... folks who don’t get much excited about anything. It is easier to cool down a fanatic than it is to warm up a corpse! III. FINALLY, I WANT YOU TO THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE VAST DIFFERENCES WHICH EXISTED WITHIN THAT APOSTOLIC BAND. Among the Twelve there was a former Zealot and a former tax-collector! There must have been many interesting discussions around the campfire. The Church is not a group of “like-minded” people. Just the reverse. It is a band of cut-throats who might well be enemies were ...
After two such unprecedented events as Resurrection and Ascension, certainly this question is in order: what can God do for an encore? Or, one might simply exclaim: what a hard act to follow! The eleven disciples left Mt. Olivet and returned to Jerusalem, as Jesus had commanded them. Naturally, they sought out the Upper Room, a place filled with memories that were now sacred. Other faithful persons joined them until they numbered about a hundred and twenty, (v. 15) including a number of women with Mary and ...
... 're a fine softball player. But what they don't want from you is discipleship. Jesus had people pulling on him all the time. "Bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." "My son is ill. Come and heal him." But he spent most of his time with the twelve he selected to be with him. They were the ones who wanted his gospel. They were the ones who asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." "Lord, explain again to us the parable." Why Just Twelve? Now the question might arise, why did Christ select only twelve men? Why ...
... whether he will also act through us. Pray the Lord to send out laborers. Only a verb form; just a mere detail. Yet the sense that each of the verbs is ongoing makes the back-and-forth relationship between the first century and ours very apparent. We are not the twelve; our mission is not only to Israel. Yet Jesus' words to them also have importance for us as we look at them today. By encouraging us to look closely at the details of this passage, what have I been doing? Is it only an exercise in Bible study ...
... for the “casting of lots” practice described in v.26. Peter cobbles together some texts from the Psalms (108:8; 68:26) to provide additional scriptural validations for the necessity of choosing a new member to be apart of the inner circle, The Twelve. Just as it was “necessary” to fulfill scripture that Judas betrayed Jesus, so it is now “necessary” for a new member be selected to take his place. Peter himself then proposes the requirements for “applicants” — one who had been present since ...
... as Alison Stein Wellner observes, the car has become "a nonhuman member of the family, more costly than a pet, less expensive than a child. The one part of the American Dream that actually moves" ("Who Is In The House?" American Demographics). If The Twelve were alive today, the assumption is their personalities would be reflected in their choice of automobiles. There's a Web site where you give them your personality characteristics, and they'll select a car for you that embodies your personality. So let's ...
... We too can be changed by meeting Jesus. Aggressiveness Why did Jesus give John this nickname, Son of Thunder? Several biblical incidents can give us a clue. One day, John met a man who had been casting out devils in the name of Jesus - although he was not one of the twelve. John reported to Jesus and said, "Look, Lord, I rebuked the man. I told him he must stop his work." I can picture Jesus as he replied, "Hold on, John. Take it easy. He’s a good man; he’s doing what he can. Don’t disturb him. Simmer ...
... made those teaching and healing moments possible. Jesus sent his twelve disciples out on their first mission with specific directives about how what to bring. But he did not buy them a bus ticket. Like everyone in first century, the first mission of the twelve was accomplished on foot. They walked. They walked from village to village. They meandered on foot across farmland and city streets. And like all first century travelers, the first thing the people they were visiting saw was how they walked up to them ...
... be with him constantly. We usually refer to those twelve as the disciples, but he actually designated them to be apostles. The word "apostle" comes from the Greek "apostolos" and means "someone who is sent out." The first thing that strikes you about the twelve whom Jesus chose is how ordinary they were. None of them was educated, famous, or influential. Only one, Matthew, had much money, and he had gotten it dishonestly. The other thing that strikes you about the apostles is their diversity. Though all of ...
... . I do not know who made them up, but I got them by e-mail off the Internet, so I know that makes them official. The Twelve Rules of Life: Never give yourself a haircut after three drinks. There are only two tools required: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn' ... to honor, and to recognition, to praise; and the more we create division and separation in the community. We want a list like the twelve rules of life because as long as we keep trying to find our joy, our rest, our peace, our salvation in the keeping ...
... further with him. Second, it weeds out shallowness of commitment from among them. As a result, thousands drop out. Now, Jesus turns to the twelve and asks his pointed question: "You do not want to leave too, do you?" It is a make-up-your-mind moment of ... popular. Because he knows who he is, the crowd's departure in this passage does not panic him. With boldness and certainty, he asks the twelve, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" (John 6:67). How can he do that? Only because he knows that his truth will ...
... strong tradition suggests that this man, too, was tinged with Zealot sympathies. He was still looking for a visible kingdom of God on earth, led by Jesus, who would slay His foes and lift high His friends, and he hoped to be one of the Twelve who would sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Cf. Matthew 19:28) But Jesus’ answer caught this fellow off guard, and may well be taken as a rebuke to his violent Zealot sympathies. Jesus said to him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my ...
... Pilate, and by the people who voted for “Barabas.” Jesus chose twelve disciples, twelve who became his friends and family, twelve whom he taught and trusted and loved. But Jesus was sabotaged by Judas, and if truth be told, by every one of The Twelve. It was not just Judas who betrayed Jesus. Jesus teaches us how to deal with our successes — with humility and faithfulness to our larger mission. But Jesus also shows us how to deal with our saboteurs. If you have twelve friends, twelve co-workers ...
... ; and what I ought to do, I will do...with the help of God.” James may have been “the little,” or “the less,” and we may not know much about just exactly who he was, but he knew who he was, and Whose he was. He was one of the Twelve, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that was all that mattered. When Christian Herter was running hard for reelection as Governor of Massachusetts, one day he arrived late for a barbecue. He’d had no breakfast or lunch, and he was famished. As he moved down the ...
... of God would play with human life as pawns on the chessboard of life? Not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Judas had a choice regarding what to do with his life, even as you and I. Yes, I know that Jesus said to the Twelve: “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” That sounds like Judas was a devil from the beginning. But I take it to mean that Judas had the capacity for devilishness. I don’t take it to mean that Judas’ lot in life was predetermined. Later on, Jesus ...
... therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas ...
... taking her as a patient? I'll be glad to pay you." Nothing like that happens. The proud, respected ruler of a synagogue comes on bended knee begging. That's the first twist or reversal in our story. The second reversal began with the report that the twelve-year-old girl had died. After the healing of the woman with bad theology, before Jesus could get back underway to Jairus' home, it was reported by Jairus' servants to their master: "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?" (Mark 5:35). If ...
... in a chain of command, not one was likely to play the servant role to the others. Now we hear the sound of dripping water as Jesus himself takes the towel, ties it around his waist, and pours water into a basin. Then he goes to each of the twelve men around the table. Loosening the sandals from their hot and dusty feet, he holds each foot over the basin and pours over it handful after handful of cool, cleansing water. He dries the foot with his towel. As Jesus did this, each disciple must have seen himself ...
... the way that Mark tells it. They do not seem to understand any part of this journey of Jesus to the cross. We have already heard that they reproached the woman who anointed him. And Jesus reproached them. They did not understand. And then one of the twelve, named Judas, steps to the center stage of the story, steps to the center stage to betray the Lord. He was glad to take the money. But there is something even more incredible about this incident of betrayal. As Jesus sat with his disciples at the Last ...
... they take with them. In v.9 Jesus’ instructions to his emissaries include healing the sick and declaring the that the “kingdom of God has come near to you,” essentially the same mission and message he had given when he sent out The Twelve (9:2). However, even as the potential of hostility has increased with this third wave of messengers, so are now revealed the long-range ramifications of rejection. No longer are Jesus’ emissaries simply told literally and symbolically to shake the dust off their ...
... not the multitude, nor even his own small dinner. He saw Jesus. And somehow he understood as Paul the Apostle was to write, "For he is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we ask or think." So I inquire of you as Jesus did in the testing of the twelve. Do you see the crowd or Christ? Do you see the cost or God? Do you look upon your own reserves or the resources of the almighty God? Do you have faith? Suffering Yet another crust of bread we all carry is our pain. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Blessed ...
... of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” That’s a heavy statement, no? Can you picture Jesus looking right at all of the Twelve and saying that? “If any one of you with your talk of power and take-overs and killing and uprising destroy the faith and trust and purity and innocence and loving spirit of one of these little children, who DO believe in me and in my mission of ...
Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” Luke’s Account of Jesus’ Sending of 12 and then 72 Disciples to Proclaim and Warn the Towns of Israel When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money ...
... hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword...” Tradition says that James died in A.D. 44, just seventeen years after he had left his nets to follow Jesus, thus becoming the first martyr among the twelve. (It is interesting that the word “martyr” originally meant simply “witness,” but very early in the life of the Church it became synonymous with dying for one’s witness.) James didn’t live long, but he lived deeply. This is a reminder that it ...
... us” (v.40). While John was anxious to establish an “us” vs. “them” exclusiveness, Jesus welcomes all who use his name, even if their understanding is limited. This is a good thing for John since at this point in the gospel it is clear that the Twelve are as much in the dark about the true nature of Jesus and the role of discipleship as any unknown exorcist. Jesus’ inclusivity goes even further. It is not just a miraculous “deed of power” done in Jesus’ name that makes someone welcomed. Any ...