A Servant of Sinners
of whom I am chiefest
S - Scripture: Mark 2:1-28
Remember the theme of Mark is: Jesus as a servant ... As we read today's passage let us keep that in mind.
Key verse: And hearing {this,} Jesus said to them, "{It is} not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." v.17 NASB
O - Observations:
v.1-12 ~ Healing of the man of palsy who was let down through the roof.
v.13 ~ Teaching of the multitudes by the seaside on the seashore.
v.14-17 ~ Calling of Levi (aka Matthew) the [son] of Alphaeus. Levi was a Tax Collector and called to be Yeshua's disciple and Yeshua has dinner with him and is criticized for it.
v.18-28 ~ Jesus (Yeshua) is criticized not only for who he kept company with, but for his disciples not fasting as others thought they should and for the way He and His disciples kept the Sabbath.
Summary: He heals the sick, He teaches to multitudes, He calls disciples - those He can teach the faith and has dinner with them (i.e., is with them in a normal everyday setting) and then while He does all of this He has the scribes and Pharisees there to watch and criticize His every move.
A - Application for me today:
1) Teach my children the wonderful stories of God like this one today about the man of palsy being let down through the roof - I remember this familiar story being taught to me as a child in church.
2) To find people I can sit down with in ordinary settings to talk about Jesus with. To make disciples and who better to start with than my own children! But then as I mature in that to look for others whom I can reach out and share the love of Jesus with.
3) Finally to know that there will ALWAYS be someone to criticize the way I do things. That is just the way of the world ~ whether it is the way I keep Sabbath or the company I choose to keep, someone, if they want to bad enough, can find fault with me. It didn't seem to bother Christ, He didn't change his way because of it ... He was secure in who and WHOSE He was!
P - Prayer in response:
Father, you know the things in my heart and the things I want to accomplish today as I serve you and make disciples of my children. These are things you have been putting in my heart and I have just not made it a priority so today LORD as I sat up last night and thought over what I would like to do today I thank You for this timely lesson in your WORD that I can apply to my life today as I attempt to serve You by serving those You have given me. Help me to stay on task today and as I come to the end of this day show me how I can do it better the next day and so on and so forth.
You are so Faithful! and so Timely!
In the Name of Yehoshua my Righteousness
Amen and Amen
Extra credit for the day: Who were the 12 disciples or apostles?
The original twelve disciples / apostles are listed in Matthew 10:2-4, "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew (Levi) son of Alphaeus the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Jude or Judas Thaddaeus (aka Lebbaeus) son of Alphaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him." The Bible also lists the 12 disciples / apostles in Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:13-16. Among the 12 were fishermen, a tax collector, and a revolutionary.
Just in the few minutes I was looking at this on Wikipedia (an online encyclopedia - wonderful resource by the way) I decided that a short study on the 12 disciples would be very interesting ... perhaps I will do a blog on that sometime ... keep checking back for that ...
THE LOVE DARE CHALLENGE
Starting Week 4
Day 22: Love is faithful
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord. —Hosea 2:20
TODAY’S DARE
Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is an initiated action, not a knee-jerk reaction. Choose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it. Say to them today in words similar to these, “I love you. Period. I choose to love you even if you don’t love me in return.”
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