Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, May 17, 2013 Read – Luke 6:12-16 Our reading for today is the original choosing of the Twelve by Jesus. We note that the decision was made after a night of prayer. Luke has connected the restoration of the Twelve with a time of prayer as well – and the casting of lots to make the final determination is a way of saying that Jesus did the final choosing in that restoration. The names listed are essentially the same. In the list in Luke’s gospel, the name Simon is used with the caveat that Jesus renamed him Peter. In Acts only Peter is used. And we also noted that John is moved forward to be listed second in the list in Acts – mostly because John plays a prominent role in the story. We have noted elsewhere that Luke’s lists do not match either the lists in Mark and Matthew or in John. Attempts to provide double-names for the discrepancies are mostly done because of our passion for correctness – a passion apparently none of the gospel writers share with us. We simply don’t know why the lists are not the same. There is much that slips beyond our ability to reconstruct in the story – and that’s just fine!