22/11/13

God loves to take samples and makes them examples

Mark 3:17 - And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:


John the Baptist was son of Elizabeth the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus. The closest relations of Jesus other than His mother, brothers and sisters (children of Joseph & Mary) were James and John. James and John were children of Salome also called Mary by Jesus. She was the sister of Mary His mother. Their father's real name was Cleopas but since it was a common name and as per practice during those times, they would call him by a nick name which was Zebedee.

So we see James and John were Jesus' close cousins. But Jesus did not choose them to be His disciple just because they were His cousins. If one goes deep into understanding John especially, one would know he was special among the 12 not because Jesus loved him more (Jesus loved all the same but gave more attention to some according the mission they were called for).

We see Jesus called them Boanerges which means (sons of thunder / resembled thunder) instead of Zebedee or Cleopas. People think it was because they were very energetic or dynamic but that is not the case. Jesus was jovial as any ordinary human being. Many a times He did things to show the wise their foolishness especially the Pharisees that is why we read scriptures like 'it was Sabbath' immediately we see Jesus goes out to heal a person even if he did not acknowledge Him as Christ like sick man near the lake or the man born blind since birth. Jesus also purposely did crazy things to heal people in places where they disbelieved Him and did not have faith.

We see Jesus called Simon son of Jonah as Cephas /Kephas ( word is in Aramaic for Jesus spoke mostly Aramaic with His disciples and translated in Greek as Petros / Peter when the Gospels were translated into Greek) which means stone (symbolizing little knowledge) for his behaviour / attitude because he spoke at times without understanding. Jesus did not want to ridicule him but wanted us to know it was a person like Simon whom God changed and filled with wisdom and courage to speak at the first congregation of the New Church (at Pentecost).

With regards to James and John being called Boanerges it is because of an incident recorded in Luke 9:53-56, where they asked Jesus to call for fire to fall from the sky on a village for not receiving Him.

Our God loves to take people who are nothing, or who have failed in life, whom the world laughs at, and turns them into incredible, mighty people His Kingdom.

Today the Lord is telling us if we consider ourselves as failures in this world, or people who other like to keep away, or people who are laughed at for reason like lack of knowledge, looks etc., we have a good chance to be great in the Kingdom of God if we turn to Him and let Him work in us and through us.



[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are a God who does wonders, that is why You chose the rejected of this world and make them shine like gold. You let your glory shine through them. Lord, we pray your Spirit ministers to all who are reading this and at some time in their life felt hopeless, that they may have hope in You and that You may refine them and make them gold...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Luke 9:53-56
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.



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