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15:12, 1 8). H e re g a rd e d th e g re a t crow d s as a h in d ran c e ra th e r th a n a help to H is w o r k ; p o p u larity an d crow d s o ften h in d er a m an to d ay from d o in g a re al w o rk . Friday, June 4. Mark 3 :13-19. Je su s now p ro v id es fo r th e c arry in g on of H is w o rk w h en H e H im se lf sh all h av e gone. H e g a th e rs ab o u t H im se lf a com pany of m en w h om H e w ill especially p re p are fo r th e sp read o f th e G ospel. ’ H e m ad e choice o f th ese tw elv e m en a fte r a n ig h t sp en t in p ra y er (L u k e 6:12, 1 3). T h e re w as g re at d iv e rsity am o n g th em in tem p eram en t, p re v io u s h isto ry a n d n a tiv e abilityy a n d they a re an im p ressiv e illu stra tio n o f th e dif-, fe re n t ty p es o f m en Je su s can u se in H is w ork. T h e m o st difficult q u estio n th at a rises in re g a rd to th e ch o o sin g a n d se n d in g o f th e tw elv e is w h y Je su s chose and se n t o u t J u d a s Isc ario t. I t is n o t sufficient to say th a t it h a d been p re d icted in th e O ld -T estam en t th a t o n e o f H is im m ed iate d is ciples sh o u ld b e tra y H im (P s . 4 1 :9 ; 55:12- 14) an d th a t th e re fo re Je su s chose Ju d as; w h om H e k n ew to be a D evil (Jo h n 6:70, 71) in o rd e r to fulfill th is prophecy. T h e sim p lest an d m o st n a tu ra l e x p lan atio n seem s to be th a t Ju d a s h a d q u alities th a t w ould h av e adm irab ly fitted h im fo r a place in th e ap o sto lic com pany a n d lead ersh ip in th e early ch u rch , if th ey h a d been san c ti fied. G race gave h im a g re a t o p p o rtu n ity b u t he h a rd en e d h is h e a rt a n d b ro u g h t upon h im self th e g re a te r co n d em n atio n a n d in fam y. T h e first p u rp o se o f th e a p p o in tin g o f th e tw elv e w as th a t “th ey m ig h t be w ith H im .” A ll th e re st fo llow ed from th at. T h e one w ho w o u ld p re ac h H im a n d h av e p o w er in H is n am e a n d heal th e sick and cast o u t D ev ils m u st first o f all “be w ith H im ,” i. e., en jo y th e m o st in tim ate, p e r so n al fellow ship w ith H im self. T h ey w ere to h av e a m in istry to b o th soul an d body, b u t C h rist p u t th e sp iritu a l n eed first (v s. 14, 15; cf. M att. 1 0 :7, 8 ). H e re is one of th e places in w h ich th e “ C h ristian S ci e n tists” an d m o st “D iv in e h e alers” in v ert an d th u s p e rv e rt th e m eth o d o f C h rist. T h e
o ften com m an d s th e im possible b u t if w e w ill ju s t believe H im , H e w ill give th e p ow er to do th e im possible (M a rk 9 :2 3 ). T h e com m an d w as sim ply a te s t o f faith . T h e m an acted ,h is fa ith a n d th e deed w as done, th e h a n d w as re sto re d w hole. F a ith is sim ply step p in g o u t on G o d ’s W o rd . Thursday, June 3. Mark 3 :7-12. T h e m u ltitu d e w as n o t so m u ch a ttrac ted by o u r L o rd ’s w o n d e rfu l teach in g as by th e d isp lay o f H is h ealin g p ow er. I t w as w h e n th ey “h e ard w h a t g re a t th in g s H e d id ’’ th a t th ey “cam e u n to H im .” H e is d o in g great- th in g s today, b u t th e g re atest th in g 'H e is d o in g is n o t th e h ealin g o f th e bodies o f m en, b u t th e d eliv erin g o f m en an d w om en from sin. W h a t th ese people h e ard d o u b tless w as to ld th em by th o se w ho h ad th em selv es been h e lp e d ; w e have h ere an illu stra tio n o f th e p o w er o f te s ti m ony., Je su s w as n o t pleased w ith th e n o to rie ty th a t H e w as g ain in g b u t ra th e r recoiled from it (cf. M att. 1 2 :1 6 -2 1 ); how u n lik e H e w as to m an y o f H is p ro fessed fo llow ers today. T h e crow d w as so in e arn e st th a t th ey fairly “p ressed u p o n H im to to u ch H im .” I t w as th o se w ho “h ad p lag u es” w ho w ere m o st eag er to g et to H im . I t is alw ays so. B u t a la s ! m en are seld om as m u ch co n cern ed ab o u t th e ir sp irit u al plag u es as th ey a re ab o u t th e ir physical plagues. W e w ho h av e p lag u es to d ay can to u ch H im if w e w ill, an d if w e do, w e sh all be h ealed. E v en th e d em ons reco g n ized H is p ow er (v . 1 1 ), a n d th o se p o s sessed o f th em fell d ow n b e fo re H im and th e u n clean sp irits crie d o ut, “ T h o u a rt th e S o n o f G od.” T h ey h ad a kn ow led g e su rp assin g th a t o f m en, b u t th e ir kn ow led g e d id n o t do th em an y good. T h ey reco g n ized H im . because th ey w e re com pelled to, b u t th ey d id n o t ack n ow led g e H im from th e h eart. T h e ir fallin g d ow n b e fo re H im w as a so rt o f an ticip atio n o f th a t day w hen “ev ery k n ee sh all to w an d ev ery to n g u e co n fess th a t Je su s C h rist is L o rd ” (P h il. 2:10, 1 1). O u r L o rd d id n o t w elcom e te s ti m ony from such a so u rce (v . 12 cf. A cts
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