Chosen by God for the Sake of the World

Most of us like being chosen- chosen for a team, chosen as a friend, chosen for a scholarship and many more. It rather gives an honoured feeling and we know we might benefit by being chosen. In this week’s readings, we see God choosing- unlike how the world chooses. He does not choose because we are qualified but because from the very beginning one was called for that purpose.

Amos only a herdsman is chosen by God to prophesy to the people of Israel (Amos 7: 12-15); in Ephesians (1:3-14) we are told that we are chosen to partake in God’s purpose to save the world and in Mark, Jesus chooses the twelve from all kinds of background and sends them out to heal the world (Mark 6: 7-13).

CS Lewis wrote “The ‘chosen’ people are chosen not for their own sake (certainly not for their own honour or pleasure) but for the sake of the unchosen.”  He adds that the Christian principle is Vicariousness – that the sinless man suffers for the sinful, and, in their degree, all good men for all bad men. Lewis, C. S. (2001). Miracles: A Preliminary Study (pp. 187–191). New York: HarperOne.

So we are chosen to participate in God’s purpose of saving the world and in words of Pope John Paul II “in God’s plan, nothing happens by chance.” Where we are or what we are called to do is not by chance but by Divine providence. We are chosen to draw more people to God and heal the world.

“He has chosen you, in a mysterious but real way, to make you saviors with Him and like Him. Yes, Christ calls you, but He calls you in truth. His call is demanding, because He invites you to let yourselves be ‘captured’ by Him completely, so that your whole lives will be seen in a different light.”

Pope John Paul II

In Mark, the apostles are told to take nothing for the journey- like the apostles our journey only requires us to trust in God’s providence in following His will.

“To follow Christ and to serve the world in His name requires courage and strength. There is no place for selfishness — and no place for fear! Do not be afraid, then, when love makes demands. Do not be afraid when love requires sacrifice.”

Pope John Paul II