Jesus is in the middle of His ministry years – teaching like no other, healing and doing miracles. Prior to that, He spent close to 30 years as a carpenter’s son in Nazareth. These peers from His own hometown were offended that people we’re impressed with Jesus! Come on, they “knew Him better than them” and these preconceived ideas of who they thought Jesus was made it impossible for them to accept His message. This left Jesus “amazed at their lack of faith.”
The next thing I noticed is that Jesus always had in His mind to pass on the ministry. He was less about classroom lectures and more about on the job training and so “They (Jesus & the disciples) went out and preached that people should repent.” These 12 were fellow ministers.
Up next we see confusion as to who Jesus is: John? Elijah? A prophet? Apparently they didn’t want to listen to Jesus. Mark then recounts the events leading up to John the Baptizer’s death because Herod thought that it was John raised to life. Maybe Herod was haunted with guilt because John confronted his sin of marrying his brother’s wife. As a result “Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.” To do so, she has her daughter perform for Herod a “gimmie what I want” dance and John loses his head as the prize.
Last up are two miracles which also are recorded in Luke & Matthew. First, Jesus feeds like 20,000+. Yeah, it reads 5000, but that’s just the men. Include women & children and you’ve got an even larger buffet to serve. Jesus “had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
Second, Jesus walks out to them on the water and it says “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” The disciples still had not realized who Jesus was. The good news - Jesus never gave up on them!
SO WHAT?!
*Ever have preconceived ideas about someone? We must be careful not to let those ideas become keep us from truth. People can change. I’m not at all who I was in high school (whew) yet often, when I see a former schoolmate, they still see me the same. Get to know people and that way you’ll know the truth about them. And yeah, allow them time and space to change as well!
*How are you & I involved with Jesus in ministry? Are you regularly serving? Are you making Jesus known? Passing the baton of ministry IS the plan of Jesus! Talk to your pastor or youth pastor about how you can get involved today!
*I’m glad Jesus never gives up on me. Sometimes (ok, maybe most of the time) I wonder if Jesus is saying about me, “God, is this all you’ve given me to work with?!” But God is patient and merciful and gracious and wants to use unqualified people, like you & me, to do His eternal work! Thank You Lord!!!
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