Mark 3:14-19 | Jesus prayed to his Father about a very important decision. Who among his many disciples would he choose to be his apostles? In order for us to know the gravity of that prayer, we need to know the difference between a disciple and an apostle. When we do, we appreciate all the more who Jesus chose, the expectations that came with it, and the social dynamics of these 12 guys spending lots of time together.

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Matthew 12:9-21 | Injustice is a daily reality for us. That is just as true in Jesus’ time as it is today. So, how do we effect change? We could choose the path of the Zealots, gathering the warriors for violent revolution. Or, we could follow the Servant spoken of in Isaiah 42, the one who gathers the weak and the lowly, and even makes them apostles.

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Matthew 12:1-14, Luke 6:1-11 | There’s just something about the Sabbath that gets the Pharisees all upset and gives Jesus a chance to set His teaching apart. This episode brings up a number of challenging questions. Is Jesus the lord of the Sabbath and doing away with it here? It certainly doesn’t seem that way. Or is it possible that Jesus is actually showing a high regard for the Sabbath and showing us how to keep the good commandment from becoming our idol?

Matthew 12:1-7 | Jesus seems to have a real Sabbath problem. Is Jesus getting rid of the Sabbath? No. Is he rebelling against the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Sabbath? Not really. Jesus’ disciples clearly break the Sabbath and he defends them by demonstrating from the Old Testament how there is something greater than the Sabbath, love.

Luke 5:33-39 | How do we develop our first impression of people? Are we first assessing if they meet our standards, or do we approach them with openness and compassion? Jesus would have us do the latter. In fact, that is how he chose his disciples. He was open to them, and they were open to him. That openness allowed them to take in Jesus’ teachings, like new wine fermenting in new wineskins.

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Luke 5:27-32 | "Follow Me." Those are two words anyone working a tax booth would never expect to hear. To Matthew, it could have been the sweet sound of a seemingly impossible redemption. Jesus saw past the tax collector to the person. We would do well to be just like him.

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Luke 5:15-26 | It’s one of the most dramatic, puzzling moments of all of Jesus’ miracles. While Jesus is teaching, a paralyzed man drops in on Jesus, literally. All in the room are waiting anxiously to see what Jesus will do. Certainly, he is going to heal this man. Jesus says, “Son, your sins are forgiven” before saying “rise and walk.” Didn’t see that coming. Little did anyone know, Jesus was also showing them all how salvation would come to them too.

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One of the most famous things about Jesus is that he heals people. So, when people with leprosy come to be healed, it seems like standard fare for Jesus. However, there is something more going on with leprosy that makes it a powerful symbol of everything Jesus has come to do for us. His touch changes everything.

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Luke 5:1-11 | It’s time for Rabbi Jesus to gather his disciples. Who should he choose? The highly educated who know how to handle Torah, or some guys who know how to handle the fishing nets? Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost and to call those who consider themselves unworthy into a kind of service that would otherwise be unfathomable to them. Follow me. From now on you will catch people.

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Luke 4:38-44, Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:35-37 | Jesus may be from Nazareth, but his new home base is Capernaum, a small fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter’s house seems to be where Jesus stayed and served as the likely location for many important moments, including the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. So many people want to see Jesus that he has to get away to a desolate place. After a short-lived rest, Jesus hits the road. Everyone needs what he is bringing.

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