Jesus Selects and Shapes His Disciples • 03.29.26
Jesus Selects and Shapes His Disciples
Luke 6:12-36
How does Jesus shape his disciples?
- Jesus chooses ordinary people
- Jesus reorients their view of blessing
- Jesus reforms their heart towards others
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Good morning church family! My name is Jack Flaherty and I serve as one of the staff pastors here at Harvest. It is a privilege to open up God’s Word this morning. Before we begin I’d like to dismiss our 4th-5th graders. For the rest of us lets open up our Bibles to Luke 6. Ushers would love to get a Bible in your hands. Last week Pastor Mark took us through Jesus addressing increasing tension around his growing ministry and controversies from the healing of the leper, the calling of a tax collector, and questions of the Sabbath. As we consider this context, Luke dives right into what I would say is less Jesus responding to happenings around him, but now taking a bit more of the offensive. I want to start by reading the text in its entirety and then we will unpack.
Read Luke 6:12-36. As it has felt with every section of Luke, this is a loaded passage of Scripture! As the sermon title alludes to, here we see Jesus selecting from among his disciples twelve apostles. And then he begins to speak, technically to a crowd, but as we see the emphasis is on his disciples and to those who hear, the ones he desires to shape for mission.
This is unique to choose something and then shape it. We often want to buy stuff for home that is already how it’s supposed to be (not counting IKEA). We pick people for teams and organizations primarily for what they already have and can deliver. The selection committee for men’s and women’s tournament during March Madness doesn’t pick teams for potential but for their completed resumes. And even thought we all may have some random ways of selecting who will be in the Final Four–like favorite colors, coolest mascot, or analytic measurements–none of us are choosing teams we hope to shape into a winner. That’s not what Jesus does. He selects the ones he will shape.
With the mention of Judas the traitor there is no doubt Jesus already has the Cross in view. And now as he selects those who will follow him over his three years of earthly ministry, he is also shaping them for the decades they will spread his message after he returns to the throne in heaven. He picks and begins to prepare this crew with very intentional and core teachings about what it means to be a saved sinner, one who is united to Jesus, who is part of God’s family.
The orienting question I hope to help us consider today is How does Jesus shape his disciples? In the immediate context that is how Jesus prepares his audience for their life and ministry after he departs. But this is also for our consideration. For those of us who have accepted the call, it is my prayer that we too would be conformed to what Jesus explains he wants for his disciples. That we would humbly lay down resistance to the ways he wants to shape and reshape our lives. For those of you are not disciples or followers of Jesus, we are thankful for you are this morning. I pray you will be challenged to consider what it would look like to accept the call to follow Christ.
Today we will consider three ways Jesus is shaping his disciples. The first is…
- Jesus chooses ordinary people
Apostles are listed in Matthew, Mark, Luke and Acts. Peter is always first and Judas the traitor is always last. Also we see some names of different. For example here we see Bartholomew who also goes by Nathanael and Judas son of James who also goes by Thaddeus. Wasn’t uncommon to have a Jewish name and Greek or Latin name. Even today we still have some people who go by a name like Jack, but really have birth name John, and by some are affectionately called Denny.
Looking again at v12-16, the first thing to notice is Jesus picks after a full night of prayer. If all you walk away from this sermon with is that we need to be dependent in prayer life, its worth it! Not the first time nor the last time in Luke we see this highlighted. Second, we see Jesus picks twelve! This number correlates to the twelve tribes of Israel. Even when Judas betrays Christ the apostles after his resurrection select a new twelfth. They aren’t his only followers or students, but are selected out of a larger group. Third, we see Jesus gives this group the name “apostles” or “sent ones.” This term means they authorized reps, chosen by Jesus and with him from beginning.
So why these guys? Were they better? More awesome? Cooler names? Better calling? Well, though we don’t have the accounts of other disciples’ call, could’ve had similar significant events. Just these are reported as they play central role. Not cooler names. Very common. They were not more awesome or way better and gospel writers almost go out of their way to show their struggles and failures. In fact, I think the reason these guys are picked is because they are ordinary people. Just regular dudes! Let’s think about them for a second.
Peter was a fisherman. Bold but also at times reckless and self-confident. Been called apostle with foot shaped mouth as he often spoke out of turn. His brother Andrew also fisherman. Not much for the spotlight but did bring people to Jesus. behind the scenes but faithful. Their partners in fishing James and John. Another set of brothers with brother troubles. We see their parents involved in the story too, successful and maybe access to things, maybe trying to earn things for them. But as they spend time with Jesus their passions reflect his. These guys were more thunder till Jesus taught them about love.
Philip never shares his job. Working blue collar from same town as Peter and Andrew. Maybe slow to move from physical to spiritual as he is recorded stressing about how to feed 5000. Nothing remarkable about him. Bartholomew or Nathanael again not much about his job. Comes on scene as a skeptic in fact asking “can good come from Nazareth?” But he was honest and a deep thinker, found under a tree. Jesus not put off by sincere honestly. Matthew or Levi from Luke 5. We heard much about him last week from Pastor Mark. An outcast that Jesus brings into the team. Financially successful but spiritually bankrupt. Last guy people wanted to talk to. Thomas who gets a back wrap as doubter really was faithful.
The other James and Judas–or Thaddeus. So ordinary we don’t know much about either of them. Between the two of them one verse shows words they spoke. Not resume to get them on the team. Simon called the Zealot. Likely a political revolutionary who was ready to get rid of Roman influence, and likely who would have been ready to rip Matthew apart. Then Judas, trusted with money, close to Jesus, but never truly following. A traitor
There is a book titled Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur that I was given in high school. and went through with my Sunday school class. Two things. First, these called men are called into group and committed following together. Ironic this stands out when I rejected that community and accountability as a young man. I am convicted that lessons learned should have helped me dive into community sooner and would encourage you not to do the name. If called in jump in! Second, MacArthur highlights that Jesus choose not the religious and scholars or pharisees exactly because he wanted to use the weak to shame the strong, wanted the ordinary to shape them into extraordinary men of God.
He chose fishermen—working-class guys from Galilee. He chose a tax collector and political radical on the opposite end of the spectrum. And then several others—with hidden backgrounds who we don’t even know what they did for a living. Regular names. No rabbis. No elites. Just ordinary men—some rough, some rejected, some unknown. Likely all in their teens or early 20’s. No scholars. Jesus knew this about them! Which means the power of what happens next can’t be explained by who they were…but only by what Jesus makes them into. Chose men he could make ready and immediately starts to address areas they need to be changed. By time Jesus leaves, they aren’t the same men. More on that later.
How did he shape them? That brings us to v17-19. After Jesus comes down from the mountain there are three groups of people here. “Them” meaning the twelve, a great number of disciples, and a great number of people from everywhere. And this group they want healing and hearing. Jesus does heal and cure. The power is seeping from him. Not like accidental. His sovereignty allowed his divine power to bless. BUT emphasis is on hearing and his main effort is to teach. Which is where he goes next into extended teaching.
Before we get into the teaching, so what does call of the twelve mean for us? Well when we think about how Jesus shapes his disciples remember that Jesus chooses ordinary people. That should be encouraged for all of us! There is no pre-requisite before joining the team! Simply be ready to listen and follow! Also, it means we should trust God’s plan for who else he chooses. These guys would not have chosen to be together, but Jesus did. He knows what he is doing so be ready to be not just with the people you like and click with in the church! Further, we can invest in those who chooses. This looks like lots of things, but consider specifically that these are young men in teens and twenties! What better way to keep pouring into young men and women than serving the STUDENTS AND KIDS of our church.
Jesus choose them to train them up as the chief spokesmen for the gospel after he leaves. Jesus chooses his disciples today similarly to be his spokespeople. They will see, as should we, how this choosing ought to impact everything about our ordinary lives.
As we said, after choosing and healing, Luke highlights that Jesus teaches. This is where the shaping really begins. He welcomes them as ordinary but desires to transform them through His words. This starts with the second way we see Jesus shaping his disciples…
- Jesus reorients their view of blessing
Much of what we read next is similar content to Matthew 5-7 in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. There is some debate here on if this is the same sermon exactly, or similar teaching in a different location which Jesus surely did often. Coming down to the level place make some say this is a separate sermon. Others say level place is just a plateau on mountain form which Jesus spoke making it same sermon. Regardless he delivers second teaching, first being Luke 4 in Nazareth, with four main emphases: blessings and woes, love, judgement, and obedience. We will focus just on the first two and Nick will cover judgment and obedience portions after Easter.
So let’s dive into this first section on blessings and woes in v20-26. His eyes are on the disciples with but focus in on shaping through teaching. Jesus modeled dependance in his praying all night before choosing these disciples, and now calls them to the same view of dependence. He speaks of an upside-down kingdom where your future with Jesus reshapes your life now. Blessed has the connotation of happiness or being fortunate. There is no ho hum begrudgingly-ness here. Not “I guess I’ll eat my veggies to get dessert.” This is true rejoicing NOW based on the future SHALL promises of God. And woe. This has nothing to do with horses or close calls. This is the language of judgment, streaming straight from the likes of OT prophets. This is warning that prioritizing worldly pleasure now forfeits the best stuff later. We would never make that trade if we truly understood what is being communicated her!
I hope its obvious for us to see the contrasting parallels. Those who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, reviled, slandered NOW are blessed NOW because their reward in heaven is great. Riches now, fullness now, laughing now, being approved by others now, then you’ve already got all the great reward you need.
Jesus reorients their view of blessing. This is not “you can be blessed” but you are blessed. Jesus wants to already reorient the disciples thinking. Reorient meaning changing focus, direction, alignment to hit the correct and to them new perspective. Why? Because that’s what it will take to truly follow Him. This first teaching for his spokesmen who are about to face really hard realities physical and spiritually need to stop thinking about just the here and now. In v20-26 there is one imperative “rejoice!” Hardship in this is life, especially when it comes because of following Jesus, ought to bring them to rejoicing because it is a reminder that the best yet to come AND actually it’s so good that it brings a tangible joy they can have now.
To clarify, Jesus isn’t saying everyone with no money or hunger or sadness is automatically getting blessing. Many try to live this life of asceticism to earn favor, that’s not it! Colossians 2 say will never work. Nor is he saying it’s bad to have money or a full belly or that we can never laugh. Those are gifts from God meant to enjoy and even give us a taste of heaven. Even having people speak well of you is requirement for elders. So what are we to think? Poverty itself is not a blessing nor guarantee of following Jesus BUT does make it more likely to see need and look to future hope instead of present hope. Ultimately Jesus redefines from the reality of God’s perspective and thus reorienting the situation of the hearer. He wants to show the need of delayed gratification! And he wants this personal. Small detail where in Luke Jesus says, “blessed are YOU” compared to Matthew’s “blessed are the.” Its zoomed in. Their view needs reoriented, not just someone else’s. Will you take time to evaluate your view?
For those who hear him, we already belong to the kingdom of God and all its blessing. We already have promise of satisfaction. Joy now because fullness of joy later. And even more specifically we get counted in good company of the prophets who were faithful and faced suffering for God’s Word, why ever spur that for temporariness? If we really believe this, what would that do to your daily focus? Jesus doesn’t throws around words carelessly, would you agree? So when he says your reward is great in heaven, how do you think he is defining greatness? Might be worth it!
What the world taught them and still teaches us is what Jesus speaks against. If we too are a people getting ready to be on front lines of spread of the gospel, we need to be aware of the very real danger of becoming dulled and distracted. Christians should read this and examine our hearts closely. Are comfort, wealth, ease, approval of man your top priority? Is that what frames up your decisions for you, your work, you kids, your investments, your time? Its so much harder to depend on Jesus when we are independent. Living with the freedoms and riches we have. Jesus might be using this to say if you really follow me, you might just put yourself in a place where you experience what is spoken of here and also taste the blessedness I promise.
You might be looking for that line to appease the conscience that is convicting you right now that you are finding hope in consolation and fullness and approval of man now. “Eh its not that bad, or not like that.” We might even be doing comparison of “well I get a little persecution” or “I’m more poor than these people” to make sure our blessing is secure. But there is no such line in the text. If you feel the Spirit tugging, do the work of evaluation, confession, and ask Jesus to help you. These guys didn’t get it day one! We won’t either. But they would all give their lives for this. Are you there yet? There is no hope or comfort in future for those getting theirs now.
But when we have that reoriented view, we don’t have to sweat troubles we face on his account but actually REJOICE in them. If you’re hurting but trusting in Jesus, take heart dear brother or sister! Blessings in this world don’t always look like what the world calls blessings. Yet we ARE blessed to have assurance of membership in the kingdom, assurance of satisfaction, assurance of joy, a great joy and reward when we face on account of Him. Know that in Jesus, we have the best yet to come AND actually its so good that it brings so much joy we might as well have it now.
Jesus lovingly shares the promises and graciously warns of the judgements to shape our hearts. Listen. Hear. Which is the focus of who Jesus speaks to next, “to you who hear.” In this final section we consider our third observation of the way Jesus is shaping his disciples…
- Jesus reforms their heart towards others
Again eyes are one his disciples as he addresses “you who hear.” One commentator called this “the deep end of the pool.” Honestly, it was hard to read through this without getting a bit emotional and having my head spin. Especially as we head into Holy Week we ought to dwell on this in considering Jesus’ Care For Others and for us. This section on loving enemies is meant to reform our hearts. This is not a new love BUT reforms or corrects faults errors and abuses within system to make it better. The basis for this ethic if what we just came out of. Because the blessings of future age are near and worth it, we are free to live in a way that is not of this world.
Looking to v27-36 it is summarized by the bookend statements of v27 and 35 “love your enemies.” There are 10+ imperatives here but all of them are explaining what it means to love. The word love shows up 6x in the text. And this again we see two parallel sections. First v27-31 says what to do summarized by the golden rule in v31 “as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” Even in crucible of insult and wrong our love should be generous, patient, gracious, and treat others as we would want to be treated. And second v32-36 which speaks to the higher calling on Jesus disciples. When it comes to love we do don’t as sinners do but follow what Jesus says whom to love and how far to love them. This is summarized by statement in final line of v36 “be merciful even as your Father is merciful.”
To be clear, just like facing poverty and hunger and sadness and hatred doesn’t automatically bring great reward of heaven, doing good, blessing those who curse, praying for abusers, turning the other cheek doesn’t earn us anything BUT loving like this is an indication of a true ID as God’s sons and daughters. All of this is grounded in promises of character of God in v35-36. Again, we reform our heart toward others not to earn the reward but because we trust we already have the reward which will be great reward because we follow Jesus
We might again be tempted to try and appease our conscience by looking for definitions to find loopholes or show this is extreme. We want assurance warnings aren’t for us so find caveats. True this is extreme. And yes there are some caveats. This doesn’t mean never stand against or flee abuse or withhold money when unwise. We see this played out in the rest of the gospels. There is use of law, warning of judgement, flight from danger, and speech of wisdom. But the goal of what Jesus is doing is to prepare these people to spread the gospel not by giving all details of all situations BUT reforming their heart posture! Their defaults towards those who would be considered enemies is love and mercy. Do we think Jesus called these ordinary people to make them like the pharisees and scribes and religious leaders? To clean up the exterior a bit? No! to radically shape them into those who have spent time with Him!
So when Jesus reforms their heart towards others what does that look like? I know, think poorly of your enemies. Dwell on the short comings of your haters. Wish evil, be stingy, give only when you get. Handle opposition with personal, political, or military ideology. I don’t think so! Is that what Jesus would have meant? In v35-36 sons of most high connected to merciful Father. This term mercy is a bit unique. It’s a heartfelt level of care. It’s being concerned with another’s unfortunate state. We’d use terms like “my heart goes out” or “feeling in my stomach.” Jesus wants our gut level response towards others as not just absence of hate but also not to be arms length. To get actually invested in wishing their state would change!
We could play out a lot of specifics like how are we doing at praying and doing good and giving generous. I trust the Spirit of God to apply that specifically to your life. But in short, God’s children are to be bearing the stamp of his moral character of love, graciousness, generosity. Those who love and do good reflect the character of God and show they trust the promises of God’s grace and eternal rewards. If you struggle here, maybe that means you need to focus on the character of a merciful God. Maybe you need to lock in on specific promises like that of rewards spelled out here. Maybe need to remember what his heart is towards you!
How in the world can we live this way? Because we had one who did this for us. Jesus showed this love! Love lead him to die for enemies (us), to give all he had, to allow himself stripped naked, to lay down everything and demanded nothing—apologies, rights, nothing! GOD IS KIND TO UNGRATEFUL AND SINNERS as v35 says! As Romans 5 tells us Jesus gave his life for sinners like you and me while we were still enemies and ungrateful so that we might be sons and daughters through faith. THAT SHOULD WRECK US! That should shape us!
If you’re a disciple should make your eyes wet, and your heart soft, and cause you to let you guard down about others and be reminded what you’ve been given. There ought to be no hurdles in us loving enemies. Our goal is not to see people as enemies but as those we hope will come to Jesus team by turning from sin and to the one who loves them. And if you’re not yet what are you waiting for! Jesus is working on your heart right now to turn from evil and ungrateful ways. To see that the greatest love you can get is not from temporary pleasures of this world but the loving merciful eternal care of God in the flesh. He wants you to know that no matter how you say you wanna love and show mercy that you can’t without his help.
Just like Jesus didn’t call disciples to make them like the pharisees and scribes and religious leader and to clean up the exterior a bit, mercy of Jesus is meant to reform us at the heart level make us merciful, generous, loving, and tender towards others. These are the qualities to ask if they are present. IF not, run to Jesus who offers mercy not to make you more religious but to make you righteous.
May seem naïve or foolish at times to love enemies but to hate them has proven track record of not further the gospel of a crucified savior. Its unnatural to the flesh BUT natural to the Spirit who dwells in us and our union with the one who loved this way and the Father who sent and unbounded reservoirs from which we can draw tenacity and joy in doing this. Jesus chose these disciples and shaped them to be ready for their own opposition. We too must be ready for opposition and the tools we need to stand up and spread the message aren’t miliary or political or personal strength, but a future oriented view of happiness and blessing and a Heavenly Father view of mercy and love for our enemies.
How will this teaching shape you? Judas ignored and sought the world but lost everything. The other eleven heard and lost the world but gained everything. They are the men who were said to flip the world upside down. As they continued in the rightly view of blessing and right heart towards others they absorbed hate, give instead of take, love instead of retaliate. Gospel spread through them preaching of this transformation AND they actually lived this. How about you? I pray we take it to heart. May God flip our world upside down by choosing us and changing us to live and love and show mercy as Jesus shaped disciples.
PRAY