GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 3:14
The North Granite Gang
In 1950, my family moved from a farm in Southern Illinois to Granite City, Illinois, where my father began working for the Granite City Steel Company. Our parents bought a house in North Granite, a section of the city bounded on each end of the block by railroad tracks. The one-block-wide neighborhood ran from Allen’s store in the south, fifteen blocks north. There was the unofficial North Granite Gang—PJ, David, Jack, Butch, Pat, Phyllis, Sandy, Beverly, and Donald. We often met at Red’s store on 26th Street for soda or candy bars. We were all about the same age and attended the same schools—Emerson, Central, Coolidge Jr. High, and Granite City Senior High School. It was comfortable being with our buddies, friends, riding bikes, and playing together.
It wasn’t the North Granite Gang, but St. Mark said that Jesus called people to meet with him on a mountain, where he was praying, according to St. Luke (6:12). Out of that assembly, Mark said, “And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, in order that they might be with him, and in order that he might send them to preach.” (Mark 3:14) According to some ancient sources, Jesus named these friends “apostles,” a compound word “apo,” meaning “from” and “stello,” meaning “to send.” They were to have two roles—to be with him and to proclaim (keruso, to proclaim, herald, preach) his message.
There were undoubtedly many people assembled on the mountain with Jesus who were strangers to him, but in this crowd there were those whom Jesus likely knew, had associated with, and had the opportunity to observe. Numerologists attach great significance to the fact that Jesus chose twelve associates; for example, they hold that the number twelve represents perfection or the number three indicates what is Divine; the number four, created things; three multiplied by four gives twelve, the number Jesus chose. Well, maybe, but it’s just as likely that he chose those twelve because he wanted enough people to provide a variety of companions yet not a group too large to manage.
This story also illustrates that Jesus didn’t choose a solitary life; he did not seclude himself. He chose companionship. A phrase in Jewish wisdom literature says, “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure.” (Sirach 6:14) Jesus sought friends, friends who would sustain him in moments of agony and friends who could help proclaim his message about the Father’s plan for redemption. In this story, Jesus provided an illustration about the importance of friendship.
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