A Team of 12

Jesus had called many to follow him, and many more had followed him on their own initiatives. Now it’s the time for Jesus to choose 12 from among them to build his team. They would follow him everywhere he goes, and he would teach them privately and show them how he lives. Later on they were to do ‘greater things’ (John 14:12) than Jesus himself did while on earth.

Read Luke 6: 12 -16

Reflect

How many political, military or intellectual leaders do you know have a team of 12 people whom they train to eventually replace themselves? Jesus is not a lone hero like others. Jesus has a BIG mission, for which he invites others to join. He invests in people whom he trains and empower – and for whom he has visions. An example is Simon, who he renames Peter – indicating the type of person he will become after spending three years with Jesus. Jesus spends the whole night praying to God about forming his team. He may be getting clarity from God on whom to choose, he may be praying for each person and their needs, he may be questioning the dynamic among his 12. This process of choosing his 12 is so important that he invests a lot of time talking to God about it. Reflect on Jesus’ approach to his mission and how he builds his team. How is this different from worldly leaders today? As the Son of God, Jesus could accomplish a lot alone - he does not need people. Why then do you think Jesus choose the 12 to train? What is it about this approach that makes his mission so impactful and enduring?

Apply

As followers of Jesus, we too are on a mission to impact the world. We, too can build our team of 12 for different areas of our lives. For our spiritual growth, we can have a Small Group of 6 to 12 with whom we not only study the Bible together, but also share the Up’s and Down’s of life’s journey. Professionally, to grow and honor God with our excellence, we can select colleagues and mentors from work and from our professional network to help sharpen our knowledge and skills. We can also have a team for life. An example of a life team would include a variety of people to support our marriage, guide us in our financial planning, to do sports or go to the theater together, and to look after our health. (In this case, a team is simply a group people to support us, they do not come together to interact as a team.) Who are in your life today to accompany you and to support you in your mission? What are the different teams you need? And if you have leadership responsibility at work or at church, how much time do you spend talking to God about your team as Jesus does?

Tips

Write down the teams you want to build for your life and the names of people you already have for each team. Pray about the people you don’t yet have and ask God to lead you to them.

No. 11

Faith in Authoriy

As Jesus’ reputation as a healer grew, people from far and near brought the sick to him. When the sick person could not come to Jesus, Jesus would go to them. In this encounter with a Roman Centurion, however, Jesus was not asked to make the trip. Instead, the Centurion believed that Jesus could heal his servant just by saying the word. Jesus was amazed by his faith.

Read Luke 7: 1- 10

Reflect

Our faith comes in different shapes, forms, colors and depth. When people see what Jesus could do through the power he has, they like what they saw and they put their faith or trust in him. The Roman Centurion, however, takes that faith a step further. He sees Jesus beyond what he could do (his power). He could see that Jesus as someone who has divine authority: authority over sickness and death and as we will see later, also over storms and natura forces. He put his faith in Jesus himself, not Jesus the doer of miracles. Who is Jesus to you? Is your faith in him based on what he can do for you? or is it based on who he is? What is the difference? Which one would amaze Jesus and why? Notice also the humility of the Roman Centurion – how does his understanding of Jesus’s authority place him in a place of humility before Jesus?

Apply

Our faith in Jesus is often reflected in how we pray, or how to connect with God. Do you go to God to ask for him mostly to do things for you? (e.g. help you with your exam, to get a job, for a friend to recover from sickness etc.), or do you think first who Jesus is and mediate on that? For example, if you really believe that Jesus has authority over sickness and life, how does this change how you pray for someone who is sick or who is near death?

Tips

Write down three to five areas where you believe Jesus has authority over as the Son of God. (Matthew 28: 18). Here are a few examples: Jesus has authority over all nations, including war and international diplomacy, Jesus has authority over the economy, including gas price and inflation ; Jesus has authority over my relationships (whether it’s marriage or the pursuit for a lifetime partner), my career, my finance, my purpose and so on. Pray to put your faith in Jesus who has authority in these areas that are important to you.

No. 12

The Miracle of Compassion

The detail with which Luke paints the encounter is incredibly tender and moving. Close your eyes and try to imagine the scene. There is Jesus and a crowd of followers walking towards the gate of a town. They are talking excited among themselves when they come to the funeral procession where mourning songs mixed with wailing can be heard. Slowing down his pace, Jesus goes toward the procession, then he stops, as his eyes fall on the grieving mother. Her face betrays her anguish, her body is shaken in sorrow as her tears refuse to comfort her. Filled with compassion, Jesus takes steps towards to her and speaks directly to her: ‘Don’t cry’. As she lifted up her face to see who is talking to her, she sees Jesus walking toward her dead son. As he touches the bier, everything comes to a stop: the music, the wailing, the procession. All eye are now on Jesus. Then he speaks to her son as if he is still alive and can hear. To her amazement, her son sits up and starts to talk. Then Jesus returns to her and brings her to her son who is now looking at her with wide open eyes. He speaks to her again: ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Her face is again filled with tears, but this time with joy and astonishment.

Read Luke 7: 11 -15

Reflect

Jesus’ power to raise the dead in this account tells us his authority over death. Yet God’s power is not exhibited in vacuum: through Jesus we also witness compassion, individual attention, and thoughtfulness God has for the heart-broken humanity. If you were Jesus, what would have been going through your mind and heart when you see the weeping widow, and when you stop the procession to call the young man back to life? How emotional would you get when you give the young man back to his mother, and why? Or would you be focused and consumed by the miracle you are about to do? Would your anticipation of people’s reaction to performance distract you from noticing the woman in grief? She, after all, as a beloved daughter of God, is the reason for the miracle.

Apply

Our society values performance, and judge our performance by such things as grades, annual reviews and competitions. And we strive to perform for results. Yet in our performance, do we consider the people along the way? Do we stop to notice the pain and struggles, the insecurity and fears of our fellow ‘performers’? Often we can be so focused on achieving our goals or on earning the coveted prizes that we miss the opportunity to experience the love and connection with our fellow humanity. Reflect on your performance and the reason behind why you do what you do. Even if your job does not directly impact people (such as patients or students), your daily actions can impact the people you work with in and out of the office. Reflect on how you can love people as Jesus does throughout the day by paying attention.

Tips

Write down the names of people who needs encouragement and pray about how you can show kindness and compassion to them.

No. 13

Managing Rivalry

John the Baptist was chosen by God to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. (Luke 3: 15-18). He was immensely popular when he helped Jesus launch his ministry. John continued to baptize and gain disciples until he was put in jail by Herold the tetrarch. Meanwhile Jesus also began to gain followers as he preached and performed miracles. Knowing that his mission as the forerunner of Jesus may be coming to an end, John sent his disciples to confirm that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. He did this for the benefits of his disciples, who saw team Jesus as a rival (John 3:22-30).

Read Luke 7: 18-35

Reflect

Both Jesus and John were clear about their identity, their respective roles and their mission. Their followers, however, did not. John’s disciples in particular saw Jesus as a competitor of John’s ministry (John 3:26). Likewise, Jesus’ followers may also see John’s followers as a threat as they had questioned their obedience to the law (Matthew 9:14). Rivalry can happen even between best friends, or between two popular churches in town, like this case with John and Jesus. We can break down Jesus’ approach in 3 steps: he first addresses John’s disciples to assure them (v22-23), then to his own followers to lift up John (v24-28). Finally, the address the real issue: that people who lack wisdom will always find something to criticize (v31-35). Notice that he says nothing about himself. Reflect on Jesus’ approach to address jealousy and to win people over, and compare this to how you may have approached a similar situation.

Apply

Have you been in a situation where someone may perceive you with distrust but you must win them over in order to work together? How can you learn from Jesus’ approach? What part of his approach is difficult for you to follow? And why? Or perhaps you yourself have trouble with your ‘rivals’ – someone you easily get jealous and feel threaten. What would Jesus say to you?

Tips

Write down situations where you feel competitive, or people you find threatening to your own achievements. Write down how you want to change your attitudes in these areas and pray to for wisdom from heaven to know your own heart. (James 4:17)t were a strength that turns to be a liability. Why? What can you learn from your experience and from Jesus?

No. 14

Why do you come to Jesus?

Here Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of a respected religious leader. It was customary that when a Rabi is present, everyone from the town is free to come in and listen to his teaching. Simon the Pharisee who invited Jesus for dinner, wanted to hear more from Jesus and his teaching. Meanwhile, a woman known in town for her sins – we are not told what kind of sins - also joined the party. She came, however, not to seek deeper knowledge of the law and morality, but to worship Jesus, to anoint him and to seek forgiveness for herself.

Read Luke 7: 36 – 50

Reflect

Compare and contrast Simon and the woman’s motivation to be near Jesus, their attitude towards Jesus, and the actions they take with Jesus.

Apply

Why do you come to Jesus? Do you seek deeper spiritual understanding? If so, do you come with questions, curiosity and an open mind? Do you thirst for truth or do you want to know just enough to be a good Christian? Or do you come to Jesus because you need him and his love to mend your broken life? If you do not find the story of the ‘sinful woman’ relatable, stop and think for a second. Are there less ostensible (visible) dark spots in your life that you have not been able to overcome, such as anger, unwilling to forgive, selfish ambition, prejudice, gluttony (or self-control) and impatience? Do you see how your shortcomings may have hurt others and even yourself? Would you be willing to come to Jesus to mend your broken heart and relationships? If you come to Jesus for forgiveness, do you believe wholeheartedly that his love can make you whole? Can you truly let go and start over? If not, why not?

Tips

Both seeking deeper understanding of the Bible (the mind) and seeking love and forgiveness (heart) have their importance in our spiritual growth. Make a plan on how you would like to grow in these areas and put the plan to prayer.

No. 15