When Jesus appointed His Twelve Apostles, do you know what the first job He gave them was? It certainly wasn’t bossing the other disciples around: “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you” (Mk. 10:42-43 ESV). Yet as important as Christ-like service was among them, something else had to happen first (cf. Mk. 10:43-45). It wasn’t healing the sick, casting out demons, or even preaching, either (cf. Mk. 6:13, 3:14-15). As big as all of that would ultimately be in their ministries, another job took precedence – a task that made all those other worthy endeavors possible.
From the moment Jesus called them to be apostles, He clearly defined their number one job.
“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons” (Mk. 3:13-15, emphasis added).
Before anything else, job number one for Jesus’ apostles was to simply be with Him. For those of us who measure our worth based on our productivity, can you even imagine?
“Uh, excuse me, Lord: what exactly am I supposed to do?”
“Just be with Me,” He might reply.
“Yeah, I caught that – but then what?”
“Just leave that to Me. If you’re doing your job, I will do Mine.”
By being with Jesus, everything else would fall into place. He would show them how to serve, heal, cast out demons, and preach. He would make what, when, where, and who clear to them.
And not just them. Having received all authority through His resurrection, Jesus gave His apostles the Great Commission to go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and what else? “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (cf. Matt. 28:20). That makes being with Jesus our number one job, too. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
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