Plymothian

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Oh For An Easy Yoke

A yoke is used to bind an animal to another animal so that they can drag farming equipment.  It seems like it would be a burden, but Jesus says that his is light.  How can I get such a light burden.  It seems that the burden would be light if I could just forget myself and focus my thoughts on the one whom I love.  If I knew better what it means to love Jesus, my yoke would be easier.  However, I try harder and harder to fix problems and as a result I burden myself.  I take things into my control and I burden myself.  I invent new loads to carry and I burden myself.

For example I have a new class called Foundations of Christian School Education.  No matter how hard I try to manage the class it seems to be mismanaged.  I plan the syllabus but it is unclear.  I write e-mails but they are misunderstood.  I do my best, but it isn’t good enough.  If only I could accept the fact that I am not Jesus and let him carry the burden of my misfiring class!  However, my own control issues are too easily apparent.  My own desire to fix things without Jesus shows more clearly how I need to be aware of who I am yoked to.  I should keep working on Foundations, but I should pass the burden over to Jesus.  I need to work out how one does that.  I am not sure how, but I will ask Jesus to show me.

Is there a burden that you are carrying?  Do you see Jesus asking you to offload it or let him carry it?

Questions

1. Who does Jesus denounce?
2. What does Jesus say about his burden?
3. How does a person with a burden pass it on to Jesus?
4. What burdens do you take on through perfectionism, desire for safety or control, or through a desire to please?
5. How can your weakness be an opportunity to experience God’s strength?

⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[d] and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Man-Made Religion

It is a popular accusation to say that mankind invented religion to give him something to do on a Sunday morning.  Seriously, though, mankind looked at the cosmos, it is said, and invented a religion to explain its enormity.  Primitive man didn’t have the science to understand earthquakes, so mankind developed religion to explain it was a god snoring, shrugging, or with indigestion.  As science has expanded, so such religion has been discarded.  However true some of these anthropological studies may be, Christianity does not fall into that category.  The religious people of Jesus’ time were petulant because they wanted to create Jesus in their image.  They wanted to call the shots and neither John the Baptist with his prophetic ministry or Jesus as the Messiah impressed those who were authorities on religion very much.  Jesus says here that, like spoiled brats, they wanted to dictate the game to John and Jesus, but John and Jesus wouldn’t play along.

Many people with doctorates have reasons to dismiss Jesus’ perspective on how life should be lived.  However, is the quality of life really getting better.  I know that we don’t drink polluted water and we are able to drive great distances thanks to technological advancements, but aren’t we somehow becoming more distant from each other, more consumer-driven, more selfish?  This selfishness is leading to existential angst, but will not turn to God on God’s terms.  People invent a religion drawing the pieces they think they want and discarding whatever doesn’t make them feel good in the short run.  They whine about church rather than contributing to church; they whine about their spouse rather than serving their spouse; they whine about things in a world where their religion must worship them and they are entitled to whatever they desire.  Where are the prophets like John who would call us out, and point out that our narcissism is ruining the planet and destroying society?

Questions

1. How does Jesus describe John?
2. How does Jesus describe the generation to whom he ministered?
3. How is Jesus’ message proved correct?
4. How would you describe the western world’s spiritual health in 2012?
5. How might God make sure that you do not dictate your own religion, but bend the knee to His plan?

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.^[a]

² When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Dark Times and Doubts

When John the Baptist boldly declared the arrival of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, he was probably expecting a swift rise of a hero who would call to judgment the self-righteous leaders, the rich, and the smug in Israel.  Over time, he found himself in prison and Jesus seemed less of an agent of God;s swift judgment and more of an agent of who-knows-what.  A few times John’s disciples arrive with questions.  John and Jesus are allies, but John doesn’t understand Jesus and he has doubts.  We shouldn’t be surprised that someone who wants justice and for the world to be turned right side up would have doubts when they are sitting in prison.

Jesus’ response is to show him that the kingdom is more gentle than he might have imagined.  Jesus is doing powerful things in the lives of the weak.  This is in line with John’s stance and also in line with biblical prophesy.  So John is reassured.

When we struggle and doubt we still need to come to God.  We need to ask God the hard questions.  We need to talk openly from our dark places.  Jesus is gentle with those who are sincerely troubled but who come to him.  Sometimes he needs to rebuke us and discipline us to get us back on the right path.  However, his aims are to get us to the place we were meant to be.  John will be beheaded.  Sometimes life takes turns we can not anticipate.  However, our lives are going to give glory to God whether we want them to or not.  It is best to get our lives straight with God and find in him the strength to endure whatever life throws at us in the moment.

Questions

1. What is John’s question?
2. What is Jesus’ reply?
3. Why do you think John had these questions?
4. How do you question God in dark times?
5. How do you think Jesus responds to your questions based on his response to John?

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[b] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

What Makes a Missionary

• Some one whose measure of success in life is how like Christ they are becoming.  This does not mean that they must be perfect, but that they measure themselves against a particular reference point.  Many people today measure their success against the performance or character of others.  For example, if we look at wealth we compare our wealth with those who are financially rich like Donald Trump, Michael Jordan, or Oprah Winfrey.  If we look to The View and its opinions religiously we will become more like Barbara Walters.  If we are addicted to Sports Center we will begin to value winning at sports as a superior value.  However, the measure of life is how much like Christ in character and purpose have we become?  To be able to do that, our time must be spent studying who he is.
• A missionary minimizes or releases fear.  Someone who is afraid is often frozen.  Many of us are afraid of other people.  Some of us were raised in households where fear was used to shame us and control us.  We learned to regulate ourselves by shame and fear and that is how we pattern our lives.  Others of us have had traumatic experiences that left us scarred.  We have not found ways to move on to a place of courageous peace.  Jesus wants to remove all fear because fear has to do with punishment.  We are disciplined by God in order to make us better people, but we are no longer punished by God as his children.  The freedom from fear ought to be one of our main talking points in sharing the gospel, but often Christians are the most fearful and angry people on the block.
• A missionary shares Jesus’ teaching.  There is nothing to share if we know nothing.  Christians are meant to study Jesus’ teaching to the point where they can communicate it with others.  This may be in their deeds, but it is important to know more about Jesus and his teaching each day.  This is how love grows.
• A missionary has fortitude and courage.  People will oppose a message that highlights how people are sinful or wrong.  One of the biggest factors working against change is that people do not identify areas in which they are still wrong.  We are conditioned to hate being wrong and we hate those who tell us ways in which we must change.  Admitting a need for change means admitting that we are wrong.
• A missionary takes care of the needs of those who are suffering.  They refresh the lives of those that they touch.  This means giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, but it also means taking care of deep spiritual needs.
• To be a disciple means to be a missionary or apostle.  If you follow Jesus, he is sending you to others.

Questions

1. What characteristics make an apostle/missionary?
2. What fears might the apostles have had?
3. How is Matthew 10 to be understood as for the immediate time of the passage and for ages to come?
4. If Jesus wants to equip all believers as apostles, how does that affect you?
5. To whom are you called to share Christ in word and deed?  How?

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Apostles Forever

As I have already said, apostle literally refers to those who are sent.  Jesus is the Apostle from God.  The 12 apostles were rulers and missionaries for the early church.  Now we are apostles.  I agree with those who see verse 23 above, as an indication that the work of going from town to town talking about Jesus and His kingdom will not be completed until he returns.  The commission of disciples here foreshadows the Great Commission in chapter 28 where the apostles are sent out to Jerusalem, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.  We need to see ourselves as having a mission to these three phases.  We must step up and share the truth, as God has revealed it, and overcome our fear of mankind.  I know that I have trouble overcoming my fears, but Jesus has warned us that there will be opposition.  In the end the truth will win, however, for now all might not seem like it is going well.  Agnosticism and atheism are on the rise in North America.  This generation wants the freedom to construct their own religions in a way that they think best serves themselves.  They acuse us of following a man-made religion that is false, but our God is so much more ‘other’ than the God they are constructing.  White Europeans construct a nationalistic Jesus who upholds those who wield power.  Women create a feminist God whose primary concern is for women.  Homosexuals construct a gay Jesus who never married because he loved his disciples in sexual ways.  The Jesus of the Bible does not fit into these false constructions.  The Jesus of Matthew warns that when his disciples present a picture of the kingdom that demands change and not blanket affirmation, people will react violently and persecute Jesus’ followers.  However, the truth must be told and we must stand until the end.

Questions

1. About what does Jesus warn his apostles?
2. What area will apostles still be reaching when Jesus comes?
3. About what should apostles not worry?
4. In what ways are you NOT an apostle?
5. In what ways are you called to be an apostle?

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Training Days

I believe that Jesus is training his disciples here for the evangelism that will occur in the book of Acts.  He is telling them what he expects and giving them in the field experience.  In any training we need practical real-life experience.  This is one of the reasons that I think short-term mission trips are so helpful.  I don’t think they do a lot for the people they visit necessarily.  Sometimes they even do harm, when they mask a problem and then walk away like everything is fixed.  What the short-term mission trips do well is open the eyes of the people who go on the mission.

When I was 18 I went to Pakistan for a year on a mission.  I taught English at a school in Gujranwala.  It was a life-changing experience .  I had to ask myself lots of questions about what I truly believed and how I was going to live my faith.  I also saw poverty up close and personal for the first time.  I saw people without mental illnesses who were without food and shelter because they had no choice.  I was truly ill-equipped to help them in any way.  My faith had to deepen.

I believe that the apostles were sent on this kind of trip to teach them as much as it was for the benefit of those in Israel.

Questions

1. Where did Jesus send his disciples?
2. What were they to do?
3. How did this change the disciples to apostles?
4. How were you trained to evangelize or do missions?
5. How do you think we should expose people to short-term mission?

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spiritsand to heal every disease and sickness.

² 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; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The Twelve

The Quirky Dozen that Jesus called out of the larger group of his disciples were a mix.  Peter was probably a little older, he was married, and ran a business on the shores of Galilee.  He always had something that he could fall back on, and he did when it looked like the disciple thing wouldn’t work out.  He was an ‘all-in’ or ‘all-out’ kind of guy – impetuous.  He spoke before he had processed what he was saying.  A bit of a bunglar at times, eloquent and powerful at other times.  He had a view of The Messiah as a conquering king and although he identified Jesus was Messiah he was appalled to think of him allowing himself to die, until after Jesus had risen and he saw the significance of the death and resurrection.

An apostle is a representative.  In the case of those designated apostles in the church, they had to have spent time with Jesus and were given special authority.  Peter was going to head up this group.  What strikes me is how normal Peter and the rest of the twelve were.  They were like us.  We too are sent by the Jesus we read about yesterday.  We are sent under Jesus’ authority on a mission of compassion to relieve the suffering and avert the disaster awaiting a godless world.  In fact, it was reported yesterday that those within America reporting no religious affiliation rose from 1/10 to 1/5 of the population.  Protestants have dropped below 50% for the first time.  Like the twelve, we are given authority to speak the truth and make changes if only we would trust God for the leading and the courage to act.

The disciples were organised into 3 groups of 4.  Peter headed up the group that contained Andrew, James and John.  Philip headed up the group containing Bartholemew, Thomas, and Matthew.  James led the group with Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.  I think this shows that within larger groups of disciples/apostles, we need smaller groups for real accountability and learning.  This is shown further when Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs (Mark 6:7).  People in the crowds do not grow as much as those who are discipled in ever smaller groups.  Jesus invested most heavily in twelve.  I think that is a good number for a small group.  Those twelve worked in fours and twos.  I think we can assign tasks in similar ways.

Questions

1. How many of the twelve disciples can you name?
2. Who is always listed first?
3. Describe some of the disciples other than Peter.  Why do you think Judas Iscariot was chosen?
4. How are you like the apostles?
5. What has Jesus sent you to do (cf. yesterday)?

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

What Kind of Man Sends Out Missionaries?

Cultural imperialists send out missionaries.  This is an in-vogue term used by many to slam countries like England and the USA sending missionaries to Africa, Asia, and South America.  There is a valid claim that those who were sent in centuries gone by were sent as part of a move to build an empire.  The empire had more about perpetuating a European way of life than it did about anything else.  As people in third world (problematic term that smacks of ranking) countries chose the God of the foreign missionaries they became more compliant and sent their resources abroad with less resistance.  As the world wakes up from cultural imperialism it questions why The British Museum houses so many treasures from its former empire.  The world questions how so many resources are produced in poverty and consumed by wealthy people in developed countries.  Historically, it is argued, Catholic and Protestant Missionaries destroyed the cultural heritage of indigenous people and built an empire in their own image upon the ashes.  What kind of egotistic, power-hungry, greedy individuals could do such a thing?

However, Jesus himself did send out missionaries.  He did have ideas that things should change, even within his own country.  As he looked out at the misguided and subjugated masses, he decided that his own disciples needed to bring about a revolution.  This was not to be a smash and grab revolution where the fat-cats in power are forced to redistribute their wealth.  A new kingdom was to reign in the land that set captives free from poverty, sin, sickness, and rebellion.  Same as today, though, there were few who would challenge the status quo or leave their own comfort to make a difference.

Questions

1. What does Jesus do as he travels?
2. What does Jesus see?
3. Who does Jesus ask to pray about the crowds who do not know him?
4. Who do you see who is lost or hurting?
5. How do you show compassion on those who are lost and hurting?  Do you pray that God will send out workers?

¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, ²⁴ he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. ²⁶ News of this spread through all that region.

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

Jesus’ Compassion

Jesus could have turned his back on any of the people he reached out to.  The leaders of the Jewish people were setting themselves up as Jesus’ enemies.  Why should Jesus reach out with compassion to one of them and heal their daughter?  The daughter is dead, why bring her back?  The blind were considered only one step better off than dead.  Why bother with lost causes?  The blind saw their condition and asked for what they needed: mercy.  What is mercy?  None of these persons deserved Jesus’ attention but they had to approach Jesus with the faith that he would not treat them as they deserved.  Jesus responded to their faith with mercy.  This does not mean that our faith demands a response from God, but God freely chooses to respond to faith and suspend the affects of sin in a sinful world.

Questions

1. Who were the people healed in this passage?
2. To what does Jesus attribute people’s healing?
3. How would you describe Jesus’ compassion?
4. Why do you need Jesus’ mercy?
5. How do you need to move Jesus to compassion by your faith?

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Unexpected Disciples

Jesus sets up shop with rough fishermen, swindlers and whores.  His disciples are not the aesthetics like John the Baptist’s disciples or legalists like the Pharisees.  The Pharisees demonize Jesus and his disciples.  The fact that they are former whores and reneades is just proof that this new movement is demonic.  John second guesses his opinions of Jesus.  Jesus is not eating locusts and wild honey or wearing rough clothing.  Jesus engages with the crooked Matthew at a party in the comfort of his own home.  What John and the Pharisees are loking for is adherence to established forms of religion, but Jesus ploughs a new furrow.  Jesus is looking for those who will forsake their previous life and then take up a life of personal allegiance to him.  This has been the stuff of culs in recent years.  Personality cults call people to follow a great leader, but the leader is always shown to disappoint, be a fraud, or be insane.  C.S. Lewis calls us to evaluate jesus’ claims about himself.  Was he a liar who thought he could gain by making inflated claims about himself?  Was he a lunatic like Charles Manson or David Koresh?  Or was Jesus who he said he was?

Questions

1. With whom did Jesus associate imself?
2. Who had suspicions about these associations?
3. What kind of people did jesus call out of the crowds to be his disciples?
4. What hope is there for you?
5. How do you feel about those who do not do the right thing but claim to be close to God?  How is that similar or different from this passage?