Chosen to Be With Him

Where We Are

We close the Second Week of Ordinary Time, and this week's readings have traced a remarkable arc through 1 Samuel, moving from Saul's disobedience through David's anointing to today's extraordinary act of mercy. In 1 Samuel, David spares Saul's life in a cave, demonstrating mercy toward the man who hunts him, choosing restraint when violence would have been justified. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus goes up a mountain and chooses the Twelve Apostles, calling ordinary people into an extraordinary mission. Both readings reveal God's surprising choices and the power of choosing relationship over revenge.

The Word

David finds King Saul sleeping in a cave and has the perfect opportunity to kill him. Instead, he cuts a piece of Saul's cloak to prove he was close enough to strike but chose not to. When Saul awakens, David shows him the cloth and declares his innocence. Saul weeps and admits, "You are in the right rather than I," acknowledging that David will indeed be king. In the Gospel, Jesus goes up the mountain and calls to himself those whom he wants. He appoints twelve to be with him and to be sent out to preach and cast out demons. Mark lists them: Simon (whom he named Peter), James and John (whom he called sons of thunder), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Jude, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

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Reflect

Mark's description of Jesus choosing the Twelve contains a phrase that is easy to overlook but profoundly important: he appointed them first "to be with him" and then to be sent out. The order matters. Before mission comes relationship. Before doing comes being. The Twelve were not primarily chosen for their skills or their potential. They were chosen for companionship.

This reshapes our understanding of discipleship. We often think of following Jesus as a job description: preach, serve, evangelize, be good. But the first calling is simply to be with him. Ministry flows from intimacy. The apostles who would later turn the world upside down first spent years walking, eating, and talking with Jesus.

David's restraint in the cave reveals the same priority. He could have killed Saul and claimed the throne immediately. Instead, he chose mercy. He chose the relationship over the shortcut. He trusted that God's timing was better than his opportunity.

The list of the Twelve is deliberately diverse: fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and a betrayer. Jesus chose people who, left to their own devices, would never have chosen each other. This is the Church in miniature: not a collection of like-minded individuals but a community held together by one thing only, the call of Christ.

Notice too that Judas is included. Jesus chose him knowing what would come. Even divine calling does not override human freedom. We are called, but we must also respond.

Living It

Before your to-do list today, spend a few minutes simply being with Jesus. No agenda, no requests, just presence. Let the first purpose of your calling be relationship, not productivity.

David had every right to take revenge and chose mercy instead. Is there someone who has wronged you that you are holding in judgment? Consider choosing forgiveness today, not because they deserve it, but because mercy is who God has called you to be.

Look at the list of the Twelve: radically different people united by Jesus's call. Today, appreciate someone in your community who is very different from you. The diversity of the Church is not a problem to solve; it is a gift to celebrate.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you went up the mountain and chose twelve imperfect people to be with you. Thank you for choosing us too. Help us rest in the truth that our first calling is not to achieve but to abide, not to perform but to be present with you. Give us David's restraint when we are tempted to take shortcuts or seek revenge. And bind us together as your Church, diverse and unlikely, held together only by your love. Amen.