And He went up the mountain and called to Himself those whom He wanted, and they came to Him.
This verse makes a transition to a new and very important stage: the choosing of the apostles. In Holy Scripture, the mountain was often a place of revelation, prayer, and separation. Here too, as before, Christ withdraws from the noise of the crowd and does something that is directly connected with the later history of the Church. The phrase “He calls those whom He Himself wanted” emphasizes the sovereignty of the choice. The apostolic calling was not the result of human initiative or merit. It was born from the will of Christ. The reality described by the phrase “They came to Him” is important, because the divine call in a person’s life requires a real response. The Lord calls, but people must also come to Him. Here we see a beautiful union of grace and obedience.