Post by Admin on Apr 4, 2019 7:31:56 GMT
Tonight, we had the final session in our look at the Twelve Disciples. The last three names on our list of 12 are just that – names, without any story involving them in scripture.
o James the Less
o Simon the Zealot
o Judas, also known as Jude, Thaddeus, or Lebbaeus
Because scripture does not offer a specific story for each of these as with the other disciples, tonight’s passage was a general look at following from Luke Chapter 18, although at first the story of the Rich Young Ruler seems more a warning about money than an entreaty about following.
Before we read scripture, we chatted about Christians we have known who serve others sacrificially and faithfully without recognition or public praise, and then mused a bit about what reward those Christians see for themselves. What jumped out quickly was the anonymity of the final three disciples. Of course, at the time of Christianity’s initial spread, these three likely did not feel anonymous, particularly if they met the martyrdom that history suggests. What reward did they receive? Will we receive the same reward? Is that our motive for acting in the mind of Christ? In the end, this seemed to be another lesson about the Kingdom which we need to learn – the upside-down Kingdom, as we call it. Serving and sharing and carrying our burdens IS the reward and it is also the evidence of the reward, when we truly assimilate into the new Kingdom. That is a true contrast to the attitude of the Rich Young Ruler, who seemed to assess Eternal Life as a prize or a treasure to be acquired, not an understanding of life and relationship with the Lord that starts now and evolves over time. What the Rich Young Ruler needed to do in order to inherit eternal life was to follow Christ; he needed to give up his wealth in order to see his way clear to following. We all have some personal riches – ego, judgement, anger, etc. – that we need to set aside so that we can follow Christ.
Since we finished up the Twelve Disciples tonight, we also talked briefly about which Disciple we found most interesting, and which one we wanted to learn from the most. Although a few people had favorites – John popped up a few times – mostly the group enjoyed learning about them all as a group, a body, which is how Jesus intended them to be.
o James the Less
o Simon the Zealot
o Judas, also known as Jude, Thaddeus, or Lebbaeus
Because scripture does not offer a specific story for each of these as with the other disciples, tonight’s passage was a general look at following from Luke Chapter 18, although at first the story of the Rich Young Ruler seems more a warning about money than an entreaty about following.
Before we read scripture, we chatted about Christians we have known who serve others sacrificially and faithfully without recognition or public praise, and then mused a bit about what reward those Christians see for themselves. What jumped out quickly was the anonymity of the final three disciples. Of course, at the time of Christianity’s initial spread, these three likely did not feel anonymous, particularly if they met the martyrdom that history suggests. What reward did they receive? Will we receive the same reward? Is that our motive for acting in the mind of Christ? In the end, this seemed to be another lesson about the Kingdom which we need to learn – the upside-down Kingdom, as we call it. Serving and sharing and carrying our burdens IS the reward and it is also the evidence of the reward, when we truly assimilate into the new Kingdom. That is a true contrast to the attitude of the Rich Young Ruler, who seemed to assess Eternal Life as a prize or a treasure to be acquired, not an understanding of life and relationship with the Lord that starts now and evolves over time. What the Rich Young Ruler needed to do in order to inherit eternal life was to follow Christ; he needed to give up his wealth in order to see his way clear to following. We all have some personal riches – ego, judgement, anger, etc. – that we need to set aside so that we can follow Christ.
Since we finished up the Twelve Disciples tonight, we also talked briefly about which Disciple we found most interesting, and which one we wanted to learn from the most. Although a few people had favorites – John popped up a few times – mostly the group enjoyed learning about them all as a group, a body, which is how Jesus intended them to be.