STUDY TWENTY-FIVE:
Jesus next went to James and John, brothers, and the sons of Zebedee… They were with their father, fishing, as Simon and Andrew had been… He called to them to follow him, to follow the example of Simon-Peter and Andrew, (already, He had begun to use them for the Saving of themselves and mankind!) and James and John, in that same fashion, followed Jesus, each led by their heavenly Father… Zebedee was left in the family’s boat, knowing that his sons were being taken care of and were, in so being and doing, taking care of a different purpose now… Jesus was the one who brought all disciples to His Father then, and can now… He is the first step, not the only step, nor the be-all, end-all and focus of faith ; that being His Father, our Father, but Jesus is still of monumental importance… He is OUR interpreter, our guide and companion, our brother in the family of the Lord… He is our go-between, our champion and advocate. He is the bridge we must trust to take us to the Father we share… As such, He can be our confidante and unbreakable friend… James and John realised and recognised all of this in the Son, for they left their earthly father, trusting him into the Lord’s care, as they had themselves, and they felt secure enough to do so, when following in Jesus’ footsteps…
STUDY TWENTY-SIX
Jesus travelled all through and around Galilee. He walked into their synagogues, all the places where they dwelt, and ministered to them the teachings of the Kingdom… He healed with touch first, then by words, and sometimes, with words, and then, a simple touch on all the lives He dared to interrupt, that they might listen to Him… He was brave enough to walk in on these people wherever they were, to stand before them that they might see… He taught, to try and unfold an understanding, to Guide, to build a bond between Himself and the people He would, one day, die for… He taught to encourage. He preached to inform, to warn, to save, to assure, and try to insure… Perhaps, Jesus encouraged a conducive work environment for all the teachings He received from our Father. He taught the people a new way of thinking that prepared the soil for the growth of that which His Father is capable of inducing… A way much better for the people. Love, sympathy, consideration, patience, forgiveness, less haste to judge. He taught the people what His Father wants of us all … Jesus then preached to showcase the might of His Father, to impress the importance of following God, and the dangers of not doing so… He preached and taught to show the difference in a life with God to one without Him… The difference being quite remarkable! What Jesus did, administering healing, health, and lessons, all for the prosperence of body and soul, it assured the people, it showed them the transformance. It promised them of what is to come… It made them brave enough to step before Him, as He had them…
STUDY TWENTY-SEVEN:
Men and women from way beyond the catchment area covered by the River Jordan, they came to follow Jesus… From Syria, Jerusalem, Galilee, Judea, and Decapolis… They brought with them loved ones and others known to be in need of healing : those possessed by the devil, those with the palsy, those who were ‘lunatick’, those who were sickened with disease, or plagued with torment… Jesus healed them all. He proved to them the worth and power of following God. He showed them all that is under God’s Command, and they decided to follow in the footsteps of the Son… Just by word of mouth, and the love that Jesus poured forth into everything He did as He taught and administered, a love so astonishing, for it must have been to call these people forward, from lands impoverished by years’ of other beliefs, enforced and explained, Jesus built God’s army… He is the greatest example and embodiment of the power of God in one’s life. However, Jesus knows that even He has limitations… He could have just brought all these lives to Him in a split-second, His true power, and need to help as GREAT as they are, BUT Jesus knows that, by some design or nature that pre-dates even Him, all that He does will mean nothing, unless WE travel to be with Him… It is the journey which makes it all possible, and from which is brought God’s most affecting/effective Divine moments… He needs us, as we need Him, and we need Him, as He appears to need us to make it all work… Only then are we all in range, like a complete circle inside which the ‘magic’ can be experienced. The love creates its habitat, and halts its extinction.