12/30/24

Jesus steps out of the boat with the sun beating down on the Galilean shoreline.

The waves are lapping at His feet. He scans the horizon, taking in the scene before Him—a sea of humanity stretching as far as the eye can see. Word of His miracles and teachings has spread like wildfire, and now throngs of desperate, eager faces press in from every direction.

They come from all over—Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon (Mark 3:7-8). The crowd surges forward, reaching out to touch Him, crying out for healing and hope. The air crackles with expectation, the sheer volume of need threatening to overwhelm.

For a moment, imagine yourself in Jesus’s place. Feel the weight of the crowd’s demands, the rush of adrenaline as the momentum builds. It’s intoxicating, this sudden explosion of influence and popularity. You can almost taste the potential, the chance to ride this wave of enthusiasm to unprecedented impact.

But then Jesus does something unexpected.

Instead of seizing the moment to cement His status as a celebrity preacher, He withdraws (v. 13). He steps back from the spotlight, pulling away from the adoring masses. His eyes search the crowd, looking past the sea of grasping hands to the handful of faces that have been there from the beginning—the ones who have walked with Him, wrestled with His teachings, and caught a glimpse of His vision.

With a word, Jesus calls them to Himself. Out of the multitude, He appoints twelve to be His inner circle (v. 14). These are no superstars, no polished influencers with massive followings. They’re ordinary men, rough around the edges, yet ready to walk the road of apprenticeship.

As the twelve gather around Jesus, the contrast is stark. On one side, the allure of the crowd, the chance to build a platform that could reach thousands. On the other, a small band of brothers, chosen not for their impressive resumes but for their bent towards action, their willingness to go deep, to be shaped and sent.

This decisive move by Jesus sets up a stark contrast between two approaches to leadership and influence. On one hand is the allure of the crowd – the chance to leverage popularity for the sake of reach and impact. On the other hand is Jesus’s resolute commitment to depth and multiplication – the slower, more focused work of shaping a few key leaders who will carry the mission forward.

The world may prioritize platform and following, but Jesus measures influence differently. For Him, true leadership isn’t about gathering an audience of spectators, but painstakingly equipping faithful disciples to go and do likewise. Jesus’s movement will not spread through slick branding or crowd control, but through personal investment in people who have caught His vision and are ready to reproduce it.

As we unpack this scene, we find Jesus embodying a vital principle for any leader feeling the tension between the appeal of the masses and the unglamorous work of developing others. Will we build our legacy on the shifting sands of popularity or on the solid rock of empowered disciples? Mark 3 challenges us to align our definition of success with Jesus’s upside-down Kingdom, where real multiplication begins not with our platform, but with our people.

The Crowds Press In (Mark 3:7-12) 

Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.

Mark 3:7-12 (CSB)

The scene opens with Jesus and His disciples withdrawing to the sea, but there’s no escaping the crowds that follow (v. 7). The magnetic pull of Jesus’s ministry draws people from every corner of the region—Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon (v. 8). It’s a diverse multitude, united by a desperate hunger for the hope and healing Jesus offers.

Imagine the crush of bodies, the sound of a thousand voices clamoring for attention. The Greek word used here for “crowd” (ochlos) conveys more than just a large gathering; it suggests a sense of chaos and pressure. Jesus is hemmed in on every side, jostled by the relentless tide of human need.

The people have heard about the great things Jesus is doing, the lives transformed by His touch (v. 8). They surge forward, grasping for a chance to experience His power firsthand. The sick press in, straining just to brush the hem of His garment (v. 10). Demoniacs hurl themselves at His feet, their tormented cries piercing the air (v. 11).

In this moment, the disciples must feel the intoxicating pull of popularity. The crowds represent a growing movement, an army of followers ready to be mobilized. Surely this is a sign of success, a confirmation of Jesus’s anointing. Why not seize the momentum and ride this wave of enthusiasm to even greater heights?

But as the crowds continue to crush in, Jesus makes a pivotal decision. Instead of basking in the adulation, He takes steps to lead through the chaos. He instructs His disciples to have a boat ready, creating a buffer between Himself and the masses (v. 9). It’s a strategic withdrawal, a refusal to be swept away by the current of popular demand.

In this deliberate step back, we catch a glimpse of Jesus’s Kingdom priorities. He isn’t content to simply gather a crowd; His sights are set on something deeper and more lasting. The crowds may be drawn to His power, but they have yet to grasp His mission. Jesus knows that true transformation happens not in the frenzy of the masses but in the quiet crucible of discipleship.

As we watch Jesus navigate the pressure of the crowd, we’re confronted with the same tension in our own ministries. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game, to measure success by the size of our platform. But Jesus reminds us that the real work of the Kingdom happens not on stage but in the trenches, not in the spotlight but in the small circles where lives are shaped and souls are forged.

Jesus Calls the Twelve (Mark 3:13-15)

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.

Mark 3:13-15 (CSB)

Having withdrawn from the pressing crowds, Jesus initiates one of the most significant leadership decisions in history. Mark records that He “went up on the mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.” 

The call is intimate and intentional. In a world where religious leaders often kept their distance from the masses, Jesus’s approach is radically personal. He isn’t content to lecture from on high; He invites these twelve men into a life of close apprenticeship.

This seemingly simple action contains layers of strategic insight about Kingdom leadership development and the priorities that should guide our approach to multiplying ministry impact.

The setting itself is significant. By ascending the mountain, Jesus creates both physical and symbolic distance from the crowds below. This elevation serves multiple purposes: it provides clarity about who is willing to follow Him beyond mere convenience, it creates an environment for focused attention, and it echoes other significant mountain encounters between God and His chosen leaders throughout biblical history. 

Those who respond to this upward call demonstrate a willingness to move beyond the crowd’s consumer mindset into a deeper level of commitment.

Mark’s account emphasizes three critical elements in Jesus’s approach to developing these leaders: the priority of selection, the power of proximity, and the purpose of sending. Each element provides crucial insights into Jesus’s multiplication strategy and offers a template for leadership development that transcends time and culture.

First, the priority of selection is evident in the phrase “called to him those he wanted.” This wasn’t an open invitation or a democratic process. Jesus deliberately chose specific individuals who had already demonstrated faithfulness in following Him. This selective approach challenges our modern tendency toward inclusive, broad-based leadership development programs. 

Jesus shows us that effective multiplication requires discernment in identifying those who are ready and willing to embrace both the mission and its costs.

Second, the power of proximity is captured in the purpose statement that they were appointed “that they might be with him.” Before any discussion of their future ministry or impact, Jesus prioritizes relationship and apprenticeship. This “withness” principle suggests that leadership development in the Kingdom happens primarily through shared life and observation, not just through formal instruction. 

The disciples would learn Jesus’s message by watching His methods, absorb His priorities by observing His choices, and understand His mission by witnessing His ministry firsthand.

Third, the purpose of sending follows naturally from this relational foundation. They were appointed to “be sent out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” The end goal wasn’t merely personal spiritual development but active participation in Jesus’s mission. 

This sending aspect reveals that Kingdom leadership is always oriented toward multiplication – the twelve were being equipped not just to follow but to extend Jesus’s ministry to new people and places.

The sequence here is crucial: selection precedes proximity, and proximity precedes sending. Jesus doesn’t begin with a general call and then filter down to the most qualified. Instead, He starts with careful selection, invests deeply through relationship, and then empowers for ministry that mirrors His own. 

This pattern suggests that effective leadership development isn’t primarily about conveying information or conferring titles but about transforming individuals through intentional relationship and practical hands-on training.

Notably absent from this account is any mention of the disciples’ qualifications, skills, or potential. The focus instead is on their response to Jesus’s call and their willingness to “be with him.” This suggests that in Kingdom leadership development, proven faithfulness, character and commitment trump competency and capability. 

Jesus can work with any raw material, provided there is genuine willingness to learn and follow.

This approach to leadership development stands in stark contrast to both first-century and contemporary models that often prioritize efficiency, scale, and immediate impact. Jesus’s investment in a small group of chosen individuals, centered on relationship and oriented toward multiplication, provides a timeless template for developing leaders who will carry forward the mission of God’s Kingdom. 

It reminds us that true Kingdom impact often begins with stepping back from the crowds to invest deeply in a few faithful individuals who will multiply the mission through their own lives and ministry.

The Naming of the Twelve (Mark 3:16-19)

He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Mark 3:16-19 (CSB)

The naming of the twelve apostles represents more than a mere historical record for Church tradition – it provides profound insights into Jesus’s approach to leadership development and the nature of Kingdom ministry. Mark’s account of these appointments reveals both the personal nature of Jesus’s investment in these men and the realistic understanding that not all who are called will prove faithful in the end.

The list begins with Simon, whom Jesus renames Peter. 

This act of renaming is significant, pointing to the transformative nature of Kingdom leadership development. Just as God renamed Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel, marking pivotal moments in their spiritual journeys, Jesus gives Simon a new name that points to his future role in the Kingdom. “Peter” (meaning “rock”) speaks not necessarily to who Simon was at the moment, but to who he would become through his relationship with Jesus. 

This pattern suggests that Kingdom leadership development involves seeing and calling forth potential that others might miss.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, receive the name “Boanerges” (sons of thunder), likely reflecting their zealous personalities. Rather than suppressing their natural temperaments, Jesus redirects their passion toward Kingdom purposes. 

This naming reveals that effective leadership development doesn’t require conformity to a single personality type but rather the sanctification and channeling of diverse characteristics for God’s purposes.

The list continues with Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and finally, Judas Iscariot. The diverse backgrounds represented in this group – from tax collector to zealot, from fisherman to skeptic – demonstrate that Kingdom leadership transcends social, political, and economic boundaries. 

Jesus’s selection criteria clearly went beyond superficial qualifications to focus on heart response and willingness to follow.

The specific mention of Judas Iscariot “who betrayed him” serves as a sobering reminder that proximity to Jesus and inclusion in leadership circles doesn’t guarantee faithfulness. This detail suggests several important principles about Kingdom leadership development:

First, it reminds us that discernment in selecting leaders, while crucial, cannot guarantee outcomes. Even Jesus, with perfect wisdom, included one who would ultimately betray Him. This reality should both humble us in our leadership selections and comfort us when those we invest in fail to fulfill their calling.

Second, it highlights that Kingdom leadership development always involves risk. The possibility of betrayal or failure doesn’t negate the importance of investing in others. Jesus demonstrated willingness to invest deeply even knowing that not all investment would bear lasting fruit.

Third, it suggests that the effectiveness of leadership development isn’t measured solely by success rates but by faithfulness to the process. Jesus’s model wasn’t compromised by Judas’s betrayal; rather, it was validated by the eleven who, despite their failures and weaknesses, ultimately carried the mission forward.

The naming of the twelve also reveals the tension between individual identity and corporate purpose. 

Each disciple is named individually, acknowledging their unique identity and calling, yet they are presented as a unified group with a shared mission. This balance between individual development and corporate identity remains crucial in leadership development today – helping leaders discover their unique gifts and calling while integrating them into the larger mission of God’s Kingdom.

Perhaps most striking about this list is its ordinariness. 

None of these men, apart from their association with Jesus, would likely have been remembered by history. Their significance stems not from their inherent qualities but from their response to Jesus’s call and their willingness to be shaped by relationship with Him. This truth democratizes Kingdom leadership development – the crucial factor is not one’s starting point but one’s willingness to follow and be transformed.

The naming of the twelve thus stands as a testament to Jesus’s investment in ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. It challenges our tendency to prioritize gifting over faithfulness, platform over character, and immediate impact over long-term multiplication. 

In doing so, it provides a timeless template for identifying and developing leaders who will carry the mission of God’s Kingdom forward to new generations and contexts.

Personal Story / Experience: Wrestling with Crowds vs. Multiplication

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Paul’s Multiplication Model

The tension between crowd management and leader multiplication that we observe in Jesus’s ministry finds its clearest echo in the apostle Paul’s strategic approach to mission. The book of Acts, particularly chapter 19, provides a compelling case study of how the early church navigated this tension and consistently chose multiplication over mere gathering.

In Ephesus, we find Paul facing a situation remarkably similar to Jesus’s experience in Mark 3. 

His ministry had generated significant attention, with Acts 19:10 recording that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” The crowds were pressing in, miracles were abundant, and Paul’s influence was expanding rapidly throughout the region.

Yet at this crucial moment of explosive growth, Paul makes a strategic decision that mirrors Jesus’s approach. Rather than focusing on the crowds, he withdraws to the Hall of Tyrannus with a select group of disciples. For two years, he invested deeply in these individuals through daily discussions and training. This strategic retreat from public ministry to focused discipleship became the catalyst for one of the most significant multiplication movements in early church history.

The results of this multiplication-focused strategy are striking.

Acts records that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,” but more significantly, it notes that his disciples began doing the same work. The seven sons of Sceva’s failed attempt to imitate Paul’s ministry provides a fascinating contrast – highlighting the difference between attempting to copy methods without genuine discipleship and the authentic reproduction that comes through deep investment in faithful leaders.

Paul’s multiplication strategy extended beyond Ephesus through his relationship with key leaders like Timothy and Titus.

His letters to these disciples reveal the same principles we see in Jesus’s approach:

1. Selection Based on Faithfulness: Paul instructs Timothy to find “reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Like Jesus, he emphasizes character and faithfulness over other qualifications.

2. Deep Relational Investment: Paul’s letters overflow with personal references and relational depth. He calls Timothy his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2), demonstrating the same “withness” principle that Jesus employed with the twelve.

3. Mission-Focused Empowerment: Paul consistently empowers his disciples for independent ministry while maintaining relational connection. He sends Timothy to Ephesus, Titus to Crete, and others to various strategic locations, trusting them to multiply the mission in new contexts.

The multiethnic, multi-generational character of early church leadership suggests that Paul’s multiplication strategy was remarkably effective.

Through leaders like Timothy, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila, and many others, the gospel spread far beyond what Paul could have accomplished through direct ministry alone. This pattern of multiplication created successive generations of leaders who carried the mission forward:

• Paul invested in Timothy
• Timothy invested in reliable people
• These reliable people taught others

This four-generation pattern described in 2 Timothy 2:2 becomes a template for sustainable Kingdom multiplication that extends far beyond individual ministry impact.

Particularly instructive is how Paul handled the tension between his apostolic authority and the development of local leadership. While maintaining clear teaching authority, he consistently worked to establish indigenous leadership in every church he planted. His goal was never to create dependency but to develop leaders who could carry the mission forward without his direct oversight.

The effectiveness of this strategy becomes evident in Paul’s later letters. 

Churches he planted were not only sustaining themselves but were actively participating in mission, sending out workers, and supporting other churches. The Thessalonian church, for example, became a model for believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

Paul’s implementation of Jesus’s multiplication principles proves that this approach is not limited to Jesus’s unique ministry context but can be effectively reproduced in diverse cultural and geographical settings. His success in developing multiplying leaders across cultural boundaries demonstrates that the principles we see in Mark 3 are truly universal in their application.

This apostolic pattern of multiplication over crowd-gathering provides a crucial bridge between Jesus’s ministry and our contemporary context. It shows that the tension between crowds and multiplication isn’t unique to our time but has been a constant challenge in Kingdom advancement. Paul’s consistent choice to prioritize leadership development over crowd management, even in the face of extraordinary success, reinforces the timeless wisdom of Jesus’s approach in Mark 3.

Challenges and Barriers: The Cost of Multiplication

The shift from institutional, resource-dependent ministry to simple, reproducible disciple-making movements faces significant challenges in our contemporary context. 

Jesus’s model, as seen in Mark 3 and exemplified throughout the Gospels, demonstrates a zero dollar church planting pattern of multiplication that requires no budget, no buildings, and no paid positions. This approach, encapsulated in His command to “freely receive, freely give” (Matthew 10:8), encounters particular resistance in our modern, highly institutionalized religious context.

The barriers typically fall into three categories: internal resistance, external pressure, and systemic challenges.

Internal Resistance

The most significant barriers often lie within our own assumptions about ministry:

Professionalization of Ministry: We’ve inherited a system that views ministry as a career rather than a calling shared by all believers. The idea that every disciple can and should make disciples, lead others to Christ, and start new communities of faith challenges deeply ingrained assumptions about the need for professional training and credentials.

Dependency on Resources: We often unconsciously believe that effective ministry requires budgets, buildings, and programs. Jesus’s example of disciples meeting in homes, workplaces, and public spaces – with zero financial overhead – confronts our assumptions about what’s “necessary” for ministry.

Complex vs. Simple: We tend to complicate what Jesus kept simple. His reproducible pattern of disciples gathering in homes to pray, study Scripture, break bread, and then go out to make more disciples gets buried under layers of programming and administration that actually hinder multiplication.

Fear of Diminished Influence: There’s an inherent security in having a large, dependent audience. The prospect of empowering others to lead independently often triggers deep-seated fears about our own relevance and value. Jesus’s willingness to send out the twelve, knowing they would develop their own following and influence, challenges our need for control and recognition.

Identity Wrapped in Numbers: Many leaders have internalized metrics of success that prioritize visible growth. Stepping back from crowd-gathering to focus on a few can feel like failure, even when we intellectually understand the multiplication principle. This internal conflict often manifests as hesitation to fully commit to multiplication strategies.

Immediacy Bias: Multiplication takes time, while gathering crowds can produce immediate, visible results. The temptation to revert to crowd-based ministry is particularly strong when facing pressure to demonstrate “success” to stakeholders or supporters. This bias toward immediate results can undermine long-term multiplication efforts.

External Pressure

The challenges from outside reflect entrenched systems:

Institutional Expectations: Existing religious structures often resist simple, zero-cost multiplication movements because they threaten established financial and organizational models. The idea that profound ministry can happen without buildings, budgets, or paid staff challenges institutional survival instincts.

Cultural Assumptions: Both religious and secular culture associate legitimacy with institutional trappings – formal buildings, paid staff, and organized programs. Simple gatherings in homes or workplaces are often viewed as inferior or temporary, despite being the primary model in the New Testament.

Professional Identity: Those who have invested in professional ministry credentials and positions may feel threatened by a model that emphasizes every believer’s ability to make disciples and lead others without formal training or payment.

Cultural Resistance: Western culture, particularly in urban centers, emphasizes platform building and personal brand development. A ministry strategy that prioritizes behind-the-scenes investment in others over public visibility often faces skepticism or outright opposition.

Peer Pressure: When other ministries or organizations in your area are drawing crowds and generating buzz, the pressure to compete on these terms can be intense. The temptation to abandon multiplication principles for more visible “success” requires constant vigilance.

Systemic Challenges

The very structures and systems within which we operate can work against multiplication:

Resource Allocation: Most ministry budgets and staffing models are built around gathering and maintaining crowds rather than multiplying leaders. Restructuring resources to prioritize multiplication often requires significant organizational change.

Time Constraints: Deep investment in emerging leaders requires time – a scarce commodity in most ministry contexts. Finding space for the kind of relational investment Jesus modeled while managing existing ministry demands presents an ongoing challenge.

Training Gaps: Many leaders haven’t experienced multiplication-based ministry themselves and lack models for how to develop others. This creates uncertainty about how to proceed and can lead to reverting to familiar crowd-based approaches.

Navigating These Challenges

Successfully implementing multiplication principles requires strategic responses to these barriers:

Redefining Success: Leaders must intentionally develop and communicate new metrics that value multiplication over mere addition. This might include tracking:

• Baptisms (tracks disciple made from lostness)
• Churches (tracks where there is local ownership of the task)
• Generations (tracks effectiveness of methods and multiplying of leaders)

Building Supportive Systems: Create structures that reinforce multiplication priorities:

• Prioritize time for coaching and mentorship of emerging leaders
• Implement clear pathways for leadership development: practices, principles, problem solving, and stewarding peoples and places

Maintaining Focus: Regular evaluation of ministry activities through the lens of multiplication helps resist drift toward crowd-based methods:

• Does this activity contribute to developing multiplying leaders?
• Are we creating dependency or encouraging reproduction?

Drawing Courage from Scripture: When facing these challenges, we look to two authorities in the Word and Spirit. We find encouragement especially in the biblical narrative. Jesus’s own ministry faced similar pressures:

• The crowds wanted to make Him king (John 6:15)
• His followers often misunderstood His methods (Mark 10:35-45)
• Even His chosen leaders initially resisted His multiplication approach (Matthew 16:22)

Yet He persistently maintained His focus on developing multiplying leaders, knowing this approach would ultimately produce lasting Kingdom impact.

Paul likewise encountered resistance to his multiplication strategy:

• Some preferred powerful speakers over his approach (2 Corinthians 10:10)
• Others questioned his authority when he empowered local leadership (2 Corinthians 10:1-2)
• Many desired miracles and spectacle over careful discipleship (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)

Their examples remind us that the challenges we face in implementing multiplication principles are not new and can be overcome through persistent commitment to Jesus’s model.

The Cost Worth Paying

While the barriers to multiplication-based ministry are significant, they’re ultimately temporary obstacles to lasting Kingdom impact. Jesus’s example in Mark 3 demonstrates that the apparent “loss” of stepping back from the crowds to invest in a few faithful leaders ultimately produces exponentially greater impact through multiplication. Understanding and preparing for these challenges helps us maintain our commitment to multiplication even when facing significant resistance.

Muddy Boots Choose Multiplication Over Crowds

The narrative of Mark 3:7-19 presents us with a paradigm-shifting moment in Jesus’s ministry that continues to challenge our assumptions about leadership and impact. 

At the height of His popularity, when crowds were pressing in from every region, Jesus made the counterintuitive choice to step back from the masses and pour deeply into a few who would obey no matter what the cost. This decision reveals timeless principles that should reshape our approach to ministry and mission today.

The heart of Jesus’s strategy centers on several key insights:

First, true Kingdom impact happens through multiplication rather than mere addition. While gathering crowds might produce impressive immediate results, lasting transformation occurs when disciples make disciples who make disciples. Jesus’s selection of the twelve, and their subsequent multiplication of ministry, demonstrates the exponential power of focusing on faithful reproduction rather than audience accumulation.

Second, effective multiplication requires simple, reproducible patterns that can spread naturally through normal life relationships. Jesus’s model didn’t depend on buildings, budgets, or professional clergy. Instead, He established patterns of discipleship that any faithful follower could reproduce in their home, workplace, or community. 

Following His command to “freely receive, freely give” (Matthew 10:8), this approach removes financial and institutional barriers to multiplication.

Third, the tension between crowds and multiplication remains constant across time and culture. From the early church’s struggle in Acts to our contemporary ministry contexts, leaders consistently face the pressure to prioritize visible success over faithful reproduction. Yet the testimony of Scripture and church history confirms that movements multiply most effectively through simple, reproducible structures that empower every believer for ministry.

The challenge before us is clear:

Will we have the courage to follow Jesus’s model, even when it means stepping back from the allure of crowd-based ministry?

Will we trust that investing deeply in a few faithful disciples who can reproduce the pattern will ultimately bear more fruit than managing ever-larger audiences?

Will we embrace the simplicity of disciples making disciples in homes and workplaces, freely giving as we have freely received?

For those willing to embrace this challenge, the way forward begins with honest reflection:

• How much of our current ministry approach depends on resources that make it difficult to reproduce?
• Where have we complicated what Jesus kept simple?
• Who are the faithful few in our context ready to be equipped as multiplying disciples?
• What steps can we take to shift from gathering crowds to cultivating multiplication?

The example of Jesus in Mark 3 assures us that choosing multiplication over crowds, while often challenging to our institutional assumptions, aligns with God’s strategy for expanding His Kingdom. When we invest deeply in faithful disciples who can reproduce the pattern in others, we participate in a movement that can spread without limit, unencumbered by financial or organizational constraints.

We must have the wisdom to see beyond the immediate appeal of crowds to embrace Jesus’s multiplication strategy. We must find the courage to invest deeply in a few, trusting that faithful reproduction will ultimately bear more fruit than mere addition. 

And we must rediscover the liberating simplicity of disciples making disciples, freely giving as we have freely received, until every people and place has access to the transforming power of the gospel.