Most all of us experienced it as children or teenagers. It’s occurs in gym class, the basketball court, a soccer field or on the neighborhood baseball sandlot. Friends gather in a group and it’s time to choose teams. Two captains stand apart and listen to the high-pitched, insistent calls, “Choose me! Choose me!”
Two types were always chosen first: the best players (we all knew who they were) or the best of friends (whom we all wanted to be). And what a harsh memory for years to come for those always chosen last—wanted least of all—or not at all.
In light of this human and universal experience, what good news it is to hear again the words of Jesus, “I chose you” (John 15:16).
Those first followers of Jesus—(who else would have chosen them?)—they seemed to never comprehend the miracles, the signs, the parables. They fought among themselves. Once they wanted to call down fire from heaven on those who were inhospitable to them. After professing allegiance-to-the-end, they all fled from Jesus and hid themselves. But Jesus said, “I chose you.”
We of all people are most aware of our own shortcomings, failures and sins. We are neither the purest nor the best. But again, who besides the best were always chosen first? The friends! “You did not choose me but I chose you, because I love you, and you are my friend.”
And God bestows glorious things on those whom he has chosen.
Years ago, Will Willimon was Dean of the Chapel at Duke University. One night he was invited to talk at a Duke fraternity. The dean required all fraternities to have a certain number of programs each year in order to give fraternities some semblance of respectability.
The assigned topic was “Character and College.” He thought to himself, “Lord, thou hast delivered them into my hands.” He went to the frat house and knocked on the door. A young boy, about 9 or 10, answered the door. He wondered, “What is a kid doing over here at this time of night? Surely we have rules.”
“They’re waiting for you in the common room,” the boy said. “C’mon, I’ll take you there.”
As Dean Willimon began his presentation, he noticed the boy had climbed onto the lap of one of the brothers. Shortly, he had fallen asleep with his head on the shoulder of this college kid.
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