time do you need to be at  your best? Per day? Per week?
3. What kind of conversations do you have  with Jesus while living your life? While  driving your car? While you’re alone?