 Perhaps also Mark wants us to see the apostles' mission, the mission of the church, as that of leading a new exodus, delivering people from their exile from God, and bringing them to the promised land, the kingdom of heaven, the life of faith. Like Amos in this Sunday's first reading, the apostles are not professionals who earn their bread by prophesying. Like Amos, they are simply men summoned from their ordinary jobs and sent by God to be shepherds of their brothers and sisters.