There are some loaded verses in the Bible that are succinct and yet carry a weighty message. I think of John 3:16. That one verse houses the entire plan of salvation: God loved, God had a plan to save us, God gave us Jesus, God lets us choose to believe, and God tells us the outcomes of either choice. All of that is in one verse. One verse: big message. This one is no different.

“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.” - Mark 3:13, ESV.

One verse: big message. The entirety of God’s sovereignty meets the privilege of man’s choice. How that works together, I have no idea, but it is right there in black and white. Jesus picked a destination, chose some to meet him there, called to them, and they chose to meet him. Calvinism vs Arminianism, God’s sovereignty vs man’s free will, God’s work vs man’s work. It’s all right there.

Now, people usually choose a side and interpret this verse in a way that supports their viewpoint so that they can build their argument. But the truth is right there in simple terms. God’s plan includes certain people and a specific destination. God chooses to call some to Himself. And He expects them to obey. But God will not pick them up by the seat of their pants and place them in that destiny. They must go to Him. They must choose it, too.

Again, how that works, I have no idea. But I do not need to know. Apparently, that’s a part of the plan that God doesn’t want to share with us. I am OK with that. I love to discuss it, but I have learned to live in the tension of accepting both truths. Both are Biblical as both are in this one verse. One verse: big message. That verse is like old-school, cowboy beef jerky. I’m gonna chew on it all day. -Pastor Mike

BTW, I caught my son chewing on electrical cords, so I had to ground him. He's doing better currently and conducting himself properly.