MARK 3:7–19, THE CALL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
JESUS CALLS THEM TO BE WITH HIM AND SENDS THEM TO CONTINUE HIS MISSION
Introduction
The appointment of the Twelve Apostles marks a decisive moment in the public ministry of Jesus. Until this point, many people had followed Him, listened to His preaching, and sought His healing. Now Jesus selects twelve men from among His disciples and forms them into a distinct apostolic community. They will remain close to Him, learn from Him, witness His mighty works, and eventually continue His saving mission.
The passage presents two different ways of approaching Jesus. The crowds come because they have heard about His miraculous power. Many press forward to touch Him and receive healing. The Twelve, however, are called into a deeper relationship. Jesus appoints them first “that they might be with Him” and then that He might send them out to preach and exercise authority over demons.
The order is essential. Before the apostles can speak for Jesus, they must listen to Him. Before they can act in His name, they must share His life. Before they can be sent into the world, they must remain in communion with Him. Christian mission begins not with activity but with companionship with Christ.
The number twelve points to the twelve tribes of Israel. By appointing the Twelve, Jesus symbolically gathers and renews God’s covenant people. They will become the foundation of the Church, which will carry the Gospel beyond Israel to every nation. Although the apostles are ordinary and imperfect men, Jesus chooses, forms, empowers, and sends them.
Bible Passage (Mk 3:7–19)
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with His disciples. A great multitude followed Him from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, the region beyond the Jordan, and the areas surrounding Tyre and Sidon. They came because they had heard about the great things He was doing.
Because of the crowd, Jesus instructed His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the people would not crush Him. He had healed many, and all who suffered from diseases pressed forward to touch Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Jesus, they fell before Him and cried out that He was the Son of God. But He sternly ordered them not to make Him known.
Jesus then went up the mountain and summoned those whom He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
He appointed Simon, whom He named Peter; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, whom He named Boanerges, meaning sons of thunder; Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean; and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Him.
Background
The calling of the Twelve takes place after growing opposition to Jesus. He had healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Instead of rejoicing at the man’s restoration, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians against Jesus to put Him to death (Mk 3:1–6).
The Pharisees and the Herodians were usually opposed to one another. The Pharisees emphasized strict religious observance, whereas the Herodians supported the political dynasty established by Herod under Roman authority. Their cooperation against Jesus shows the seriousness of the hostility developing around Him.
Jesus withdrew toward the Sea of Galilee, but this was not a retreat from His mission. He avoided a premature confrontation while continuing to teach, heal, and gather disciples. His hour of suffering would come according to the Father’s plan, not according to the schemes of His opponents.
The crowds came from a remarkably large geographical area. Galilee was the center of Jesus’ early ministry. Judea and Jerusalem represented the religious heart of Israel. Idumea lay to the south and was populated partly by descendants of the Edomites. The region beyond the Jordan included territories east of the Jordan River. Tyre and Sidon were predominantly Gentile regions along the Mediterranean coast.
Mark’s list reveals that the fame of Jesus was already extending beyond traditional Jewish boundaries. People of different cultural, social, and geographical backgrounds were being drawn toward Him. This gathering anticipated the universal mission of the Church.
Jesus then ascended a mountain and appointed twelve apostles. The mountain setting recalls decisive moments of revelation in the Old Testament. Moses received the covenant and the Law on Mount Sinai. Elijah encountered God on Mount Horeb. Now Jesus goes up the mountain and establishes the apostolic foundation of the renewed covenant people.
Opening Life Connection
Many people approach Jesus when they need healing, protection, peace, success, or deliverance from a particular problem. Such needs can become genuine starting points of faith. Jesus receives those who come to Him in suffering and responds with compassion.
However, Jesus does not want us to remain permanently within a crowd that seeks only benefits. He calls us to become disciples who remain with Him and accept responsibility for His mission. The movement from crowd to disciple requires commitment, formation, obedience, and willingness to be sent.
A person may regularly attend the Holy Qurbana, receive the sacraments, join parish programs, and identify as a Christian while still avoiding the personal call of Jesus. We may desire His blessings without allowing Him to direct our lives. We may want His comfort without accepting His mission.
The call of the apostles invites us to ask: Do I seek Jesus only because of what He can do for me, or do I desire to be with Him? Am I willing to learn from Him, be transformed by Him, and serve wherever He sends me? Christian discipleship becomes mature when our prayer changes from “Lord, help me” to “Lord, how can I serve You?”
Verse-by-Verse / Phrase-by-Phrase Reflection
Mark begins by saying that Jesus “withdrew toward the sea with His disciples.” Jesus had encountered rejection and a plot against His life, yet He continued His mission. Opposition did not make Him abandon the work entrusted to Him by the Father.
The disciples accompanied Jesus. Mark thus begins to distinguish them from the larger crowd. A crowd may admire Jesus temporarily, but disciples remain with Him when opposition develops. Genuine discipleship is revealed not only in moments of blessing but also in times of difficulty.
A “great multitude” followed Jesus from numerous regions. The repetition of geographical names emphasizes the extraordinary reach of His ministry. The boundaries separating north and south, Jews and Gentiles, religious centers and outlying territories were beginning to weaken before the saving presence of Christ.
The crowd came because they “heard about what He was doing.” The works of Jesus gave credibility to His message. His preaching was accompanied by actions that restored health, dignity, freedom, and hope.
The Church must likewise unite proclamation and compassionate service. Words about God’s love become convincing when Christians care for the sick, feed the hungry, defend human dignity, comfort the grieving, and welcome those who have been neglected.
Jesus asked the disciples to have “a boat ready for Him because of the crowd.” The request appears practical, but it also shows that the disciples were beginning to participate in His ministry. They were not yet preaching publicly, but they could prepare what Jesus needed.
Great missions often begin with small acts of service. The person who arranges a room, prepares the altar, teaches a child, visits a sick person, welcomes a stranger, or quietly supports a ministry participates in the mission of Christ. No sincere service offered to Jesus is insignificant.
The people were pressing upon Jesus because “He had cured many.” Their physical suffering made them desperate to reach Him. Jesus did not remain distant from human pain. He allowed the sick and afflicted to approach Him.
The Gospel says that those suffering from diseases pressed forward “to touch Him.” They believed that contact with Jesus could change their condition. The desire to touch Him anticipates other healing encounters in the Gospel, especially the woman suffering from hemorrhages who touched His garment and was healed (Mk 5:25–34).
In the sacramental life of the Church, the risen Christ continues to touch His people through visible signs. In Baptism, He cleanses and gives new life through water and the Holy Spirit. In Confirmation, He strengthens through anointing. In Reconciliation, He forgives through the ministry of the priest. In the Anointing of the Sick, He offers healing, strength, and consolation. In the Holy Eucharist, He gives His own Body and Blood as spiritual nourishment.
The unclean spirits “would fall down before Him.” Their submission demonstrates the sovereign authority of Jesus. The forces of evil recognize that they cannot stand before the Son of God.
They cried out, “You are the Son of God.” Their statement was doctrinally correct, but it did not constitute saving faith. They recognized the identity of Jesus without loving, trusting, or obeying Him.
This distinction is important for Christian life. Knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as being His disciple. A person may understand Scripture, repeat doctrines, and identify Jesus correctly while resisting conversion. Authentic faith requires knowledge, trust, love, obedience, and a life shaped by grace.
Jesus “warned them sternly not to make Him known.” He would not accept testimony from evil spirits. Moreover, the title “Son of God” could be misunderstood if separated from His suffering, death, and resurrection.
Jesus was not a political liberator seeking worldly domination. He was the suffering Messiah who would save humanity through sacrificial love. His true identity would be fully revealed at the cross, where a Roman centurion would confess, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15:39).
Mark then tells us, “He went up the mountain.” This movement signals a solemn and decisive moment. In the biblical tradition, mountains were associated with revelation, covenant, prayer, and encounter with God.
Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the Law and form Israel as the covenant people. Jesus now ascends a mountain and calls the Twelve, who will become the leaders of the renewed People of God. Jesus is greater than Moses because He does not merely receive authority; He exercises divine authority in choosing and commissioning the apostles.
Jesus “summoned those whom He wanted.” The initiative belongs entirely to Him. The apostles did not apply for their positions, nominate themselves, or earn their calling through extraordinary achievements. Jesus chose them freely according to His divine purpose.
Every Christian vocation begins with grace. Whether a person is called to priesthood, religious life, marriage, dedicated single life, missionary service, or a particular ministry within the Church, the call originates in God. We respond to a grace that has already reached toward us.
The phrase also teaches that a vocation is not primarily a personal career choice. We may discern our gifts and desires, but the deepest question is not merely, “What do I want to do?” It is, “What does Christ want me to become, and where does He want me to serve?”
Mark says, “They came to Him.” Their response is expressed in a simple but powerful movement. Jesus called, and they approached Him. They left behind other possibilities and entrusted their future to Him.
God’s call requires a human response. Grace invites but does not force. The apostles had to come to Jesus freely. In the same way, we must respond through faith, obedience, and concrete decisions.
Jesus “appointed twelve.” The number was intentional. It pointed to the twelve tribes of Israel and symbolized the restoration of God’s covenant people.
The apostles were not merely twelve individual preachers. They were formed as a body around Jesus. Their mission would be personal, but it would never be isolated. They belonged to Christ and to one another.
Mark adds that Jesus “also named them apostles.” The word “apostle” comes from a Greek term meaning one who is sent. An apostle does not carry a self-created message. He is commissioned to represent the one who sends him.
The authority of the apostles therefore came from Christ. They were to proclaim His Gospel, continue His works, and remain faithful to His teaching. Their mission was not to attract followers to themselves but to bring people into communion with Jesus.
The first purpose of their appointment was “that they might be with Him.” This is the heart of apostolic formation. Before the apostles could preach, they needed to know Jesus personally. They would listen to His teaching, observe His compassion, witness His miracles, share His journeys, experience His prayer, and eventually encounter His death and resurrection.
Christian ministry must always arise from communion with Christ. Work for Jesus cannot replace time with Jesus. A priest, religious, catechist, parent, parish leader, or missionary who neglects prayer may continue to perform religious duties, but the ministry gradually becomes mechanical and spiritually weak.
To be with Jesus today means listening to Him in Scripture, encountering Him in the sacraments, remaining before Him in prayer, recognizing Him in the poor, and living in communion with His Church. Personal intimacy with Christ is not an optional devotion added to ministry; it is the source of all fruitful ministry.
Jesus appointed them so that “He might send them forth to preach.” After remaining with Jesus, the apostles would be sent to others. Christian spirituality never ends in private consolation. Communion with Christ leads to mission.
The apostles were to preach the coming of God’s kingdom, the need for repentance, and faith in the Gospel. They were not sent to proclaim personal theories or seek popular approval. They had to communicate faithfully what they received from Jesus.
The Lord also gave them “authority to drive out demons.” The mission involved a direct confrontation with evil. Jesus came to break the dominion of Satan, forgive sin, restore human freedom, and establish God’s kingdom.
The apostles did not possess this authority independently. It was given by Jesus and exercised in His name. The Church continues Christ’s liberating mission through the proclamation of truth, the forgiveness of sins, the celebration of the sacraments, prayer, works of mercy, and, when necessary, the Church’s carefully regulated ministry of exorcism.
Mark first names “Simon, whom He named Peter.” Simon’s position at the head of the list reflects his distinctive role among the Twelve. Jesus gave him a new name meaning rock.
Peter would confess Jesus as the Messiah, receive the keys of the kingdom, be instructed to strengthen his brothers, and be commissioned by the risen Christ to shepherd His flock (Mt 16:16–19; Lk 22:31–32; Jn 21:15–17). His role was one of leadership and service within the apostolic college.
Jesus also appointed “James, son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James.” He named them Boanerges, meaning “sons of thunder.” The title probably reflected their intense and impulsive personalities.
When a Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus, James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven (Lk 9:54). On another occasion, they sought privileged positions in Jesus’ kingdom (Mk 10:35–40). Yet Jesus did not abandon them because of their weaknesses. He corrected and transformed them.
James eventually became the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom (Acts 12:2). John became closely associated with the commandment of love. Their lives demonstrate that Jesus does not call only those who are already perfect. He calls imperfect people and forms them by grace.
Mark then lists Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean. Some of these apostles later became prominent, while the New Testament tells us very little about others.
Their inclusion teaches that importance in God’s kingdom is not measured by fame. A person can fulfill a genuine apostolic mission without receiving public recognition. What matters is not whether history records everything we accomplish but whether God finds us faithful.
The list concludes with “Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.” Judas was truly chosen and given the opportunity to remain with Jesus. He heard the same teaching, witnessed the same miracles, and shared the same apostolic ministry as the others. Yet he eventually rejected the grace he had received.
Judas reminds us that religious office, sacramental privilege, and physical closeness to sacred things do not automatically produce holiness. Every disciple must continually choose fidelity. God’s grace is powerful, but it does not destroy human freedom.
The betrayal of Judas also shows that human failure cannot destroy the mission of Christ. Sin wounds the Church and causes terrible suffering, but Christ remains faithful. The holiness and authority of the Church ultimately come from Him, not from the personal perfection of every minister.
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
The number twelve had profound meaning in Israel’s history. The twelve tribes descended from the twelve sons of Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. Together they constituted the covenant people chosen to receive God’s revelation and become a blessing to the nations.
Following conquest, exile, and political division, the visible unity of the twelve tribes had largely disappeared. Nevertheless, the prophets preserved the hope that God would gather His scattered people and restore Israel.
By appointing twelve apostles, Jesus performed a prophetic action. He announced that the restoration of God’s people was taking place through Him. The Twelve symbolized the renewed Israel that would eventually welcome believers from every nation.
The mountain setting recalls Moses and the covenant at Sinai. Moses mediated the Law to Israel, but Jesus established the apostolic community through His own authority. He did not ask another authority to approve His selection. He summoned, appointed, named, and empowered the apostles.
In the Jewish world, students often chose the rabbi under whom they wished to study. Jesus reversed this customary pattern. He took the initiative and personally chose His disciples. As He later told them, “It was not you who chose Me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit” (Jn 15:16).
The Jewish concept of an authorized messenger also illuminates the meaning of apostleship. A messenger acted with the authority of the person who commissioned him. To receive the authorized representative was to receive the sender. Jesus later applied this principle to the apostles: “Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me” (Mt 10:40).
The authority over unclean spirits must also be understood within Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s kingdom. The defeat of evil was a sign that God was acting decisively to liberate His people. Jesus’ power over demons revealed that the kingdom of Satan was being challenged by the saving authority of God.
Catholic Tradition and Teaching
The Catholic Church understands the calling of the Twelve as the foundation of her apostolic structure. Jesus did not establish merely a spiritual movement based on individual interpretations. He formed a visible community, appointed leaders, entrusted them with authority, and gave them responsibility for continuing His mission.
The Catechism teaches that Jesus chose the Twelve to remain with Him and participate in His mission. He associated them with His authority, sent them to preach the kingdom, and made them the foundation stones of the Church. Among them, Peter received a unique mission of strengthening his brothers and guarding the unity of the apostolic community (CCC 551–553).
The Twelve were both the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy. Chosen together, they represented the restored covenant people gathered around Christ. At the same time, they received specific authority to teach, sanctify, and shepherd in His name (CCC 765).
After His resurrection, Jesus expanded their mission to the entire world. He commanded them to make disciples of all nations, baptize them, and teach them to observe everything He had commanded (Mt 28:19–20). He gave them the Holy Spirit and authority to forgive sins (Jn 20:21–23).
The apostolic ministry did not end with the death of the original Twelve. Because the Gospel must be proclaimed until the end of time, the apostles appointed successors. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders and apostolic succession, bishops continue the pastoral mission entrusted to the apostles, assisted by priests and deacons (CCC 861–862; 1575–1576).
The bishops do not replace Christ or act independently of Him. Christ remains the eternal Shepherd and Head of the Church. Bishops exercise their ministry in His name, in communion with the successor of Peter and with one another.
The Pope, as Bishop of Rome and successor of Saint Peter, serves the unity of the universal Church. His ministry reflects Christ’s commission to Peter to strengthen his brothers and shepherd the flock. The college of bishops, in union with the Pope, continues the collegial mission of the Twelve.
The Church is called apostolic for three interconnected reasons. She was and remains built on the foundation of the apostles. She preserves and hands on their teaching with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. She continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by their successors until Christ returns (CCC 857).
All the baptized share in the apostolic mission of the Church. The laity are not passive recipients of ministry. Through Baptism and Confirmation, they are commissioned to bear witness to Christ in family life, professional work, education, society, culture, and public service. Every member of the Church participates according to his or her vocation in the mission entrusted by Christ (CCC 863).
Historical or Saintly Illustration
Saint Francis Xavier offers a powerful example of an apostle who remained with Christ and then allowed himself to be sent far beyond familiar surroundings. Born in 1506 into a noble family in Navarre, Francis was ambitious, intelligent, and determined to build a successful academic career.
While studying and teaching in Paris, he met Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius repeatedly challenged him with the words of Jesus: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36). Gradually, Francis surrendered his personal ambitions and joined the group that became the Society of Jesus.
His missionary activity flowed from prayer, the sacraments, spiritual formation, and companionship with Christ. He did not go to foreign lands merely as an explorer or social reformer. He went as one sent by the Church to proclaim Jesus Christ.
Francis traveled to India, Southeast Asia, and Japan, enduring dangerous voyages, unfamiliar languages, poverty, loneliness, and physical exhaustion. He preached the Gospel, taught the faith, baptized converts, cared for the sick, and formed Christian communities.
His life reflects the two dimensions of the apostolic vocation found in Mark’s Gospel: being with Jesus and being sent by Jesus. His extraordinary activity remained rooted in prayer and devotion. He understood that missionary fruitfulness did not come from his personal strength but from the grace of Christ working through him.
Saint Francis Xavier reminds us that the call of the apostles continues in every generation. Some are sent across oceans and cultures. Others are sent to their families, parishes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and neighborhoods. The distance traveled matters less than fidelity to the One who sends us.
Application to Christian Life Today
The crowds challenge us to examine why we seek Jesus. We naturally approach Him with needs, fears, illnesses, and family concerns. Jesus welcomes us with compassion, but He also invites us to move beyond a faith concerned only with receiving favors.
We should ask not only what Jesus can do for us but what He desires to accomplish through us. Every blessing carries a responsibility. Those who receive mercy are called to become merciful. Those who receive forgiveness must forgive. Those who hear the Gospel must help proclaim it.
The apostles remind us that spiritual formation precedes effective ministry. Parish programs, catechism classes, charitable projects, and administrative responsibilities are important, but they cannot replace prayer. Ministry becomes fruitful when it flows from a living relationship with Jesus.
Families have an apostolic mission. Parents are the first teachers of faith to their children. Their example of prayer, fidelity, forgiveness, charity, and participation in the Holy Qurbana often communicates the Gospel more powerfully than words alone.
Catechists share in the apostolic task when they faithfully hand on the teaching of Christ and His Church. Their purpose is not merely to communicate religious information but to help young people encounter Jesus and become His disciples.
Young people should ask whether Christ may be calling them to priesthood or religious life. The apostles were not selected because they already understood everything. They responded and allowed Jesus to form them. A vocation becomes clear through prayer, sacramental life, spiritual direction, generous service, and willingness to listen.
The diversity of the Twelve also speaks to parish communities. The apostles did not have identical personalities, backgrounds, or opinions. Their unity came from their relationship with Jesus. Catholic unity does not require everyone to share the same personal preferences, but it requires fidelity to Christ, communion with the Church, and mutual love.
The lesser-known apostles encourage those whose service seems unnoticed. Some people preach publicly, while others pray quietly, support ministries, prepare meals, care for children, visit the sick, or perform hidden acts of charity. God values faithful service even when it receives no earthly recognition.
Judas warns everyone involved in the Church to remain vigilant. Sacred responsibilities do not make a person immune to temptation. Daily conversion, examination of conscience, sacramental confession, accountability, and humility are necessary for every disciple.
Eucharistic Connection
The Eucharist fulfills Jesus’ desire that His apostles and disciples should be with Him. At every Holy Qurbana, Christ gathers His people around Himself, speaks through the Scriptures, makes present His saving sacrifice, and feeds them with His Body and Blood.
The apostles first learned by sharing daily life and meals with Jesus. At the Last Supper, He gave them the Eucharist and commanded them to continue its celebration in His memory. The apostolic mission and the Eucharist are therefore inseparably connected.
The Eucharist is not only a moment of personal consolation. The word “Mass” points to being sent. After being nourished by Christ, the faithful are commissioned to carry His presence into the world. We come together as disciples and depart as apostles.
In the Eucharist, Jesus does not merely give us a message to repeat. He gives us Himself. By receiving His Body and Blood, we are united more deeply with Him and with one another. This communion strengthens the Church to become Christ’s visible presence in the world.
The Holy Qurbana also teaches the pattern of apostolic service. Jesus gives Himself completely for the salvation of others. Those who receive Him must learn to make their lives a gift. Eucharistic communion calls us to serve the poor, forgive enemies, bear one another’s burdens, defend truth, and proclaim the Gospel through sacrificial love.
Messages / Call to Conversion
- Move from being part of the crowd to becoming a committed disciple who remains with Jesus.
- Examine whether you seek Christ only for blessings or are also willing to participate in His mission.
- Give priority to prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, and communion with Jesus before undertaking Christian ministry.
- Recognize that every vocation begins with Christ’s initiative and requires a free and generous response.
- Use your gifts to proclaim the Gospel through words, compassionate service, and faithful example.
- Respect the apostolic authority Christ entrusted to Peter, the apostles, and their successors in the Church.
- Promote unity in the parish by keeping Jesus at the center despite differences in personality and background.
- Remain humble and vigilant, remembering that sacred responsibilities require continuing conversion.
- Encourage priestly, religious, missionary, and lay vocations within families and parish communities.
- Receive Christ in the Holy Qurbana and allow Him to send you into the world as His faithful witness.
Outline for Preachers
- Background: opposition after the Sabbath healing; Jesus withdraws without abandoning His mission
- The great multitude: people from Jewish and Gentile territories drawn toward Jesus
- Life connection: seeking Jesus for blessings versus accepting the responsibilities of discipleship
- Key phrases: “with His disciples,” “to touch Him,” “You are the Son of God,” “He summoned those whom He wanted,” “they came to Him,” “that they might be with Him,” “send them forth to preach”
- Mountain symbolism: Moses, Sinai, covenant, and the formation of the renewed People of God
- Meaning of the Twelve: twelve tribes of Israel and the apostolic foundation of the Church
- Threefold apostolic calling: to be with Jesus, to preach, and to confront the power of evil
- Peter’s special role: the rock, the keys, strengthening the brethren, and shepherding Christ’s flock
- Imperfect apostles: James and John transformed by grace; Judas and the danger of rejecting grace
- Catholic teaching: apostolic succession, bishops, priesthood, the Petrine ministry, and the mission of the baptized
- Saintly illustration: Saint Francis Xavier as one who remained with Christ and accepted His missionary call
- Application today: prayer before ministry, family catechesis, parish unity, hidden service, and vocational discernment
- Eucharistic connection: gathered to be with Christ and sent to continue His mission
- Key messages/call to conversion: discipleship, communion, mission, fidelity, unity, service, and daily conversion
