Luke
In the midst of having done some miracles, Jesus turns to his disciples while the crowds are distracted and says to them, "Listen carefully, I'm going to be betrayed into the hands of men." (Luke 9:44)
How could he expect them to have a clue what he was talking about? What does being 'betrayed into the hands of men' even mean? Sometimes it's not too difficult to see why the disciples didn't really know what was going on; Jesus appears to leave out important contextual information for what he's talking about!
Looking back on this scene, it's easy to understand that, sure, now the crowds love Jesus because he is healing their sick, but Jesus warns that they will eventually turn on him. But at the time he originally said this, does it make sense?
If you check out some commentaries on this verse (click here), they mention Jesus' suffering and death, but that just drives home the point that Jesus spoke in cryptic language that could only be understand after the fact. Curious, isn't it?
Showing posts with label the disciples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the disciples. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Why couldn't we heal him?
Mark
Jesus's comment about the healing of the demon-possessed boy was interesting. See Mark 9:29 - "This kind can come out only by prayer." He said this in response to the disciples' question about why they couldn't heal the boy.
Using God's power effectively requires a relationship with God. Jesus had just spent a long time on the mountain, where he was transfigured and spoke with Moses and Elijah. The majority of the disciples had remained behind, and didn't have the benefit of close contact with Jesus during this time. Jesus, however, had just been renewed in his relationship to his Father, and so was ready to go back into the world and continue his mission.
We have access to an inordinate amount of power, through Jesus Christ, from God. Are we remaining in Christ, and so using that power, or are we going about our way, trying to work miracles on our own strength, when we really need prayer and God's intervention?
Jesus's comment about the healing of the demon-possessed boy was interesting. See Mark 9:29 - "This kind can come out only by prayer." He said this in response to the disciples' question about why they couldn't heal the boy.
Using God's power effectively requires a relationship with God. Jesus had just spent a long time on the mountain, where he was transfigured and spoke with Moses and Elijah. The majority of the disciples had remained behind, and didn't have the benefit of close contact with Jesus during this time. Jesus, however, had just been renewed in his relationship to his Father, and so was ready to go back into the world and continue his mission.
We have access to an inordinate amount of power, through Jesus Christ, from God. Are we remaining in Christ, and so using that power, or are we going about our way, trying to work miracles on our own strength, when we really need prayer and God's intervention?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Feeding the five thousand
Mark
The story about the feeding of the five thousand is a a wonderful retelling of one of Jesus's many miracles. As I read it today, I thought about how the disciples must have been surprised to see the bread and fish just keep being dished out to the crowd.
Then I read William Barclay's commentary on this passage (Mark 6:30-44) and realized that this is the only story that is retold in all four gospels. This particular miracle certainly did have a great impact on the lives of the twelve disciples since the four gospel writers found it necessary to include it in their books.
If this story is so important, what can we learn from it? Barclay suggests an answer to this question. Jesus so easily took the little food that was available and turned it into an abundance. In the same way, he can take what little you have to offer him and do great things with it. If you give him your life, imagine what amazing things he could accomplish, especially if he was able to take five loaves and two fish and and feed more than five thousand people. I think that if you let him, he'll be able to do more than you could ever imagine with your life.
The story about the feeding of the five thousand is a a wonderful retelling of one of Jesus's many miracles. As I read it today, I thought about how the disciples must have been surprised to see the bread and fish just keep being dished out to the crowd.
Then I read William Barclay's commentary on this passage (Mark 6:30-44) and realized that this is the only story that is retold in all four gospels. This particular miracle certainly did have a great impact on the lives of the twelve disciples since the four gospel writers found it necessary to include it in their books.
If this story is so important, what can we learn from it? Barclay suggests an answer to this question. Jesus so easily took the little food that was available and turned it into an abundance. In the same way, he can take what little you have to offer him and do great things with it. If you give him your life, imagine what amazing things he could accomplish, especially if he was able to take five loaves and two fish and and feed more than five thousand people. I think that if you let him, he'll be able to do more than you could ever imagine with your life.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Trust
Mark
Following Jesus requires trust. Saying we follow Jesus doesn't require much work at all. Lip service is easy. But making head knowledge meet and coincide with the heart is something else entirely. I can say, yeah I trust God to come through for me; I trust that he has my best interests at heart. Deep down, I have surrendered myself to him.
Is that trust really true for your life? When it comes time to act, are you relying on God, or desperately trying to find your own way, and blaming him that things aren't working out as you hoped.
Mark 6:8 says that Jesus sent out the Twelve disciples to go evangelize the nation. Jesus told them "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals, but not an extra tunic...." That's trust that Jesus knows what he is talking about, and that he will orchestrate what needs to happen so the disciples won't die in the wilderness between villages. That's what I need to live out in my life. Complete reliance on God, and the knowledge that he will come through, even if I don't see it.
Following Jesus requires trust. Saying we follow Jesus doesn't require much work at all. Lip service is easy. But making head knowledge meet and coincide with the heart is something else entirely. I can say, yeah I trust God to come through for me; I trust that he has my best interests at heart. Deep down, I have surrendered myself to him.
Is that trust really true for your life? When it comes time to act, are you relying on God, or desperately trying to find your own way, and blaming him that things aren't working out as you hoped.
Mark 6:8 says that Jesus sent out the Twelve disciples to go evangelize the nation. Jesus told them "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals, but not an extra tunic...." That's trust that Jesus knows what he is talking about, and that he will orchestrate what needs to happen so the disciples won't die in the wilderness between villages. That's what I need to live out in my life. Complete reliance on God, and the knowledge that he will come through, even if I don't see it.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Binding and loosing on earth and in heaven
Matthew
Matt. 18:18 is a lesson in not reading verses on their own. This verse says "I [Jesus] tell you [his disciples] the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
I kind of wondered what that meant, but it is easy to figure out if you read the next verse: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
These two verses speak to the same thing: what we accomplish here on earth, God will bless and work through it from heaven. Jesus is really only talking to his disciples here, so we can't take too much leeway with the text and apply it to ourselves, but we can still understand that God gave authority to the disciples to continue Jesus's ministry.
Matt. 18:18 is a lesson in not reading verses on their own. This verse says "I [Jesus] tell you [his disciples] the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
I kind of wondered what that meant, but it is easy to figure out if you read the next verse: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
These two verses speak to the same thing: what we accomplish here on earth, God will bless and work through it from heaven. Jesus is really only talking to his disciples here, so we can't take too much leeway with the text and apply it to ourselves, but we can still understand that God gave authority to the disciples to continue Jesus's ministry.
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