Setting up Perimeters

 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3)

Early in His ministry, Jesus set up Perimeters - parameters around Himself that guided the way He did things. First, when looking out to humanity in need, He had a big circle, as far as He could see, which meant He could see deep into the hearts of those around Him for faith, as well as one up in a tree trying to hide. Secondly, he had a circle within His personal space, where he would pray, and where he would call one like the man here, and invite him to come receive God's work in his life. Thirdly, there was a boundary line, which when demons would come within that distance of Jesus, they would be compelled to deal with Him and confess who He was. Finally, Jesus surrounded Himself with faithful followers to share in His ministry, whom He would train and teach to pray.  May we have such perimeters in our lives - seeing deep and far into the hearts of people in need, places we can pray and spend time with God, an openness and vulnerability to reach out and draw others close, the ability to demonstrate Christ-like holiness to all those who see, surrounding ourselves with others in that pursuit.