Key Verses: 4, 6, 10, 12, 21, 22, 25, 34
Often leaders can be cowards,
especially political leaders. Jesus was no coward! He was very much an “in your
face” kind of person. When He saw two-faced activity, He called it out. And
when that happened, His opponent's true motives became evident. Jesus heals a
man's hand which probably prevented him from supporting his family the way he
wanted to support them. His whole life and identity centered around that
shriveled hand, and Jesus changes it in an instant. The religious and political
leaders see Jesus as such a threat that these normal enemies join together to
snuff Jesus out.
Jesus popularity gets in the way of
His training of the Disciples. They have to be prepared to be in-filled with
the Holy Spirit and tell what they have seen and heard. But the crowds push.
Demons announce His credentials. Things are not as He wants, until He pulls
them aside and goes to a quiet place alone with them.
It is important to find time, or
should I say, make time to get alone with Jesus. I know that life pulls for our
time and attention. If we let it happen, every waking moment will get filled
with other people's priorities. Soon we will have nothing of 'us' left in our
lives.
Jesus selects the twelve by name. No
random “You, you and you.” Even Judas is not just a “you” to Jesus.
Jesus' family think He is nuts. The people
entrusted with the purity of the Scriptures think He is an enemy infiltrator.
But Jesus does not back away from the Truth. He confronts their false thinking
and logic directly. And in the process they are condemned by their own words
and actions.
Jesus has to even stand up to His own
family. It can be hard when you come to know the Truth of the Gospel and your
family thinks you have flipped, gone nuts, joined a cult. Words usually do
nothing to help. Only your changed life can truly change them. When they see
Jesus lived out in your life, then they might be open to what you have to say.
Jesus in essence says that His
followers are closer to Him than His own flesh and blood family. Sometimes this
happens in families today. Our church family becomes more of a support network
and family than our kin. They get a higher priority in our daily planner than
our family.