Called Out Ones

Scripture Texts: Mark 3:1-21; Psalm 5

The ministry of Jesus continues to grow with more people coming to be healed and hear his teaching. We find Jesus drawing a crowd to a mountain top or hillside. As Mark puts it these are the people Jesus calls out as followers, with the twelve called out for the ministry of preaching and casting out of demons.

Everyone who went with Jesus to that mountain was a part of the called out ones. These were people who chose to follow Jesus and in turn Jesus called them to live their lives in a different way than the rest of culture. It has become less favorable in this day and age to recognize that there are some who are called out and some who are not. Reality is the differentiation is not about who Christ calls, rather it is found in who chooses to follow. Everyone is called, only some choose to follow.

Before we were us, each of us knew that God had called us and that we were part of the called out ones. Both of us had chosen to respond and follow the call of God. When we got married we knew that God continued to call us as individuals, however it took us a little while to realize that our marriage has been part of how we have been called out by Christ.

There are many marriages that exist today which are healthy, loving and seem to be working well. These are not only marriages with Christ at the center. Every marriage is one where the couple is called to live different than the rest of the culture. Not every marriage has chosen to follow that call and live for Christ more than anything else. To the best of our ability we have chosen to follow and live in a different way than what we see all around us.

Having our marriage follow the way of Jesus begins with the recognition of being called out by Jesus. Next we must chose to pattern our lives after the life and teaching of Jesus. In it all we have days when we do this better than others, and like everyone else we depend on the love and grace of Christ to sustain us in the journey. Our hope is that as we chose to live as called out people of God, that God will be able to use our marriage to show others what is possible through the grace and love of Christ.