Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, January 19, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Jesus had waaaaay more than twelve apostles. And they certainly weren’t all men. Twelve was a significant number because it was the number of the original tribes of Israel, God’s supposedly chosen people. It seems kind of exclusive. Anyone could follow Jesus, but somehow only these few were qualified to “proclaim the message” and “cast out demons.” Surely there were more among Jesus’ followers who fit the bill. Surely there were women who were as if not more qualified than some of the men—though there might have been a practical reason not to give them authority, in that they were far less likely to be listened to. Yet there are many women named “prophetess” in Israel’s history, all the way back to Miriam, the sister of Moses.
Regardless of whether or not Jesus took this decisive action to name a specific number of men to somehow act on his behalf, the fact remains that today, every single one of us is so called. We may not drop everything (like fishing nets) and wander off into the world to proclaim the Word. But we can all, in everything we do and say, all our interactions, and through our daily work, whatever it is, proclaim Jesus’ radical welcome and healing love.
How do I live my call to discipleship in my daily life?
