City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

¹² In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

–Luke 6:12-16

Aisha’s Analysis

I love that today’s scriptures in Luke landed on me because they beautifully display one of my favorite spiritual practices (prayer) and one of my favorite things about God (His intentionality in the people He decides to place in our lives). Let’s examine this more closely, shall we?

Verse 12 opens with Jesus going out to the mountain to pray all night. The following morning, He chose His twelve disciples. Interestingly, He chose people who all came from different backgrounds and had different personalities. Peter and Andrew were fishermen and likely a little rough around the edges. Matthew was a tax collector who was likely ostracized by the Jewish community at the time because tax collectors worked for Rome, which mercilessly exploited its subjects. Simon, the “Zealot,” was likely trained in martial arts as the Zealots were fiercely devoted to God’s law to the point of violence against their oppressors. Jesus eventually nicknamed James and John the “sons of thunder.” One can only wonder how they got a nickname like that.  

You probably wouldn’t see this ragtag group of men hanging out together under normal circumstances. Yet Jesus chose them all. And why? Why didn’t God choose people who were trained as rabbis and studied the scriptures? Why did He choose ordinary men? 

While the twelve disciples came from different backgrounds and had different personalities, one thing united them all: their desire to follow Jesus. And one thing influenced Jesus and guided His choices: His desire to obey God. Jesus prayed all night before making this important decision. He was seeking the Father’s will before this event. 

Here are some key takeaways: 1) God is intentional, so you might try seeking His will before making an important decision; and, 2) no matter how different you are from someone else, we all have one thing in common: our collective need for Jesus.

Application

When was the last time you prayed before making an important decision? Do you spend time in prayer and seeking God’s will for your life? What are some things you can do to make space for God to move in your life? 

Is there anyone in your life whom you normally wouldn’t be inclined to talk to? This could be anyone: your Uber driver, a neighbor, a co-worker, a classmate, a person who is not in your social circle. How might God be leading you to reach out to that person? What are some things you can do to cultivate a sense of community with people who are different from you? 

Prayer

Father God, I pray for guidance in the areas that I lack wisdom. I pray You will teach me Your ways and soften my heart to know You more and shine the light of Jesus to the people You divinely place along my path. In Jesus’ name, amen.