Striking as Odd - Matthew 21:1-11

The Passage

 

1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

 

2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.

 

3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'he Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."

 

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

 

5 "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,

'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,

GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,

EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

 

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,

 

7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them, and He sat on the coats.

 

8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.

 

9 The crowds were going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

"Hosanna to the Son of David;

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

Hosanna in the highest!"

 

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

 

11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

 

Did Jesus Tell Them to Steal?

 

There are two issues we must address here: (1) What if Jesus were telling the disciples to steal the donkeys? and (2) Why He actually didn't tell them to do this.  Let's start with the former.

 

In Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles are ordered by the Jewish leaders (who held religious and also some political power, including the authority to arrest people) to stop preaching the Gospel.  The apostles famously answered (in verse 29), "We must obey God rather than men."  The idea here is that, while God has indeed put these authorities in place and we are to obey them (Romans 13:1), that does not apply if what these authorities tell you to do violates what God has told you to do.  I.e., if a parent or a teacher or the government where you live (if you live in an oppressive country) tells you to do something that contradicts either Scripture or what you absolutely know in your heart that God is telling you, obey God.

 

So, if Jesus were telling the disciples to steal the donkeys (an act which was illegal), it would be okay...  But this is not what He was telling them, because stealing goes against God's own Law (Leviticus 19:11).

 

You see, we must remember that God is omniscient, and this passage reveals that Christ clearly knew exactly what would happen.  He told the disciples to take the donkeys because He knew that the owners would willingly give them up the instant they knew that God wanted them.  He didn't even invoke the fact that "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains" (Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 10:26)..He only accepted what He knew would be freely given.

 

Also notice the incredible faithfulness of the people who gave up their donkeys!  I'm sure they knew it was a request legitimately from God and not just a scam.  So, they gave up two animals that must have been incredibly expensive and that they probably used a lot, not sure if they would get them back - all because Christ asked for them, and not even in person.  Let us also strive to have such willing hearts that God need only ask for our service once, and we obey immediately.

 

The Prophetic Realm

 

The capitalized section in verse 5 is an Old Testament reference to Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9.  Wording differs because (1) They're splicing two verses together, and (2) those New Testament writers referenced out of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament, in common use in Jesus's day), so the New Testament rendering we see is a translation of a translation, whereas the Old Testament renderings are simply a direct translation.

 

I'd like to share the entirety of Zechariah 9:9 with you, because I love the wording:

 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

He is just and endowed with salvation,

Humble, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

So that just points out a prophetic fulfillment, serving as evidence that Jesus truly is the Messiah.

 

But what's going on in Matthew 21:9 when the crowds start shouting similar language?  Well, they are referencing Psalm 118:26.  But what's particularly significant about this phrase is that only some of the Jews in Jerusalem were hailing Him as Messiah with these words - others were among those asking, "Who is this?" (Matthew 21:10), the Jewish leaders (Matthew 26:3-4), and the civilian Jews who demanded His execution (Matthew 27:11-26).  You see, Jesus declared that He would not return at the End of the Age until the larger block of the Jewish people recognize Him as their Messiah with this same phrase:

 

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.  Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!  For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

 

One final note on this topic - do you know what the word Hosanna means?  It's literally, "Save, we pray," or put a little more commonly, "Save us, this we pray!"

 

Riding on a ... Colt?

 

I'd like you to imagine a couple of scenes for a moment.

 

First, the Messiah, God Himself, has come to Earth as a man.  He enters His city, where He is promised to reign forever.  He is worshipped by crowds...but these crowds are only a fraction of the entire city.  And He is riding on a baby donkey, its goofy ears twitching and its gait wobbly.  This is the story told in Matthew 21.

 

Second, the Messiah, God Himself, has come to Earth at the very end of the world.  He comes to Earth from the sky itself, riding a majestic white horse.  He is crowned a robed, and in His Glory.  He conquers the nations, and is followed by all His saints, also astride white horses.  This is the story told in Revelation 19.

 

The point of this contrast is to establish exactly that Christ came to do when He entered Jerusalem that first time.  He came to die.  He humbled Himself to the greatest extreme possible - from being God Almighty to being tortured and executed naked.  And He set the example that we are to follow, as well - humble, giving our lives up for Him if necessary.  Because the End's not here yet - there's still work to do.  So of course His "Triumphal Entry" looked a bit different that we might expect of the King of Kings - He was beginning a mission that we are still called to carry on.

 

Will you join Him - riding on ultimate humility, whatever the cost?

 

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a little donkey, so I pray that He may be willing to ride out before the people on such an unworthy instrument as I.

- A.W. Tozer

 

Do you know this amazing Messiah for yourself?  If not, click here to meet Him.



You're Not Alone - So Don't Live Like It! - Matthew 10:24-39

God's Got Your Back!

 

24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

 

25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

 

26 "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

 

27 "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

 

28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

 

30 "But the very hairs of your head are numbered.

 

31 "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

 

Let's move chronologically this time. With Jesus's first couple of sentances in this passage, it's like, "What's His point...?" But let's look at context: immediately before (see previous post) and after, He's talking about persecution. So what Jesus means is, we're not going to suffer differently than He already has - and keeping this in mind will help us endure suffering.

 

Now, what's "Beelzebul" got to do with that, and doesn't the part about "how much more" will they do the same to us contradict what He just said? Well, Beelzebul is another name for Satan - the worst of the worst in the spiritual realm. It takes a lot of gumption and certainty to call someone something absolutely terrible, but less so to call someone something just bad. So what I think Jesus is saying here is, they've already called Him the worst thing imaginable - so it will be easy for them to call us, His followers, bad things as well, such as saying that our spiritual gifts and empowerment by the Holy Spirit come from demons. So, this is a warning: When you try to do good, people will say you have bad motives, sources, etc.

 

Verse 26 is a tad cryptic, as well, but it becomes clear when considered in context. We don't have to enter into the scarry world of persecution blind; God's not going to keep criticaly information from us. He will provide us with the faith, fortitude, and understanding necessary to endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also [escape from falling into sin, not escape from persecution], so that you will be able to endure it." I fully believe that this verse applies to persecution as well, as giving in to persecution and denying Christ is not only a sin, but a crtically dangerous one as we will soon see.

 

Next, we read the bit about proclaiming to the world what God has taught us each individually. This fits into the passage because it is the perfect picture of how we would act if we truly lived without any fear. Think about it: Why do people avoid sharing the Gospel with others? Because they're afraid of being rejected, made fun of, ostracized, persecuted (whether physically or something like losing their job or getting bad grades in a class), losing a friend, and messing up. Key word there: afraid. A life without any fear is the ultimate ability to share God's love - and the ultimate goal for us.

 

Now, in verse 28, we see a rare threat of hell. We're so used to God bringing us to Him through His love - probably because this is what is preached, because it sounds nicer so it makes the preachers more popular. But there's a balance here - we shouldn't view God as a scary, evil dictator constantly threatening us with eternal torment, but neither should we view Him as some peace-loving hippie who will let us get by with anything. And, in the context of persecution, think of this: love can sometimes trump fear, but a greater fear always trumps a lesser fear. In this, the threat is actually incredibly helpful.

 

And immediately after this threat, Jesus once again reminds us of His never-ending love for us. He uses the example of the most worthless animal (a pair of sparrows cost a penney in Israel at that time; for a modern reference, think of something like a pet goldfish), and says that He even cares enough about them to keep track of when they live and die. And think about the hair on your head: the number of hairs you have is completely irrelevant to you, but He knows the precise number of hairs every person in the entire world has! That is how much He cares about us! With this in mind, it becomes crystal clear that even when we are terrified, we can rest assured that He is watching, and He is in control. Nothing outside of His will can happen to us on His watch, and He is always watching.

 

Our God Is a Warrior

 

32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

 

33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

 

34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

 

35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;

 

36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

 

37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

 

38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

 

39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lsot his life for My sake will find it."

 

There's not much I can add to this passage, because Jesus states everything quite bluntly - and with good reason: The more bluntly He says it, the harder it is for us to find (false) ways around it! There's a lot of hard-to-swallow stuff in here.

 

First up, denying Christ - even if you live amidst persecution and are threatened with torture and death - is not an option. It is that serious. If you say, "I am not a Christian," it doens't matter whether or not you meant it - you meant it, whether you accept that or not. There is no such thing as a "closet" Christian.

 

A couple of quick thoughts about denying Christ... First, there are many ways to "deny" Christ - the way we act, what we say (or do not say), etc. These are not necessarily as serious, because we repent of these sins (and we don't want to wander into saved-by-works territory!), but I just think any un-Christ-like act is a form of denial. Am I being clear here, or just confusing and making it sound worse than it is? ;-) Second, if you've denied Christ once and have now returned to Him and openly acknowledge your faith, it's not like you're screwed for life - this is not a "you screw up once, you're done - no second chances" kind of deal. Remember - Peter did the same thing! You can follow his saga from warning that he would deny Christ to restoration aftwerward in Mark 14:29-30, John 18:12-27, 20:1-8, 21:1-4, 21:7-8, and 21:15-17.

 

Alright, so Jesus didn't come to bring peace? Isn't He the Prince of Peace? Yes, but those Messainic prophesies are for at the End of Time, after the war for the souls of mankind is completed. And that's just it - the world is a spiritual warzone. When there's conflict, war must come before peace is arrived at - and that holds true in the spiritual realm, as well.

 

We see a repeat of the concept of families being split apart from our last study. This happens in wordly wars, too - perhaps most notoriously, in the American Civil War. Jesus states quite frankly that we have to love Him more than our families - that is, if your spouse, or child, or whoever is closest to you said, "You have to choose between me and Jesus," you'd better pick Jesus. Seriously, imagine that scenio for a moment. It is a terribly hard thing to accept, but it's true. If we are to follow Jesus, we have to be willing to give up anything and do whatever He says, whenever He says - that is what taking up our cross entails.

 

Let's look at verse 39: "He who has found his life will lose it, but he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." This is not saying that you have to be martyred to go to heaven; losing your life means giving up your claim to your life for Christ - this "cross" for you may mean a career, or a relationship, or a location, or whatever. When we are willing to surrender any aspect of this life for Jesus, we will find that the eternal life awaiting us is totally worth it.

 

Questions for You

 

When you have been suffering (even something not remotely related to persecution), has it helped you to remember that Jesus has experienced physical and emotional pain as well, as can understand your suffering? How does realizing how very much He cares for you (think of the sparrows and hair) change your outlook on life - and your actions?

 

What has God taught you that you need to proclaim to the world? What does taking up your cross look like for you? What examples can you think of as "little" denials?

 

Share these, and any other questions and comments, by leaving a comment below. :-)

 

Giving Credit Where It's Due

 

Image Number One: Tibetan Snowfinch by John Gould and Henry C. Richter. Wikimedia Commons. {{PD-old}} Public domain in the European Union. {{PD-1923}} Public domain in the United States.

 

Image Nubmer Two: Battle of Fort Fisher by Kurz and Allison. Wikimedia Commons. {{PD-US}} Public domain in the United States.



A Blessed Adventure and an Arduous Burden - Matthew 10:5-23

The Encouraging Part

5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Don not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;

6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

9 "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,

10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

11 "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.

12 "As you enter the house, give it your greeting.

13 "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.

14 "Wheover does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.

15 "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that city."

Okay, so why did Jesus tell His disciples to only minister to the Jews? Is this some sort or racist favoritism? Not at all - it's just that the Jews had been following God for centuries, and the Messiah was promised to them, so it is fully appropriate that He would come to them first. This was only temporary - Jesus sent them to spread the Gospel to all people after His resurrection, and He repeatedly made exceptions for individual Gentiles (non-Jews), such as when He healed the Roman centurion's servant and exorcised the Canaanite woman's daughter. Also bear in mind that, as Luke 12:42-48 explains in detail, "From everyone who has been given much [spiritually], much will be required." Because the Jews had more reason to anticipate the Messiah's coming (thus His coming to them first), they would also be dealt with more severly for rejecting Him (like in verse 15, when Jesus compares their sin to that of the two most notoriously sinful Gentile cities which God destroyed in His judgement in the Old Testament). There are two applications here for us: (1) God loves all of us the same - including Jews and Gentiles, and (2) We also ought to realize that the blessings and "spiritual advantages" (like living in a country where we don't get arrested and executed for owning a Bible) mean we're expected to do more with them!

Related to this is how Jesus instructs them to handle their money and supplies. While they are among the Jews - the people who were supposed to be God's people - the people they preached to were supposed to support them. But He later reverses this, telling them that when they go out among the Gentiles, they are to bring money and their own supplies. Christians are supposed to support other ministering Christians, but we should never expect unbelievers or new believers to do the same - that is why so many think that Christianity is a sham and the clergy does it just to make money! Paul purposefully didn't ask for financial support from those he ministered to on a couple of occasions, as well.

The stuff about healing and casting out demons and raising the dead is super exciting...but did you notice how Jesus mentions sharing the Good News before he rattles these off? Yes, God has given us the power to do all this stuff (dependent upon His will and our faith, of course), but remember Luke 10:20, "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." So, we have here in these verses a reminder of some things we've learned from Matthew's Gospel so far: (1) We do have the power to do miraculous stuff, just like Jesus, (2) We need to minister to both people's spiritual and physical needs, and (3) Miraculous power is amazing, but God's salvation is even more so, so we need to keep this hierarchy of importance in perspective.

Now, what's going on with that blessing bit? We don't exactly talk about blessings and curses much in the American Church. On one hand, we know that words aren't magic - God cannot be forced into pouring out blessings or curses on people just because of some special phrase we say. But, He has created some system we can't fully understand where His followers' words have some degree of power - or else why would He instruct the disciples to take back their blessing if it was found to be undeserved? (For more to confuse you on how blessings and curses do and do not work, check out the story of Balaam...lots to think about there.) But there is something in these verses that is easy to grasp and applies universally: Did you notice how Jesus instructs them to give the blessing before they find out what kind of person is there? We are to assume the best of people, and act kind and lovingly toward them from the start, instead of waiting to find out if they "deserve" it.

The Not-So-Encouraging Part

16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

17 "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;

18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.

20 "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

22 "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

23 "But whenenever they perseucte you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish goring through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

The verse about being shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves is quite famous. I love how John Eldredge explains it in his book Beautiful Outlaw: <We like the innocent as doves part; that sounds nice. Very Sunday school. But that first bit - hold on now. Shrewd as snakes? When you hear someone say, "He's such a snake," do you think, Oh - what a fine Christian? The things Jesus says. Let's get the religious drapery off this. A dove and a snake. Surely they remember the dove descending on Jesus. As for the snake metaphor - these Jews would have connected instantly to the serpent in the Garden. Be as holy as the Spirt and be as cunning as Satan. You want us to do what?! Jesus is saying, "Look, this is a very dangerous world." The disciples glance at one another, thinking, Right. We've got the Son of God on our side. "I mean it," he continues. "Take this seriously. I'm sending you into the Congo with a butter knife. You are easy pickings. You must be holy and you must be cunning.>

When we give our lives to Christ, we are willfully accepting that Satan has now put a bounty on our heads. Consider what 1 Timothy 3:12 has to say: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." John 15:19-20a echoes, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persectued Me, they will also persecute you..." Jesus elsewhere instructs His disciples to obtain weapons to defend themselves with, and in this passage, He tells them to use their brains and flee if necessary.

But this is another issue with multiple sides (most things in the Bible seem to be like that...). Sometimes, God allows us to be persecuted because that will give us an opportunity to share the Gospel - or even just be an example of how passionately we really do believe in Jesus (that's where the "innocent as doves" part comes in!)- in ways we would not otherwise be able to. If persecution allowed the Early Church to personally interact with Roman rulers - the rulers of the world - then what other influential people could God have in the works for us to witness to today? In these cases, we are not even to plan a speech to defend ourselves, but just to let God speak through us. How can we tell if we should flee or take a stand? By simply listening to the Holy Spirit and acting as He leads. There's also a tangential application here - in day-to-day interactions, such as sharing the Gospel with a friend, sometimes we should plan our "moves" ahead, and sometimes just let the Holy Spirit lead the application (this has happened to me) - and again, the only way to tell when to do what is to head the Holy Spirit's leading.

Finally, we see that the Gospel is so offensive that it can even turn families against each other - to the point that they will turn each other in for execution! There is simply no middle ground when it comes to following Christ. If the world hates us, that means we're either doing something terribly wrong or entirely right.

Count the cost - are you willing?

Questions for You

Have you ever felt put off by Christians expecting payment from unbelievers, or emphasizing the financial aspect far too much? How can we be both "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves"? What has following Christ cost you?

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Image Number One: The Great Commission, at the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick in El Paso. Wikimedia Commons. Used by permission.

Image Number Two: The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer by Jean-Leon Gerome, commissioned by William T. Walters. Wikimedia Commons. Used by permission. Public domain worldwide.

Image Number Three: The Lapidation of Saint Stephen by Rembrandt. Wikimedia Commons. Used by permission. Public domain worldwide.





Profiles of the Twelve Disciples, Part Two - Matthew 10:2-4

Today we continue exploring the twelve men Jesus called to be His closest followers while He was on earth. If you missed our previous post, be sure to go back and read it to understand our focus for this study and how it applies to your life.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholemew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

Thomas: Thomas is best known as "Doubting Thomas," a reference to his if-I-can't-see-it-I-won't-believe-it perspective on faith. We first encounter this when Jesus goes to raise Lazarus from the dead - Jesus has just assured them pretty plainly that He will not be killed at that time, and Thomas comments to the other disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." And, most infamously, Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead until he has both seen and touched Him. But also notice his dedication amidst the faltering faith: In the first case, he is willing to go with Jesus to (what he sees as) certain death, and in the latter case, he solidly declares Jesus's deity. That is, his faltering faith is coupled with and followed by dedicaiton. Thomas is an exampe of how God loves us even when we struggle to have faith - it's best to have no doubts and follow Him, but He loves us just the same if we follow Him even with doubts. After Jesus's ascension, extra-Biblical history tells us that Thomas was a missionary in Syria and India.

Matthew (also called Levi): Notice how Matthew, writing this Gospel, identifies himself as a tax collector - an indication of great humility, to acknowledge his personal shame so openly. We've discussed before how Jews despised tax collectors and traitors to their own people, and how Matthew gave up immense wealth to follow Jesus. Other than accounts of him leaving his life of sin and giving up much for Jesus, the Bible only mentions him in passing. Matthew demonstrates that no matter what horrible mistakes our pasts hold, God can - and desires - to call us His own. Matthew also reminds us to not judge other Christians for how they lived before coming to Christ, no matter how bad - they can become some of the most dedicated followers (Luke 7:40-50). Tradition holds that Matthew went on to preach the Gospel to the Jews for a decade and a half before moving on to other nations.

James: Since Matthew is elsewhere identified as a son of Alphaeus, it is quite possible that the two were brothers. There are three lead men in the early Church named James (James the brother of John (the Sons of Thunder), this James, and James the brother of Jesus, who is thought to have written the book of James), so it is difficult to guess what references to James in the New Testament apply to this man. In fact, history and tradition don't tell us much about him, either. In all this, James demonstrates that God will call some of us to serve out of the public eye, without much recognition - but we have just as much honor from Him. The value of our service to God does not depend on a popularity contest here on earth.

Thaddaeus (also called Jude or Judas - not Judas Iscariot): Thaddaeus is mentioned by name only twice in the New Testament, both times in lists of the disciples' names, but, just as many of the twelve disciples were known by two names, Thaddaeus is commonly regarded as as being Jude and sometimes Judas. Under these names, he shows up a few times and wrote the book of Jude. He might be the same Judas who worked as a missionary with Silas in the book of Acts. History teaches us that he spread the Gospel all over the world. Thaddaeus demonstrates that just as some are called to one specific vocation/ministry/mission etc. for their entire life, others are called to serve the Lord through variety. Both types of followers are necessary to the kingdom.

Simon the Zealot: This is a fun one. ;-) We know extremely little about it from the Bible, but the fact that it labels him a "Zealot" says a lot. Zealots were Jewish political dissenters who specifically incited riots against the Roman occupiers. These riots would result in Roman backlash and civilian casualties, but the Zealots hoped to eventally win Jewish independence. Because of these consequences, riots were feared by both Roman politicians and Jewish religious leaders (see Matthew 26:3-5, 27:24, Mark 14:1-2, and Acts 19:38-41). Zealots were radical extremists. Simon the Zealot provides a lesson on Christian unity. There are lots of denominations, doctrines, etc. within the Church that we think are too extreme - sometimes they are too extreme (such as when pro-life groups murder abortion doctors),  and sometimes they may not be, and it is actually our own views that are in error - but in most cases, they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ! Jesus embraced a Zealot - just as we need to embrace other believers, even when their views differ from our own. Non-salvation issues should never divide us.

Judas Iscariot: We all know this one - the false disciple who betrayed Jesus to death. His wickedness preceeded this one act, however - we know that, as handler of the group's money, he actually embezzled some of it for himself. His end came quickly after Jesus's arrest, when he hanged himself (there's much debate over whether he truly repented, in which case he was a believer, or just felt bad about betraying his friend, in which case he was not, but most Protestants, including myself, tend toward the latter). Judas is a reminder that there will also be false brethren among us, wolves among the flock. (Matthew 7:21-23.)But just as Jesus loved him even while he was betraying Him, he demonstrates that God *loves* sinners!

Questions for You

Do you find any of these disciples especially relatable? Anything else you'd like to ask or add? Share with us by leaving a comment below. :-)

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Image Number One: Image of the Twelve Disciples at Pentecost by Duccio di Buoninsegna. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain Worldwide.

A Boost in Your Self-Confidence: Profiles of the Twelve Disciples, Part One - Matthew 10:1-4

Who Are WE?

1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Seems an odd verse to devote singular attention to, but there's actually some important stuff to cover here. :-)

First off, if you've read this blog for a while, you know there are some points I tend to harp on over and over - one of which is that all Christians are (or are supposed to be!) disciples. Sometimes in church culture, we separate out these twelve men as the disciples, thinking that only people of high spiritual station can be called disciples. But if we do that, then we gloss over a lot of verses that refer to disciples, and therefore apply to us whether we realize it or not. The Greek word is mathetes, which basically means a follower, or (especially) a student. So when you're reading through the New Testament and see the word "disciple," don't automatically assume it refers to these twelve - it can refer to His 12 closest followers, His 70 closest followers (see Luke 10:1-17 for mention of this group's existence), or anyone among the collective group of all His followers (many examples, such as Acts 9:36 - this regular woman is referred to as a disciple for simply being an active believer). These twleve are, however, differentiated as twelve apostles (as in verse 2, which we'll get to in a minute), which is a spiritual gift (see Ephesians 4:11)...however, since this verse refers to them as disciples, we can infer that it applies to all disciples, not just apostles.

So what does that mean for us in the context of this verse? Well...that God has given all his believers spiritual power over demons - to cast them out when they are possessing someone or eliminate their handiwork when they have made someone sick. Now, a disclaimer is in order: (1) some have the spiritual gift of healing, so are obviously more equipped to handle sicknesses (see 1 Corinthians 12:9); and (2) this doesn't mean you're magic - these still seem to have to be performed when you are right with God, and His will is in the matter (see Matthew 17:14-21). But, that aside, the fact remains that this verse applies to us.

We're going to move on to profiles of the twelve disciples. Keep in mind while we do so the fact that we are all disciples. They were men of great faith and deserve great admiration for it, but they were still normal people like you and me. We're going to look at their diverse (and sometimes sketchy) pre-Jesus pasts, and what they became as they followed Him. My hope is that we'll all take away from this study the assurance that God loves us and can use us no matter what we have done, and a motivation to do awesome things for His kingdom.

Who are THEY? - Part One!

2 Now the names of the twleve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and james the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,

3 Philip and Bartholemew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

Simon Peter: If you've read through the Gospels even just once, you can understand why most people relate to Peter best of all the twelve apostles - he was a common man (just a poor fisherman), and he screwed up a lot! :-) An interesting pattern emerges: he often said the wrong thing, but he was also often the only one to say anything; and he was often passionate in the wrong ways (like going after people with a sword), but he was also the most passionate toward Christ. Yeah, he messed up (like when he denied Christ), but most of us still know him today as the greatest of the twelve. It seems Jesus honored him so because, faults and all, he was anything but lukewarm. It is far better to follow Christ adventurously, even knowing that you'll screw up sometimes, than to play it safe all the time and never accomplish anything. After Jesus's ascension, he took a leadership role over the twelve, ministered primarily to the Jews, and (according to extra-Biblical history) is said to have chosen to be crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to be executed in the same manner Christ did. His saved writings are what we now know as 1 & 2 Peter, and probably the Gospel of Mark (Mark taking dictation).

Andrew: Andrew was Peter's brother, also a poor fisherman. He's mostly a background character, present but not saying  much (although he did sometimes join Jesus's closest three - Peter, James, and John). Interestingly, he was a disciple of John the Baptist first, and actually encouraged his older brother Peter to follow Jesus. Andrew is a wonderful example of God using people who operate most comfortably in the background for His kingdom, and also reminds us not to judge other believers' spirituality on how vocal they are - some are just men of few words by nature. Extra-Biblical history teaches us that Andrew's field of ministry after Jesus's ascension was along the Black Sea in what we now know as south-eastern Europe.

James and John: These brothers were also fisherman, but the description of their father's fishing business seems to indicate that they were a little better off than Peter and Andrew. They, along with Peter, were in Jesus's closest circle of disciples, and He nicknamed them "Sons of Thunder," presumably for their tempers. During their discipleship under Jesus, they showed great faith and courage, but misplaced applications of them at times. James is thought to be the first of the twelve disciples to have been martyred, given that his execution is the only one recorded in the New Testament. John, however, is thought to be the disciple who lived the longest of the twleve, and he became a cheif Christian leader in Jerusalem, and wrote the Gospel of John, 1,2&3 John, and Revelation. James and John demonstrate that our circumstances and personalities do not dictate our futures - God's plans will prevail. He can use anyone in any way He pleases. And yes, there's even a place for those with firey tempers in His kingdom. :-)

Philip: Philip followed the teachings of John the Baptist and took his word that Jesus was Messiah, immediately approaching Bartholemew to encourage him to follow Jesus as well. He kept a Greek name, Scripture recounts his strong connections with the Greek community during Christ's ministry, and extra-Biblical history tells us that after Christ's ascension, Philip spread the Gospel in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia. Philip is an example of how God can sometimes give you skills, interests, and connections to use for His kingdom even before you're a believer. What you're good at, you're good at for a reason, so use those skills for God's glory!

Bartholemew (also called Nathaniel): Bartholemew was also an early confessor of Jesus as Messiah, and many scholars believe that in John 1:48, Jesus used a common phrase to refer to Bartholemew studying the Torah, which would imply that he was a devoted pursuer of God. No one knews for sure what happened to him after Jesus's ascension, but all the theories agree that he was a missionary of some sort. James is an example of how if you truly seek God, He will come reveal Himself to you.

We'll look at the other six disciples in our next post on Thursday. :-)

Questions for You

Which disciple do you relate to best? What else do you think is cool, relatable, or inspiring about these guys? How do you think we can balance admiring these men as having great faith without separating them as super-humans and wandering into the realm of idolatry?

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Image One: Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles by Duccio di Buoninsegna. Wikimedia Commons. {{PD-1923}} Public Domain in the United States.{{PD-old-100}} Public domain in countries with a copyright term of artist's life plus 100 years or less.

Image Two: The Exhortation to the Apostles by James Tissot. Wikimedia Commons. {{PD-1923}} Public Domain in the United States.{{PD-old-100}} Public domain in countries with a copyright term of artist's life plus 100 years or less.



It's a Calling, Not a Vacation - Matthew 8:18-34

Count the Cost...Few Are Willing to Pay It

Before reading today's first section of Scripture, I want you to keep in mind something very important: We tend to not think of ourselves as "disciples" because we call the famous group "The Twelve Disciples."  But, in actuallity, all believers are - or ought to be - disciples.  Any reference to disciples in Scripture - including those below - apply to all of us who have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives.

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.

19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever you go."

20 Jesus said to Him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

21 Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father."

22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead."

Let's start with verse 18. At first glance, it's just another meaningless geographic reference like we see throughout the Gospels.  But in this case, I think it means more...  Think about it like this: There's a big crowd interested in Jesus, thinking maybe He's a great moral teacher, but Jesus isn't searching for numbers - He's searching for a real relationship with the few who yearn for him so much that they'll follow Him across the sea - and follow Him through life.

He also makes sure we know what we're getting into.  When the scribe pledges loyalty to Jesus, He responds with an honest warning: It's a hard road to follow, a hard life to live.  He's saying: I know that the suffering is worth it...but do you believe that?  Jesus expands on this further in Luke 14:28 and 31:

"For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? ... Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?"

I ask you today to step back and count the cost yourself...

Are you willing to follow Christ, even if it means giving up a career aspiration, a romantic relationship, a life's dream?

Are you willing to follow Christ, even if He asks you to move to another country, to serve Him in a way that terrifies you (evangelizing, public speaking, etc.), to give all your material possessions to Him and live in poverty?

Are you willing to follow Christ, even if persecution hits - if your friends abandon you, you are arrested and beaten, you have to watch those closest to you be tortrued and executed for this same faith?

Are you willing to follow Christ, knowing that any of these things - and you don't which - could happen to you tomorrow, and you will be called to follow Him through it?

Are you willing to follow Christ, even if whatever thing most terrifies you, which you have been thinking about and were releived to not see it on this list, happens to you?

If you were able to answer yes to every one of these questions without a moment's hesitation, you are either someone more passionately committed to God than anyone I have ever met, or you're not taking the questions seriously.

Think about it. Count the cost.

Living Like Jesus

Now, what are we to make of the man asking to bury his father?  Is Jesus heartless, denying a man who just wants to attend the funeral of the man who raised him?  NO - the man's father isn't even dead yet.  The man is asking to wait until his father dies to follow Jesus.  Perhaps he simply wants to spend more time with him; perhaps he wants his inheritance so following Jesus will be easier on him financially.  But Jesus says, "I don't call you to follow Me only when it's most convenient for you - I call you to follow Me NOW.  I have to be the Number One in your life, above all else."

Luke 14:26 puts this very succinctly: (Bear in mind that in this case, "hate" doesn't mean what it does in English; it means "count as worthless by comparison," the same way it is used throughout the new testament and in Hebrews 12:2.  That is, it means "hate by comparison of how much you love Me")

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even hsi own life, he cannot be My disicple."

This theme of "Christ above all else" also appears in Luke 14:33: "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all His possessions."  Does this mean that we all literally have to donate everything we own to charity?  For some, yes (see our study on that spiritual gift here), but you can give something up while it is still in your possession.  Giving it up to Christ means being willing to literally give it up if/when He asks you, and to always keep in perspective that it is worthless in light of the larger, eternal picture.

We are called to live like Jesus.  Can you deny that Jesus lived a tremendously difficult life?  True faith in Jesus is not a get-out-of-hell-free-card, it's not "fire insurance," it is not a vacation.  We live amidst a raging war for the souls of mankind, and need to treat life with appropriate seriousness.  But that also means that we are called to a great adventure in Christ!  Your actions have eternal impact...what could be more thrilling than that?

We've discussed faith versus works extensively before (most recently, this loooooong exploration of it).  I want to briefly re-emphasize that we do not do these things to earn salvation.  Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it" (NLT).  But at the same time, a true faith in Jesus Christ will naturally include following Him.

Let's glance at a couple more verses on being Christ's disciples:

Luke 9:23

And He was saying to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

John 8:31-32

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

(Here is an amazing post on Frank Viola's blog directly relating to this verse...I found it tremendously refreshing, and hope you enjoy it, as well.)

Questions for You

What have you been called to give up for God?  What does picking up your cross daily look like for you?