1 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV
Luke 6:12-13 ESV
Mark 3:16-19 NKJV
Matthew 17:14-18 NKJV
Matthew 17:19-20 NKJV
Matthew 15:32-39 NKJV
Matthew 18:1-5 ESV
Mark 8:27-30 ESV
Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV
Matthew 26:42-44 NKJV
Matthew 26:45-46 NKJV
A Story of Love Series
It goes without saying that Jesus loved His disciples. From the moment He called them he was with them night and day. As their teacher and guide to a whole new world they would usher ‘in’ Jesus had a limited amount of time to prepare them for what they would face.
In addition to preparing them to reach others for God, Jesus had to really give them His love. After all, it was and is the most important element people need. 1 Corinthians 13 begins with “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
In the end, it is always love that matters.
When Jesus called His disciples He didn’t just go out into the streets and watch for people who might look like a good candidate. In Luke 6:12-13 we find, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.”
Jesus turned to His Father the source when He was preparing to choose 12 men.
In Mark 3:16-19 we learn, “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.”
Immediately after He chose the twelve he gave them the power to heal sickness and cast out demons. The interesting element about that is they were still on a learning curve. I mean, aren’t we all?
In Matthew 17:14-18 we read, “And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.”
Initially, when the man came to Him asking for mercy for his son it seemed to be a healing issue. The disciples could have been trying to heal the boy of seizures.
Jesus, being God took one look at the boy and rebuked the demon in him and that stopped the seizures.
Jesus was somewhat frustrated with the disciples that they were unable to heal the boy of having seizures. I have to wonder if Jesus wasn’t making a point with the disciples, trying to get them to ‘keep at it’. In other words, if at first you don’t succeed try try again. It was a good lesson for the disciples. Certainly, I would have walked away thinking…okay so I gave up too easily.
John Mark did give us the rest of the story. In Matthew 17:19-20 when the disciples had a chance later to ask Jesus to explain further what they should have done, we learn: “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Ahhhhh…good to know. Next time we need to sit with it longer. We need to fast and pray. I’ve done my fair share of fasting and praying and have found that when I don’t seem to get answers, fasting and praying sure makes a difference.
The other important element of praying is that there just are benefits to ME when I spend time sitting with God in silence. It gives me a chance to love God, and it gives God a chance to love me. I remember when my children were small and they didn’t feel well or they had a problem they would crawl up in my lap. That has its own special benefits for children and for parents. God is no different. When we hurt or just need to figure something out and we sit with God, we both win.
The loaves and fishes have always fascinated me. That’s not because I don’t believe God can multiple a little to a lot. I worked in church ministry for 30 years and with six people there wasn’t always enough money in the ‘till’ to pay the bills (especially the electric bill). We would plan but that didn’t seem to help. Something unexpected always came up.
So I would ask my dad to pray with me that God would somehow stretch the cash. God always came through. That’s exactly what happened in Matthew 15:32-39, “Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.”
Jesus loved the people who came and He had compassion on them. He wanted His disciples to develop that same compassion. Jesus also wanted His disciples to understand just exactly what God can do with a few ‘loaves and fishes’. That love lesson…showing the twelve how God would take care of them long after He was gone would have served them well.
Jesus had a way of teaching and astonishing His disciples.
In Matthew 18:1-5, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.”
This was an astonishing lesson in the first century because children were not revered. If a man had a cow and a child, the cow would have been given more care and attention than the child. The thought that children mattered to God was a game changer for the disciples.
Then as Jesus prepared His disciples for the end of His ministry on earth He would have been preparing them to take over. We read in Mark 8:27-30, “And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.”
During Jesus’ last hours with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was praying about what was about to happen. The disciples were in another place and it was quiet. In Matthew 26:40-41 Jesus went to find them, “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Then we read in Matthew 26:42-44, “Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”
Jesus didn’t even try to wake them the second time He found them asleep.
And a third time in Matthew 26:45-46 we read, “Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Three times in the Garden Jesus went and found His disciples sleeping.
In Matthew 26:47-49, “And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.”
And so it began. Judas kissed Jesus and He was arrested.
Through it all, Jesus loved them.
Ultimately every disciple failed Him in His darkest hour. Judas betrayed Him but the other disciples were all asleep.
And still, He loved them…
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Be Grateful
Be grateful for what Jesus did for us.
In God, Deborah
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