“Unexpected moves by Jesus”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Friday, January 17, 2025

Mark 2: 13-22 (Forward, p. 80) CEV p. 1028

Suppose you or I was trying to put together a team, a team that could work together amicably and smoothly to accomplish the greatest task of all time, the evangelization of the world. Would you choose a couple of ill-tempered, hot under the collar fishermen known far and wide for their boisterous outbursts as part of the team, people like James and John? Or, would you choose a notorious ‘show me’ type of person, someone who had to see everything in black and white, a Thomas? Or, what about a wild-eyed, off in the neverland dreamer like Nathanael? And most certainly you would not choose a fiery revolutionary, a Zealot like Simon, together with a hated Jewish collaborator like Levi.

And yet Jesus chose each of them and did so deliberately after a whole night spent in prayer. Obviously, Jesus saw something in them, some strengths and weaknesses, some aspects of character, some abilities, some experiences, that would fit them into His plan for the world. People around Him probably wouldn’t have understood all His choices, but He did know what He was doing. Sometimes the unexpected is exactly what God wants.

And that is exactly the point that Jesus is trying to make with His comments about the cloth and the wineskins. Something some new and expected is what is needed, and sometimes it just doesn’t fit in with our expectations, with what we have always known or done, with the old. With Jesus, you can always expect some ‘unexpected’ moves, ones that we could never have predicted: that’s His very nature.

But then, doesn’t this open up some very real possibilities for us and our world today? Maybe God wants to do something quite unexpected, and maybe He wants to use us, you and me. You just never know. Thanks be to God.

Forward notes: “[The Pharisees] said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” (verse 16b)

“How often do I, like the Pharisees, ask questions, not to be illumined by the truth but to judge and condemn? I’m learning that I need to question why I question, to examine my motives. I’m learning that some questions may have answers beyond my understanding or may not even have answers at all. I’m learning that sometimes a question precedes important change, but sometimes the question keeps things stagnant. I’m learning that I am enlarged when my questions are open and confined when my questions have preconceived answers. I’m learning that sometimes questions can lead me down interesting paths, but other times they become obstacles in my way.

“Jesus doesn’t answer the question directly but uses it as a means of introducing a new image and lesson about his mission. He tells them sick people need a doctor, not those who are well, and that he has come to call sinners.

“I’m learning that Jesus uses our questions to teach us more about himself, and thankfully, that Jesus knows I love to ask questions and will use mine, too.”

Moving Forward: “Do you ask some questions that might need reframing?”