Podcasts about Zebedee

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Tuesday, 23 June 2026   A summary of Matthew Chapter 20.   Chapter 17 revealed that there is a future for Israel in God's redemptive plans. The main message of Chapter 18 was that childlike faith is required to enter into the kingdom. The final parable, that of the wicked servant, dealt with Israel's rejection of Christ's fulfillment of the law, showing that they would be delivered up until they entered the New Covenant. Chapter 19 took the reader through various topics to reveal what God prioritizes. The contrasts between law and faith were seen throughout the chapter.   Chapter 20 began with a parable based on Peter's question that came toward the end of Chapter 19, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). Jesus mentioned what would happen in the regeneration, meaning during the millennium, when the Son of Man would sit on the throne of His glory along with those who would sit judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The chapter closed out with Jesus' words of verse 30, “But many who are first will be last and the last first.”   That is what precipitated the parable of the workers in the field. Those who came last during the dispensation of the law would be the first to enter into the New Covenant, receiving grace, while those throughout the dispensation of the law had to labor.   Immediately after that parable, it noted that Jesus was going up to Jerusalem (Foundation of Peace). He took His twelve disciples aside to tell them about His coming passion. The place known as the Foundation of Peace would be where peace is realized through Christ's accomplishment of His work.   Immediately following those three verses, it noted that the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him. Rather than their names being stated, it called them “Zebedee's sons”. Zebedee is from the Hebrew Zebadyah (translated as Zebadiah). That is from zabad to confer or bestow, and the shortened form of Yehovah, Yah. The name means Yah Has Bestowed (Given).   Their mother's request was that Jesus would grant that her two sons would sit at Jesus' left and right in His kingdom. Ironically, she was asking the Lord incarnate to bestow upon Zebedee's (Yah Has Bestowed) sons what she requested. His answer was that it was not His to give. Instead, it was for those whom His Father had prepared.   As noted at the time, this does not mean that Jesus isn't God, but that His humanity had to complete His mission before the Father, through Him, could make such a grant. That discourse ended with the words, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).   The punning continued with that statement because Jesus is the fulfillment of the name Yah Has Bestowed. Despite this truth, there is an order and a propriety in all things pertaining to God. Each step in the redemptive process must be completed before the next step can be taken or before the next allowance can come to pass.   With that matter settled, the final section concerning the blind men was given. That began with, “Now as they went out of Jericho.” Jericho is Place of Fragrance. Typologically, it signifies the surety of heaven. Matthew, unlike Mark and Luke, notes that there were two blind men sitting by the road. Two is the number of division or difference. Whereas one precludes the thought of another, two signifies that there is another.   As this occurred while Jesus was going out of Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, it can be deduced that this refers to the surety of heaven (Jericho) for those who follow Christ to where He establishes peace (Jerusalem). Their cry was to the “Lord, Son of David.” They have recognized Him as the fulfillment of the messianic promises. Because there are two in Matthew's gospel, the number of division and difference, it can be assumed that this typologically refers to Jews and Gentiles who were previously blind, but who come to the realization that Jesus is the Christ.   They have heard the word that Jesus is passing, they have asked for their sight to be restored, and He touched their eyes, and they were restored. With that accomplished, it says that they followed Him. It is thus an anticipatory note of salvation by grace through faith based on the completed work of Christ. With that complete, the surety of heaven is realized.   The physical blindness is used as a picture of the spiritual blindness that infects all humanity and which is corrected by faith in the completed work of Jesus.   Life application: Chapter 20 is a chapter filled with hints of the transition from the dispensation of the law to the dispensation of grace. It deals with order and propriety concerning each step of the redemptive process to ensure that nothing is dealt with until the previous steps are completed.   The words from Jesus to the sons of Zebedee about being great in the kingdom show that greatness in God's redemptive process is not based on ruling over others, but rather serving others, Jesus being the example par excellence of that concept. He is the quintessential Servant to humanity, having given His life as a ransom for many.   To procure the blessings of heaven, God has made faith in what He has done the necessary condition. Nothing more can be added to it, and without meeting that one condition, there is no chance of obtaining access. These are the precious details of this wonderful chapter of Matthew.   Lord God, thank You for the incredible details that are tucked away in Your word. We are the recipients of Your wisdom and favor when we pick it up, read it, and consider its contents. Thank You for the innumerable mysteries You have allowed us to see within it. Thank You for this precious word that tells us of our wonderful Savior, Jesus. Amen.   Matthew 20   20 Like, for, it is the ‘kingdom, the heavens': man, housemaster, who he exited concurrently early to hire toilers into ‘vineyard, his'. 2Having also harmonized with the toilers from ‘denarius, the day,' he sent them into the ‘vineyard, his'. 3And having exited about the third hour, he saw others having stood in the market, inactive. 4And to them, he said, “You go, also you, into the vineyard, and whatever if it should be righteous, I will give you.” And these, they departed. 5Again, having exited around ‘sixth and ninth hour', he did likewise. 6Around, also, the eleventh hour, having exited, he found others having stood inactive. And he says to them, “Why, here, you ‘having stood all the day' inactive?” 7They say to him, “Because no one, us, he hired.” He says to them, “You go, also you, into the vineyard, and the ‘if it should be righteous', you will take.”   8Evening, also, having become, he says, the ‘lord, the vineyard' to ‘commissioner, his', ‘You call the toilers, and you pay them the reward, having commenced from the last unto the first.' 9Having come, also, those about the eleventh hour, they took each – denarius. 10Having come, also, the first, they deemed that more, they will take, and they took, also themselves, each – denarius. 11Having taken, also, they grumbled against the housemaster. 12Saying that “These, the last, one hour they made, and equal, them, to us, you made those who were bearing the burden of the day and the blaze.” 13The ‘also answering one of them', he said, ‘Scammer! Not I wrong you! Not for a denarius, you harmonized me? 14You bear the ‘yours', and you go! I will, also, this: the last to give as also you. 15Or not it permits me, what I will to do in ‘these, mine'? Or the ‘eye, you' evil, it is, because I – good, I am? 16Thus, they will be the last, first, and the first, last. Many, then, they are called; few, also, selected.'   17And ascending, the ‘Jesus to Jerusalem', He took twelve disciples apart alone, and in the road, He said to them, 18You behold! We ascend to Jerusalem, and the ‘Son, the Man', He will be surrendered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will sentence Him – death, 19and they will surrender Him to the Gentiles unto the ‘mock, and flog, and crucify', and the third day, He will rise up.   20Then she approached Him, the mother – the ‘sons, Zebedee', with the ‘sons, hers', worshipping and asking something from Him.   21The ‘Also He said' to her, “What do you desire?”   She says to Him, “You said that they might sit, these, the ‘two sons of mine,' one from ‘rights, You', and one from ‘lefts, You', in the ‘kingdom, Yours'.”   22Answering, also, Jesus, He said, “Not you have known what you ask! Are you able to drink the cup, the ‘I, I am about to drink,' or the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' to be immersed?”   They say to Him, “We are able.”   23And He says to them, ‘The ‘indeed, ‘cup, Mine',' you will drink, and the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' you will be immersed. The, also, to sit from ‘rights, Me', and from ‘lefts, Me', not it is Mine – these to give, but those it has been prepared under the ‘Father, Mine'.'   24And having heard, the ten, they outraged about the two brothers. 25The ‘also Jesus having summoned them', He said, “You have known that the ‘rulers, the nations' they subjugate them, and the greats, they dominate them.” 26Not thus, also, it will be in you, but whoever if he wills in you to ‘great, become', let him be your attendant. 27And whoever, if he wills in you to be first, let him be your slave. 28Just as the ‘Son, the Man', not He came to be attended to but to attend, and give the ‘soul, His' – ransom for many.   29And they, proceeding from Jericho, it followed Him, ‘crowd, great'. 30And you behold! Two ‘blind' sitting beside the road, having heard that Jesus, He passes, they croaked, saying, ‘You compassionate us, Lord, ‘Son, David'!'   31The ‘also crowd', it admonished them that they should mute. The ‘also greater they croaked', saying, “You compassionate us, Lord, ‘Son, David'!”   32And having stood, Jesus, He vocalized to them, and He said, ‘What you ‘will' I should do to you?'   33They say to Him, ‘Lord, that they might be opened the ‘eyes, ours'.' 34Having gut-wrenched, also Jesus, He touched the ‘eyes, theirs', and immediately they up-looked, their ‘the eyes', and they followed Him.  

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 20, the Book of Proverbs, and Isaiah 20 For Bible in Ten – By DH – 23rd June 2026 Yesterday we completed Matthew 20.    W. Bullinger associates the number 20 with expectancy. It is one short of 21, which is three times seven, a number suggestive of divine completion in spiritual perfection. Therefore, 20 carries the thought of waiting, looking forward, standing just short of completion, and expecting what God alone can bring to pass. As we will see, Matthew 20, Isaiah 20, and Proverbs, the twentieth book of the Bible, each harmonise around the same spiritual note of expectancy. Matthew 20 opens with workers waiting for their reward. Some have borne the burden and heat of the day. Others came at the eleventh hour. All are dependent upon the goodness of the master. The issue is not merely labor, but expectation. What will the master give? How will he judge? Will his goodness offend those who think reward should be measured by comparison? The answer is grace. The last receive what the master has freely determined to give. The first are not wronged, but their hearts are exposed. Thus, Matthew 20 begins with expectancy and turns it into a revelation of grace. Man expects according to merit. God gives according to His goodness. Isaiah 20 gives a darker companion witness. There, Isaiah becomes a sign against Egypt and Cush. The nations that seemed strong, useful, and dependable are exposed. Human refuge is stripped bare. The expectation placed in worldly strength is shown to be empty. This is the other side of expectancy. If man waits upon Egypt, he will be ashamed. If man waits upon Cush, he will be disappointed. Similarly if man waits upon his own wisdom, labor, greatness, or position. But if man waits upon the Lord, he will not be put to shame. This is where the pattern begins to shine. Isaiah has 66 chapters, and the Bible has 66 books. Isaiah, in broad outline, seems to stand as a remarkable miniature witness to the whole Bible. Within that larger 66-fold witness, Isaiah 20 fits with the twentieth book, Proverbs.  That is not random noise. It is the sort of pattern that causes us to marvel at God's wonderful word. It is ordered, layered, and spiritually alive. The same God who numbers the stars and calls them all by name has arranged His word, inspiring human authors with a wisdom that continually exceeds mere human ability and spanning vast distances of human history. Proverbs, as the twentieth book, is typically fitting. If 20 speaks of expectancy, Proverbs teaches us how to wait rightly. It teaches the fear of the Lord. It teaches humility before honor. It warns against pride, envy, haste, self-trust, and the evil eye. It teaches that the Lord weighs the heart and that man must not lean on his own understanding. This is exactly the wisdom needed in Matthew 20. The vineyard workers need Proverbs. They must learn not to grumble against goodness. The disciples need Proverbs. They must learn that greatness is not grasped through ambition. The mother of Zebedee's sons needs Proverbs. She must learn that honor is not seized by request, but prepared by the Father. The blind men heed what Proverbs points toward: the fear of the Lord, humble dependence, and a cry for mercy. The book of Proverbs gives immediate access to God's view of these things. It tells us plainly that pride blinds, envy corrodes, humility precedes honor, and wisdom begins with reverence for God. Matthew 20 then shows these truths embodied in living form. And at the centre stands Christ. He is the One for whom all true expectancy waits. He is the wisdom of God. He is the Servant who does not come to be served, but to serve. He is the ransom for many. He is the One going up to Jerusalem, where peace will be secured not through worldly power, but through His suffering, death, and resurrection. In Isaiah 20, false hope is stripped. In Proverbs, true wisdom is taught. In Matthew 20, true hope and true wisdom meet in Jesus Christ. So by considering the chapter through the lens of the number 20 and its Biblical meaning , we can see once again that man is waiting. Creation is waiting. Israel is waiting. The nations are waiting. The disciples are waiting. The blind are waiting. But the question is: what are they waiting for? Some wait for Egypt. Some wait for reward. Some wait for status. Some wait for human greatness. Some wait for their own works to justify them. But the faithful wait for the Lord. The two blind men at the end of Matthew 20 show the right response. They do not come boasting. They do not argue wages. They do not ask for thrones. They cry, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.” That is expectancy purified. That is wisdom in action. That is the opposite of trusting Egypt. That is the heart looking to the only One who can open blind eyes. And He does. The Lord stops. The Lord calls. The Lord asks. The Lord touches. The Lord restores sight. Then they follow Him. This is the glory of the pattern. The number 20 brings us to expectancy, but Christ brings expectancy to fulfillment. Proverbs teaches us to fear the Lord. Isaiah warns us not to trust in man. Matthew reveals the Lord Himself, walking the road to Jerusalem to accomplish what no man, nation, ruler, disciple, worker, or wise man could ever accomplish. Life application: We are always waiting for something. We wait for reward, vindication, provision, healing, direction, peace, and completion. The question is whether our expectancy is placed in the Lord or in something that will be stripped away. Isaiah 20 warns us that false confidence will be exposed. Proverbs teaches us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Matthew 20 shows us that the grace of God is found in Christ, the Servant-King, who gives His life as a ransom for many. Let us therefore wait rightly. Let us not grumble against grace. Let us not grasp after status. Let us not trust in Egypt. Let us not lean on our own understanding. Let us cry out with the blind men, “Lord, have mercy,” and follow the One who opens our eyes. Lord God, how wonderful is Your word. Its patterns are beyond us, its wisdom is pure, and its testimony always leads us to Christ. Thank You for showing us that our expectation must not be in man, merit, power, or position, but in You alone. Open our eyes, humble our hearts, and teach us to rejoice in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.  

1 And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,Factum est autem, cum turbae irruerunt in eum ut audirent verbum Dei, et ipse stabat secus stagnum Genesareth. 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.Et vidit duas naves stantes secus stagnum : piscatores autem descenderant, et lavabant retia. 3 And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.Ascendens autem in unam navim, quae erat Simonis, rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum. Et sedens docebat de navicula turbas. 4 Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.Ut cessavit autem loqui, dixit ad Simonem : Duc in altum, et laxate retia vestra in capturam. 5 And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.Et respondens Simon, dixit illi : Praeceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus : in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete. 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.Et cum hoc fecissent, concluserunt piscium multitudinem copiosam : rumpebatur autem rete eorum. 7 And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.Et annuerunt sociis, qui erant in alia navi, ut venirent, et adjuvarent eos. Et venerunt, et impleverunt ambas naviculas, ita ut pene mergerentur. 8 Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.Quod cum vidisset Simon Petrus, procidit ad genua Jesu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine. 9 For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.Stupor enim circumdederat eum, et omnes qui cum illo erant, in captura piscium, quam ceperant : 10 And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.similiter autem Jacobum et Joannem, filios Zebedaei, qui erunt socii Simonis. Et ait ad Simonem Jesus : Noli timere : ex hoc jam homines eris capiens. 11 And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.Et subductis ad terram navibus, relictis omnibus, secuti sunt eum.The Church is here represented by Peter's boat. In the ship of the Church of Jesus, beaten by the waves and tempest of the world, let us put our trust in God.

Reading 1Exodus 19:2-6aIn those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,Moses went up the mountain to God.Then the LORD called to him and said,“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;tell the Israelites:You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptiansand how I bore you up on eagle wingsand brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,you shall be my special possession,dearer to me than all other people,though all the earth is mine.You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”Reading 2Romans 5:6-11Brothers and sisters:Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,though perhaps for a good personone might even find courage to die.But God proves his love for usin that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,will we be saved through him from the wrath.Indeed, if, while we were enemies,we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,how much more, once reconciled,will we be saved by his life.Not only that,but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have now received reconciliation.GospelMatthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Matthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Matthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Matthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Matthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Ever wonder why the name John never appears in the Fourth Gospel, despite it being attributed to him? Join Fr. Assisi Saldanha, C.Ss.R., in this fascinating installment of the Who's Who in the Bible series as he unravels the mystery of the “Beloved Disciple.”This episode dives deep into:The identity crisis: Is the Beloved Disciple actually John, son of Zebedee?Biblical detective work: Analyzing the close, complex relationship between Peter and the mysterious disciple.The transformation: Exploring how a “Son of Thunder” became a witness of profound love.Don't miss this thought-provoking journey into the heart of the Fourth Gospel! Subscribe and view the full series to deepen your understanding of these iconic biblical figures today.

Matthew 9:35-10:8  (ESV)The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”The Twelve Apostles10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

SummaryThis sermon focuses on the life of James, the son of Zebedee, one of Jesus' twelve disciples and a member of the inner circle alongside His brother John and Peter. The pastor traces James's journey from an empty boat on the Sea of Galilee to his martyrdom in 44 AD, drawing out key lessons about surrender, purpose, and what it truly means to follow Jesus. James is introduced as a passionate, zealous 'son of thunder' who had to learn that following Christ is not about securing earthly thrones or personal prominence, but about offering your 'boat' (your life, your emptiness, your situation) fully to Jesus so He can fill it and use it for His purposes.Key Verses- Luke 5:9-11- Luke 9:51-55- Mark 10:35-38- Acts 12:1-2Life ApplicationThis week, identify one specific area of your life that you have been holding back from God, whether it is a relationship, a career decision, a habit, or a fear. Prayerfully place that area before Him and ask Him to have full access to your 'boat.' Then take one concrete step of obedience in that area, even if you cannot see exactly where it leads. Follow Him without calculation.Key Takeaways- Jesus meets us in our seasons of emptiness and can turn nothing into something, but He needs access to our 'boat' before He can fill it.- Following Jesus means surrendering the desire for earthly thrones and prominence, choosing instead to serve faithfully from whatever boat God has given you.- Jesus sees every individual personally, even when we feel overlooked or lumped in with the crowd, and He has a specific role and purpose for each person.- Genuine discipleship involves following Christ through joy, terror, and sorrow, not just in the seasons when everything goes our way.- The boldness of the early church, demonstrated through James's life and martyrdom, shows that a Spirit-filled message cannot be silenced, and the church advances even in the face of opposition.

CLICK HERE for videoMatthew 9:36-10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Friends of the Rosary,As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states (863), the Church is, and remains, apostolic through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles. All the faithful share a vocation to the apostolate of spreading Christianity on earth.We read today (Matthew 9:36—10:8) how Christ the Lord summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority to cure the sick from any disease, raise the dead, drive out demons, and proclaim: “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”They were: “Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”Also, this Sunday we see how Jesus' heart — his sacred heart — “was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”The Lord was moved with pity because he wanted each person in that crowd to respond to his love.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play

Matthew 9:35-10:23   Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Third Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament: Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) 1The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." 7Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." 10Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'14Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son." 15But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "Oh yes, you did laugh." [1 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." 7And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."] Psalm: Psalm 116:1,10-17 1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *        because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. 10 How shall I repay the Lord *        for all the good things he has done for me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *        is the death of his servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant; *        I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;        you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the Lord's house, *        in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.        Hallelujah! Old Testament: Exodus 19:2-8a 2They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.3Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites:4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites." 7So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8The people all answered as one: "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do." Psalm: Psalm 100 1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *        serve the Lord with gladness        and come before his presence with a song. 2 Know this: The Lord himself is God; *        he himself has made us, and we are his;        we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;   go into his courts with praise; *        give thanks to him and call upon his Name. 4 For the Lord is good;   his mercy is everlasting; *        and his faithfulness endures from age to age. Epistle: Romans 5:1-8 1Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8,(9-23) 35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." 1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]

35 Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."   10:1 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.   5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8 Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.  

Praying with Biblical Characters 

+ Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 9: 35 – 10: 8Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”The Gospel of the Lord

Friday, 12 June 2026   And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. Matthew 20:24   “And having heard, the ten, they outraged about the two brothers.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus informed the sons of Zebedee that they would indeed drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. However, He informed them that to sit at His right and left was not His to give, but for those prepared by His Father. With those words complete, it next says, “And having heard, the ten.”   This means the other ten apostles who had been called aside in verse 17, and who would have included Matthew, the one writing about what occurred. Of them, it says, “they outraged about the two brothers.”   A new word is seen, aganakteó, to be greatly indignant. It is only seen seven times, all in the synoptic gospels. One can see them missing the point of Jesus' words and being upset that James and John asked for this honorable seating at their expense.   Apparently, they all had the same aspiration and didn't like that these two stepped forward, bringing their mother to sweeten the deal. Each of them was thinking about an earthly royal court with earthly rewards and honors. They hungrily desired to obtain special rank and privilege in such a setting.   Whether they still had this ambition at the time of the ascension, they certainly still had the notion of an earthly kingdom on their mind at that time –   “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' 7 And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'” Acts 1:6-8   It is clear that throughout all of Jesus' ministry, they continued to misunderstand what God was doing in redemptive history. That continued in Acts as they struggled with the issue of Gentiles, law observance, etc.   Jesus had purposefully withheld much so that they could learn to simply trust His unfolding plan. The directive hand of God would effectively bring about what He purposed as they, along with us, have watched it unfold.   Life application: Nothing has changed in the hearts of many believers as they strive to find power and position within churches. People stand ready to curry the pastor's favor, willing to cut others apart with their tongues in an attempt to be heightened in the eyes of those in charge.   An example from right at the beginning concerning such personal dysfunction is found in 3 John –   “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” 3 John 1:9, 10   It's hard to understand how a person who was nothing but a johnny come lately would not receive a person who had been with Jesus throughout His ministry. But his name is recorded in Scripture, letting us know that such people exist. It is a sure indication that more like him are to be expected in the years to come.   Churches are filled with them. Imagine the backstabbing and corruption in larger denominations like Roman Catholicism. Power struggles that should not exist fill them because the focus is on self, not the furtherance of Christ's gospel and instruction in His word.   Let us consider these things and do our utmost to be people willing to serve, considering that Jesus set the example from the beginning. It is what Paul implores us to reflect on in Philippians 2:1-11. Take time to read that today.   Lord God, may we carefully consider our situation in the world, knowing that we are just temporary vessels to be used for a short span of time to further the knowledge of You in a world that desperately needs to hear it. May our hearts be humble, and may our feet be ready to share the good news every chance we get. Amen.  

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in His harvest.” And He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out … (Matthew 9:35-10:5a)

Thursday, 11 June 2026   So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” Matthew 20:23   “And He says to them, ‘The ‘indeed, ‘cup, Mine',' you will drink, and the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' you will be immersed. The, also, to sit from ‘rights, Me', and from ‘lefts, Me', not it is Mine – these to give, but those it has been prepared under the ‘Father, Mine'.'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the sons of Zebedee that they didn't realize what they were asking. He asked them if they could drink the cup He was to drink from and to be immersed with the immersion that He was to be immersed with. They boldly claimed that they were able. In response to that, it next says, “And He says to them, ‘The ‘indeed, ‘cup, Mine',' you will drink.'”   Jesus' cup refers to His coming passion. His words do not mean that they would suffer vicariously for others, something Jesus alone could do. Rather, as the Head of the church, those who follow Him will enter into His suffering simply by being His follower. The level at which that occurs for these two is not addressed. Jesus merely states it as a fact.   Acts 12:2 reveals that James was killed with the sword by Herod. John's suffering began at the cross as he watched Jesus die. From that time on, his life was wholly sold out to whatever trials or persecutions came his way. Thus, he was a living martyr, a living witness to the sufferings of Christ throughout his years. Toward the end of them, he wrote to the church –   “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9   There is a tradition that he survived being boiled in oil, but there is nothing to substantiate that beyond the tradition itself. Regardless, his life was long and was given over to the call of Christ. Jesus continues, saying, “and the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' you will be immersed.”   As noted in the previous verse, Jesus' immersion was His death on the cross. He died for the sins of the world. This is not what James and John would do, nor could they. However, they were immersed with Christ's immersion, something all believers participate in when they come to Christ –   “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11, 12   Christ died for sin, while believers die to sin in Christ. Thus, we are immersed into His immersion. This is referring to what occurs when one receives Jesus, not an outward display of water baptism. Water baptism is a command given by Jesus as an identifying sign of the inner change that has taken place. Jesus continues, saying, “The, also, to sit from ‘rights, Me', and from ‘lefts, Me', not it is Mine – these to give.”   At first, this seems contradictory to Revelation 3:21 –   “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”   Jesus has full authority to grant to those who come to Him their place in His kingdom. This would include the position to His left and right, but there is an order and a propriety in all things, including the process of granting such a position. Therefore, Jesus continues, saying, “but those it has been prepared under the ‘Father, Mine'.”   The words “under the ‘Father, Mine'” mean “under His authority or direction.” Jesus could not grant what He had not yet received. The Father ordained that Jesus was to be born under the law, live without sinning under the law, and die in fulfillment of the law. For Him to say that He would grant these positions before His work was done would be improper.   This is reflected in the opening words of Romans –   “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:1-4   As noted, there is an order to all things. Jesus had to follow what was prescribed by the Father, fulfilling His will before He could make such a determination as to who would sit in such a position. Thus, they are positions that are, as He said, “prepared under the ‘Father, Mine'.”   Life application: The cup of Jesus' suffering is one that those who follow Him will participate in. The manner in which it takes place will be different for all. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians –   “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-7   The fact that we have accepted Jesus means that we have partaken of the cup of Jesus' suffering. Any suffering beyond that will be based on our interactions within the world as followers of Christ. If someone were to move to a country where evangelism is forbidden and started evangelizing, he may be fined, imprisoned, or executed.   The choice to go to that country was voluntary. He could have stayed in his hometown and been a plumber. As a plumber, someone might say, “I will never hire that guy. He has a Jesus bumper sticker.” That suffering was also voluntary. He did not need to put the sticker on his car.   The level and type of suffering we will receive beyond participating in Jesus' suffering through faith in His completed work may be up to us, or it may be a result of our environment. The Christians in Nigeria will certainly agree to that. They are slaughtered by the thousands because of the name of Jesus.   Therefore, what occurs to any of us in our Christian walk will result from both personal choices as well as individual circumstances that are often beyond our control. No matter what, we should not fear in our walk in this world. We are His, and He will deliver us from this body of death to eternal life with Him.   Lord God, help us to have an eternal perspective in regard to our walk with You. Whatever happens here is temporary and will come to an end. But what lies ahead is eternal. May we not squander this short life we possess when it could be used for Your glory, each step of the way. Amen.

Wednesday, 10 June 2026   But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” Matthew 20:22   “Answering, also, Jesus, He said, ‘Not you have known what you ask! Are you able to drink the cup, the ‘I, I am about to drink,' or the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' to be immersed?' They say to Him, ‘We are able.'” (CG).   In the previous verse, the mother of Zebedee's sons asked Jesus to grant that her two sons could sit on His right and left sides in His kingdom. In response, Matthew records, “Answering, also, Jesus, He said, ‘Not you have known what you ask!'”   As noted in the previous verse, a question like this can cause real problems for the one being asked. His mind will have to consider every contingency that may arise in the future, something such a spur-of-the-moment question will not normally allow.   Because of this, a tension arises between granting and not granting the request. In the case of Jesus, no such tension would arise. He would know and understand all future possibilities, including the negatives such a question would entail.   In this case, one of the immediate negatives is that the asker, not the one being asked, really has no idea what they (the verb is plural) are truly asking for. In the case of this question, Ellicott correctly states, “That nearness to Him in His glory could be obtained only by an equal nearness in suffering.”   It isn't that they counted such a cost. Rather, they have no idea about such a cost. They think Jesus will be hailed by the people as the Messiah and Israel's King, but there is not an inkling in their mind what He will go through for that to come about.   As this is so, these two men have actually put themselves ahead of Jesus. They are asking for a position in Jesus' kingdom before He has gone through what is necessary to obtain that kingdom. It is true that their request is conditional on His securing the kingdom, but because of their ignorance of what that involves, it's like saying, “Whatever happens that causes You to be king, we want to be there on seats with You when it is over.”   This is a natural human way of looking at things, and it is just what Jonathan did with David when he was set to become the king –   “And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.'” 1 Samuel 23:17   Jonathan assumed that the future was set by his words, but God's plans and purposes must come to pass according to His will. Jesus, knowing what lies ahead in His ministry, hints that it will not be what these two men think, asking, “Are you able to drink the cup, the ‘I, I am about to drink'?”   The cup signifies one's lot, good and bad. When one drinks from a cup of sweetness, the sweetness becomes a part of that person, invigorating him. When he drinks hemlock, it becomes a part of him, destroying his life. Jesus had come to deal with sin in humanity. Such a cup would mean God's wrath on sin would be poured out. Israel sinned, and they received God's cup of wrath –   “Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out.” Isaiah 51:17   Jesus' cup would be sufficient to deal with all of the sins of humanity. Thus, it would be a terrifying cup of wrath and judgment. He continues, asking, “or the immersion, the ‘I, I am immersed' to be immersed?”   Immersion signifies a change in direction and even in nature. John's immersion was one of repentance, turning from sin and returning to the way of the Lord. Jesus' immersion is found in the cross. It is the instrument of His immersion, going from life with God in Christ to immersion in death and separation from God for man's sin.   These together, the cup and the immersion, were what Jesus was destined for. And they were not for His sake but for the world. Despite this, and having no clue what this meant, the brothers chimed in with words of confidence. Matthew records, “They say to Him, ‘We are able.'”   It is a noble and confident affirmation lacking any comprehension of what lay ahead for Jesus.   Life application: Imagine what God in Christ was willing to do to restore us to Himself. He was under no obligation to suffer the indignation, torture, and humility of the cross in order to restore us to Him. And yet, He willingly did it.   What value does God see in us? It is hard to figure but it is there. His infinite goodness meant setting aside His glory and taking on a frail, human form. And His humanity went through all the struggles and trials humans face. And then it went through more when He was judged for our sins.   If you feel you are lacking value, look to the cross of Christ. You have infinite value in God's eyes when you accept the gospel and follow Jesus in faith.   Lord God, it is beyond our comprehension when we try to consider what the cross of Jesus truly signifies. It is the highest point of our existence when we to look and accept what it means. Everything changes from that moment on. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You. Amen.  

The Bible Study centers on the life, identity, and profound significance of the Apostle John, emphasizing his unique relationship with Jesus as the 'disciple whom Jesus loved,' a title he uses five times in his Gospel. It traces John's background as the younger son of Zebedee, part of the inner circle of disciples alongside Peter and James, and highlights his presence at pivotal moments—such as the Last Supper, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the Mount of Transfiguration—underscoring his intimate access to Christ's ministry. The Bible Study underscores John's enduring legacy as the author of the Gospel of John, which affirms Christ's deity, and his later role as a foundational leader in the early church, including his participation in Pentecost and his prominence in Jerusalem's leadership alongside Peter and James. Through his writings—especially his Gospel and epistles—John's theology of divine love, personal relationship with Christ, and enduring faithfulness are presented as central to Christian doctrine and spiritual formation.

Tuesday, 9 June 2026   And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” Matthew 20:21   “The ‘Also He said' to her, ‘What do you desire?' She says to Him, ‘You said that they might sit, these, the ‘two sons of mine,' one from ‘rights, You', and one from ‘lefts, You', in the ‘kingdom, Yours'.” (CG)   In the previous verse, the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons, kneeling before Him and asking a petition from Him. Matthew continues with, “The ‘Also He said' to her, ‘What do you desire?'”   When put in a position like this, all a person can do is wait for whatever is coming. It is reminiscent of what occurred between the Lord and Abraham –   “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?'” Genesis 18:22, 23   Human beings have emotions and desires, wants and needs, and hopes and aspirations. Laying them before the Lord is one of the most common things we do. Jesus sees that what is being requested is obviously of great importance to them. With his question asked, “She says to Him, ‘You spoke.'”   The words mean she is asking for an authoritative statement to be made, essentially a declaration. Her request is “that they might sit, these, the ‘two sons of mine,'...”   She is asking for a decree to be made concerning her two sons. To sit in this case is not yet defined, but it means to hold a position. Israel “sat” in Egypt, the king “sits” on his throne, etc. A position is being requested. If it is made, it is something that will stand. People do this to other people, and it quite often puts them in a difficult position.   The reason for this is that a lifetime of contingencies may lie ahead that cannot be known at the time. Thus, when such a request is made, it can really put a person on the spot. As for the specific request, it is that “one from ‘rights, You', and one from ‘lefts, You'.”   The plural, rights and lefts, is a way of expressing the totality of one's side. This is common in Hebrew as well. But it is not unknown in English. We may say, “I am boxed in by my surroundings.” Such plural use gives a fuller sense than would be carried with a singular.   In this case, she is asking for her sons to sit in the fullness of Jesus right hand and left hand. The right hand is the preeminent position of honor, power, and authority. To be one's “right-hand man” means he has full authority to exercise the superior's will, just as Joseph had full authority over Pharaoh's house.    At that time, Pharaoh said, “...only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” The left side is one step down in prominence. If the one on the right cannot fulfill his duty, the one on the left would assume it.  As for this place of authority, she is asking for, it is “in the ‘kingdom, Yours'.”    Jesus had said they were going to Jerusalem. He had made a statement that they did not understand, but it appeared the promised earthly kingdom was at hand, something that the nation fully expected when they hailed Him on Palm Sunday –   “Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'” Mark 11:9, 10   Because of the nearness of what was anticipated, she has come forward now, seizing the moment in anticipation of her sons being Jesus' chief men when that day arrived.   Life application: The sons of Zebedee have already been called “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus, as recorded in Mark 3:17. They had been a part of Jesus' inner circle, having been invited to events that only they and Peter were privy to, such as the transfiguration and the raising of Jairus' daughter.   It is evident from John's gospel that Jesus had a special spot in His heart for John, even allowing him to sit next to Him at the Last Supper. Peter was impulsive and was openly rebuked by Jesus in Matthew 16. Thus, these two seemed like a logical choice to be Jesus' chief men.   Though it may seem presumptuous to us, they probably felt that they had a right to their request already and wanted it solidified with their mother's appeal.   In the end, they will get two distinct places of honor from Jesus. James will be the first apostle to die, while John will be the last. As such, they were granted special honor by Jesus in one way, even if it was not what they expected as they stood with their mother before Jesus.   Lord God, thank You for hearing our pleas, misguided as they may be. You know when to grant our requests and when they are inappropriate. Our hearts are opened to You, and we often are overzealous in what we desire. Thank You that You know what is best for us and respond according to Your wisdom. Amen.  

In Matthew 9 and 10, Jesus looks out at a world of harassed and helpless sheep and responds not with more demands, but with compassion and the proclamation of the kingdom. In this episode we explore the difference between teaching and preaching, why miracles point beyond themselves, and how Christ sends his disciples with his own authority to deliver what they themselves first received. Following the emphasis of Gerhard Forde, the heart of the mission is not moral improvement or religious achievement, but announcing to lost sheep that the kingdom of heaven has come near in Jesus Christ.GOSPEL Matthew 9:35-10:835 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."1 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Tuesday, 8 June 2026   Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. Matthew 20:20   “Then she approached Him, the mother – the ‘sons, Zebedee', with the ‘sons, hers', worshipping and asking something from Him.” (CG)   In the previous verse, Jesus told the twelve about His coming passion and the resurrection that will occur on the third day. Matthew next records, “Then she approached Him, the mother – the ‘sons, Zebedee'.”   This would be Salome, as can be determined from two separate sets of verses –   “And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.” Matthew 27:55, 56   “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.” Mark 15:40, 41   Some also place her as the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus –   “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” John 19:10   This is possible, but Mark's “many other women” means that it must remain speculation. Next, Matthew records that she came “with the ‘sons, hers'.” These are specified elsewhere, such as in Mark's record of this event, as James and John –   “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.'” Mark 10:35   It is apparent that the request of James and John (as cited in Mark 10) is mingled with the actions of their mother. Whether they or she initially instigated the event, they were all aware of it and probably figured that Jesus would incline towards their appeal if it was made through their mother. Whatever the case, she came “worshipping.”   The word proskuneó, which has been seen ten times already, is used. It is a derivative of pro, to or toward, and either kuón, dog, or kyneo, to kiss. Either way, the sense is understood. It is like a dog that comes to the feet of a master or kissing the feet of a superior.   Thus, it implies a sense of worship. In conjunction with her humble prostration, it says, “and asking something from Him.”   Unitedly, they have a petition from Jesus. One can tell by the mother's inclusion that is something beyond a regular request.   Life application: Of this event, Cambridge, who was obviously there at the time of Jesus, making a video of the event, says –   “St Mark begins ‘And James and John the sons of Zebedee came unto him, saying, &c.' For once St Matthew is more graphic and true to detail than St Mark.”   I mean, how else could they state this unless they were on the same “See the Messiah” tour? The utterly ridiculous nature of their comment is indicative of some arrogant buffoon who has decided what must be true and what must be a fabrication in God's word.   Without ever considering that the two accounts could easily be melded together into one scene, they have derided the word of God and claimed that one account is “superior” to the other. To say “more...true to detail” means that the other account is less true to detail.   Rather than such an arrogant and dismissive comment, John Gill handles the variance between the two with logic –   “These two disciples, having observed what Christ had said concerning the twelve disciples sitting on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and what he had just related, concerning his rising again the third day, which they might understand of some display of his glory; and concluding from all this, that the setting up of his temporal monarchy was at hand, inform their mother of it, and move to her, to use her interest with Christ, in their favour: and which they did, partly to shun the envy and ill will of the rest of the disciples; and partly, to conceal their own pride and vanity; as also, they might think a request from her, on their behalf, would be more easily granted: accordingly, she agreeing to the motion, they all three came, as Matthew relates, and the mother is the mouth, and speaks for her sons; so that they may be said to make such a request by her, she representing them; or they joined in the petition with her; or as soon as she had made it, they seconded it, and made it their own.”   Be humble with God's word. Don't be arrogant or a know-it-all. Someday, you will have to stand before its Author and give an account concerning how you treated it.   Lord God, help us to remember to always handle Your word with respect and care. May we never diminish its sacred contents. You are God. Help us to accept Your word as trustworthy and reliable, seeking to understand the difficult parts with humility. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.  

Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered Him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. (John 21:2-8)

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Charles Murr joins Terry Gospel – Mark 10:32-45 – The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them what was going to happen to Him. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,  and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles who will mock Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him, and put Him to death, but after three days He will rise.” Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” He replied, “What do you wish Me to do for you?” They answered Him, “Grant that in Your glory we may sit one at Your right and the other at Your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at My right or at My left is not Mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Priest Saint Augustine, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Original Post Date: May 29, 2024 === Gospel Mark 10:32-45 The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise." Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Reflection Jesus is describing to his disciples the essence of who he is. He is a servant coming into the world to do something for everyone else, even giving up his life. And he wants to teach this to his disciples. And in a very obvious way, in this story, they don't get it. They don't understand it. Not only do they not get it, but as soon as he describes his self-giving, they turn to him and say, we want you to give us what we want. And Jesus in his kindness, and his gentleness just makes it clear to them, look what I'm asking you to do in this world is to be engaged in me. In me and you through baptism. And you want to drink the cup. And the cup is selflessness. You learn how to be a servant. That's the essence of what I long for all of you to be. It's a beautiful way of making clear how difficult it often is for us to get past our self-centeredness. Closing Prayer Father, it's natural for us as human beings to be caring about what we need. But break us of that habit that we can open ourselves to what you empower us to be. It's not that we can be the selfless creatures you want us to be, but with you we can be that selfless creature. Fill us with a spirit of giving and we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Drop Your Nets”Matthew 4:18-2218 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

MAY 24 | Who Is This King? | Mark 10:32-45 ...They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”“You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”“We can,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

MAY 24 | Who Is This King? | Mark 10:32-45 ...They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”“You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”“We can,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

MAY 24 | Who Is This King? | Mark 10:32-45 ...They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”“You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”“We can,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

MAY 24 | Who Is This King? | Mark 10:32-45 ...They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”“You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”“We can,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When you think of your work, do you think about the most important work God has called us to? That work is to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this work is a shared work for all of us who are brothers and sisters in Christ. Men and women share a critical, unified role in sharing the beautiful gift of mercy and eternity we have in Jesus! Although we see the twelve disciples Jesus calls in the New Testament are all men, we cannot choose to miss all the ways women were used by Jesus for the great work of sharing the good news! Jesus's first revelation of himself being the Messiah is to the woman at the well. This account in John 4 is significant first because Jesus is alone accepting water from a Samaritan woman. The Samaritans were the outcasts of the time, and this woman was a woman with many husbands. He breaks barriers to bring her into unity in his revelation. The best part is her response. This woman runs all the way back to town, not caring about who she is in this community but who she is in Christ, and begins to share the good news of the living water. We see Jesus with Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus in the scriptures. Mary and Martha provided hospitality to Jesus and the disciples with meals and a place to teach. We know Jesus deeply loved Lazarus and deeply cared for Mary and Martha, which was matched by their devotion and trust for him. Not only were women part of the ministry of Jesus in his living but also in his death and resurrection. At the crucifixion in Matthew 27:55-56 we learn there were many women there, looking from a distance. These women had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Again, this ministering could have been for physical needs like food and shelter or emotional and spiritual support during his ministry. Either way, these women, worked in unity with the men alongside Jesus. The women at the cross displayed great loyalty to the end, and they were also first to learn of the resurrection. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb (Matthew 28:1). Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10). We may not see a lot about the unity between the 12 disciples and these women, but we see a more important unity—the unity between Jesus Christ and them. How are you in unity with Jesus at work today?

Rev. Jonathan Brown 05/11/2026 Sometimes the things that become central to who we are begin as a surprise. They do not always arrive with a clear plan, a perfect explanation, or a sense that we understand exactly what we are saying yes to. Sometimes a door opens, an invitation comes, a possibility appears, and only later do we realize that something important in us began to take shape there. When Francis came to us at eleven, he spoke very little English. I spoke no Spanish. Katy knew a bit. And DC Child and Family Services seemed to consider a person bilingual if they had Google Translate on their phone. Every day, I thank God because his young mind has been able to adapt to our language, while I still find myself cursing Duolingo. And since Francis became part of our family, he has also become an accomplished cyclist. He has won two Under 19 series championships, and he spends his free time training to get better. At our local bike shop, someone told us he was a unicorn because he fell in love with cycling even though his parents were not already obsessed with it. This was not a family culture he simply inherited. It became his. One day after a race, I was kind of in awe of him and all he had accomplished, and I asked him, “Francis, how did this happen? How did cycling become your thing?” And he said, “Do you remember when I first moved in with you, and you asked if I wanted a bike?” I said, “Yes.” And he said, “I did not know what you were saying, and I did not want to be rude, so I just said yes. Then I fell in love with it.” I love that. Because so much of life is like that. One day, seemingly out of the blue, something comes into our lives that we did not plan for and could not have predicted. At first, it may feel random. It may feel small. It may feel like a simple yes to a simple question. But over time, that unexpected beginning can become a practice, then a passion, then a major part of who we are. A bike becomes more than a bike. A first ride becomes a rhythm. A rhythm becomes a love. A love becomes part of someone's identity. And that helps me hear Mark's story with fresh ears. Simon and Andrew do not wake up that morning knowing they are about to become disciples. James and John do not begin the day expecting their lives to turn in a new direction. They are working. They are casting nets. They are mending nets. They are living the life they know. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Jesus walks by and says, “Follow me.” What may have felt sudden in the moment becomes the beginning of their identity. They will come to be known as disciples, apostles, witnesses, people whose lives are forever shaped by Jesus. One ordinary day becomes the day they discover the call that will define them. In this first movement of our series, we are asking one of the most basic and important questions Christians can ask: Who are we? In a culture that often tells us our worth depends on success, power, control, or fear, the gospel speaks a deeper truth. We are beloved. We are called. We are connected. We are sent. And today, we begin with this: we know who we are because we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Mark tells the story with striking simplicity. Jesus passes along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea, because they are fishers. Jesus says to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately, they leave their nets and follow him. Then Jesus goes a little farther and sees James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending nets in their boat. He calls them too, and they leave their father in the boat with the hired men and follow him. That whole scene unfolds with surprising simplicity. Jesus walks along the water and sees ordinary people in the middle of their ordinary work. The call of Jesus meets them right there, in the texture of daily life, among boats, nets, family, labor, and responsibility. Before they have time to prepare themselves, before they know where the road will lead, Jesus invites them into a new life. He finds them in the routines they know and calls them toward a future they cannot yet imagine. That is good news, because many of us assume that if God is going to call us, we need to be somewhere else first. We need to become more faithful, more prepared, more certain, more spiritually mature. But Mark tells us Jesus calls people in the middle of life. Jesus calls them as they are, but he does not leave them as they are. “Follow me,” he says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” That phrase can sound strange to us, especially when it has been used in ways that feel manipulative or aggressive. But Jesus is calling them into a way of life that gathers people into the nearness of God. He is calling them to participate in healing, mercy, liberation, forgiveness, and beloved community. Jesus calls these first disciples to walk with him until his way becomes their way. That is discipleship. Discipleship is the lifelong practice of being shaped by the one we follow. That is why this sermon title matters: “We Know Who We Follow: Jesus.” The church is always tempted to forget. We are tempted to follow success, fear, nostalgia, outrage, or whatever gives us belonging without transformation. But Christians belong to Jesus Christ. And Jesus shows us who God is. As we follow Jesus through Mark, we see what God's life looks like in the world. We see Jesus announcing good news, healing bodies, restoring people to community, touching those others refuse to touch, feeding hungry people, welcoming children, challenging religious hypocrisy, confronting oppressive powers, and refusing to abandon the vulnerable. We see him going to the cross rather than returning violence for violence. We see him raised by God, with the promise that death and empire and abandonment do not get the final word. So when we say, “We follow Jesus,” we are saying our lives are being reoriented around the crucified and risen Christ. We are saying that the clearest picture we have of God's character is Jesus eating with sinners, touching the untouchable, forgiving enemies, blessing the poor, challenging the powerful, and giving himself in love. That is not ideology. That is a way of life. This is where our United Methodist tradition helps us. Methodism began as a renewal movement of people who wanted to follow Jesus with their whole lives. Early Methodists gathered in societies, classes, and bands. They prayed together. They confessed sin together. They studied scripture together. They gave money to the poor. They visited the sick and imprisoned. They held one another accountable in love. As the movement grew, John Wesley gave the people called Methodists what became known as the General Rules: first, do no harm; second, do good; third, attend upon all the ordinances of God. In more recent years, Bishop Rueben P. Job helped many United Methodists recover the power of these rules in his book Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living . Job summarized Wesley's General Rules in language that has become familiar across our tradition: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. These rules are a way of asking, every day, “What does it mean to follow Jesus here?” What does it mean to follow Jesus in this conversation, this conflict, this family, this workplace, this church, this neighborhood, this moment? There is a sitcom called The Good Place that, beneath all the jokes, bright colors, frozen yogurt shops, and absurd afterlife architecture, is really about moral formation. The show begins with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up after death and being told that she has made it into “the Good Place.” But Eleanor quickly realizes she does not belong there. In life, she had been selfish, rude, careless, and often cruel. So at first, her moral project is not really about becoming good. It is about passing as good. That is part of what makes the show so funny and so honest. Eleanor wants to learn enough ethics to blend in. She wants goodness as a disguise. And if we are honest, that is not always far from how people can treat religion too. We can learn the language, the gestures, and the right answers. We can learn how to pass as good. But Jesus does not call us to pass as faithful. Jesus calls us to follow. And this is where Chidi becomes so important. Chidi Anagonye is a moral philosophy professor. He knows the ethical theories. He can explain Kant, Aristotle, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and moral duty. If anyone should know how to be good, it should be Chidi. But Chidi's problem is that knowing about goodness does not automatically make him free to live it. He is so afraid of making the wrong choice that he struggles to make any choice at all. His knowledge is real, but it has not yet become courage. His ethics are serious, but they have not yet become love in motion. That makes Eleanor and Chidi surprisingly helpful for the church. Eleanor reminds us that faith is not about passing as good. Chidi reminds us that faith is not only about knowing what is good. Knowledge matters, but knowledge alone is not discipleship. Discipleship is when what we know becomes a life. Discipleship is when truth becomes practice. Discipleship is when grace becomes courage, mercy, forgiveness, service, and love. Over time, Eleanor and Chidi both change because they are drawn into a deeper kind of formation. Eleanor has to practice honesty, compassion, and care for someone beyond herself. Chidi has to practice trust, courage, and choosing love even when he cannot calculate every possible consequence. In other words, both of them have to be discipled beyond appearance and beyond certainty into faithfulness. That is what makes The Good Place surprisingly Wesleyan. The characters become different not because they master one idea or earn enough points, but because they keep practicing a better way of being human. Christian faith is not self improvement with hymns. The gospel is grace. It is God meeting us before we are ready, loving us before we are worthy, and calling us before we fully understand where the road will lead. But grace does not leave us unchanged. Grace begins to form us. That is why the Methodist tradition has always cared about practices. We practice faith because practice keeps us open to the love that is already working on us. We practice doing no harm. We practice doing good. We practice staying in love with God. And over time, through the mercy of God, those practices begin to shape us into people who look a little more like the one we follow. The first rule is: do no harm. Harm is not only physical violence. Harm can come through words, neglect, silence, systems, assumptions, jokes, posts, grudges, and the people we refuse to see. To follow Jesus is to ask: Is my life causing harm? Are my words causing harm? Are my habits causing harm? Are my comforts causing harm? Most of us are not being asked to leave literal nets on the shore, but we may need to ask what nets we are holding. What old ways of being keep catching us? What habits make us feel safe but keep us from love? The second rule is: do good. Christian faith is about participating in God's healing of the world. “Follow me,” Jesus says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” In other words, your life is going to become part of God's work of gathering, healing, feeding, forgiving, restoring, and liberating. Sometimes doing good is serving someone who cannot repay you. Sometimes it is telling the truth when silence would be easier. Sometimes it is forgiving someone, apologizing, showing up, or acting with courage at work or at home. The third rule is: stay in love with God. Wesley's original language was “attend upon all the ordinances of God,” meaning the practices that keep us open to grace: public worship, prayer, searching the scriptures, receiving communion, fasting, Christian conversation, and works of mercy. In other words, stay close to the practices that remind you who you are and whose you are. Because we cannot follow Jesus for long on outrage, willpower, or guilt alone. We need grace. We need prayer. We need worship. We need scripture. We need communion. We need community. We need people who help us remember when we forget. And we do forget. The disciples forgot. Peter left his nets immediately, but later denied Jesus three times. James and John followed Jesus, but later argued about greatness. They followed, but they stumbled. They were called, but they were not instantly complete. And that should comfort us. Following Jesus does not mean we never fail. It means that when we fail, grace calls us again. This matters because the world is full of rival formations. Every day, something is trying to disciple us. Fear disciples us. Consumerism disciples us. Nationalism disciples us. Algorithms disciple us. Anger disciples us. Anxiety disciples us. The endless need to prove ourselves disciples us. The endless need to belong by having an enemy disciples us. So the question is not whether we are being formed. The question is: Who is forming us? So when we talk about discipleship, we are talking about formation. We are talking about what shapes our loves, habits, reflexes, speech, courage, compassion, and imagination. The world is constantly discipling us into anxiety, resentment, consumption, suspicion, and fear. But Jesus calls us into another formation. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and then teaches us the way of mercy, justice, courage, humility, forgiveness, and love. And when Jesus says, “Follow me,” he is giving us both a command and a promise. “Follow me, and I will make you…” The making belongs to Jesus. The transformation belongs to grace. Jesus calls us as we are, and then grace begins its work. Grace teaches us to do no harm. Grace strengthens us to do good. Grace draws us deeper into love with God. Grace makes us into people who can bear witness to another way of life. So this week, choose one small way to follow Jesus intentionally. Serve someone. Forgive someone. Act with courage in your work or home. Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. Not because these practices save us by our own effort, but because they open our lives to the grace that is already calling us. Because somewhere, even now, Jesus is walking along the shoreline of our ordinary lives. He sees us. He knows us. He calls us. And his invitation is still the same: “Follow me.” May we have the grace to leave behind what binds us. May we have the courage to walk in his way. May we have the humility to be made new. And may our lives become a clear witness to the truth we proclaim: we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Amen.

Join us as we dig deeper into last Sunday's sermon from Pastor Marcus Lane "Peter" and hear from Amy Duncan and Nate Zuellig on "Made For More". Digging Deeper Questions:  Have you experienced instances where living a self-directed life feels like spinning your wheels in futility? If so, what made self-direction so frustrating?   What freedom is found in living a divine-directed life?   Can you see a clear connection between the restoration Jesus brings and the purpose Jesus gives you in your own life and work? Where do you see opportunities to live as a minister of reconciliation like Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5?     Scripture Reading: John 21:1-19 1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.   4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.   9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.   15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." Intro/Outro Song: "Only One" Nate Zuellig ULC Artist In Residence    "Made For More" Bethel Music CCLI Song # 7207758   CCLI License # 11254293

JOHN 21:1-14 - CAST YOUR NET - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025JOHN 21:1-14 "After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and [a]immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”They answered Him, “No.”6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead."To support this channel and partner with Brian in Ministryhttps://www.briansumner.net/support/For more on Brianhttp://www.briansumner.nethttps://www.instagram.com/BRIANSUMNER/https://www.facebook.com/BRIANSUMNEROFFICIALTo listen to Brians Podcast, click below.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Purchase Brians Marriage book at https://www.amazon.com/Never-Fails-Da...Brian is a full time "Urban Missionary" both locally and internationally with a focus on MISSIONS - MARRIAGES - MINISTRY. Since coming to faith in 2004 doors continued opening locally and internationally to do more and more ministry with a focus on Evangelism, Outreach Missions, Marriage, Counsel, Schools, Festivals, Conferences and the like.  Everything about this ministry is made possible because of people personally partnering through the non profit. God Bless and thank you. †Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW

She comes across a little pushy and demanding.  But maybe this mama, just wanted what was best for her boys.  A good mom always wants what is best for her kids!

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --John 21:1-12 NLTGod will use repeat challenges as a reminder of His faithfulness to always find us and feed us. One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish. “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me, I'm such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:1-11 NLTThe only thing that qualifies anyone for the call of God is His grace, received by faith.God's grace saves us and God's grace sends us! Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. Matthew 14:24-25 CSBWhen you doubt the feasibility of the directions your doubting the faithfulness of the director. But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing. Matthew 26:32-35 CSBPeter said, “Man, I don't know what you're talking about! ” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. Luke 22:60-62 CSBBut go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you. Mark 16:7 CSB When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? ” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me? ” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me? ”Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me? ” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don't want to go.” He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.” John 21:15-22 CSBChrist is still calling His followers to the simplicity of a life centered on Him and His Kingdom! -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

Bartimaeus was blind, broke, and sitting on the side of the road. His desperation led him to shout past the crowd—who were telling him to shut up—and to get the attention of the one who could do something. This Sunday we're talking about the kind of bold, persistent, holy-hustle faith that refuses to stay seated and discovers that Jesus is already waiting, already asking, already wanting to hear all about how he can answer your deepest needs. Check out the weekly sermon here or on our SRBC podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify. This Sunday we're exploring:Why faith is not passive and what bold, persistent faith actually looks like in practiceThe question Jesus asks twice in Mark 10, and why he answers it differently each time — What do you want?Why the version of Christianity that tells you to want nothing and need nothing is unbiblical and antithetical to the Jesus wayHow sacred striving and holy hustle are not opposed to grace but the key that unlocks the grace that awaits youHow the mature follower of Jesus knows who they are, knows what they need, and is satisfied with the God's answers to their requests Like what you hear? We'd love to know.At South Run, we read every message personally. Whether you have a question, want to share how God is moving in your life, or are thinking about visiting in person, this is the place to start. If you click the link below, Pastor Eric will personally reach out to you. Listening online? Let us know. Sermon Transcript What Do You Want? — Sermon TranscriptSouth Run Baptist Church | Springfield, VAPastor Eric GilchrestMark 10:46–52This is a full sermon transcript from South Run Baptist Church in Springfield, Virginia. In this message, Pastor Eric Gilchrest preaches on the healing of blind Bartimaeus from Mark 10:46–52. This sermon is part of the ongoing "The Jesus Way" transformation series and addresses the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus — "What do you want me to do for you?" — exploring what it means to bring our deepest desires to God, why active faith matters, and how to pursue the abundant life with what Pastor Eric calls "holy hustle."Opening Prayer: The Hope and Possibility That Children RepresentHeavenly Father, I thank you for these children, for the life that they represent, the energy, the possibility, the hope of their future. They are a reminder to us all, the adults in the room, of just what is possible when we give our lives over to you. And so, Lord, today we do so again, and we ask that you speak to us right here, right now. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.What Do You Desire from God? A Question That Broke a Pastor's BrainA few years ago, I was part of a small group of pastors. We met about once a month, and it was over Zoom, and in the first meeting that we had together, it was in person, and it was for a full day. And during this full day session, we really got to know each other well. We hadn't really met each other prior to this, and so there was just a lot of sharing, a lot of honesty, and then periodically in the meeting, we would be given a prompt that we would then have to go journal about for about 30 minutes or so.The very first prompt that we were given and we were supposed to go journal about was really quite simple. And it's a question, which is: what do you desire from God? What do you desire from God? And I remember I took the question, and I still have the journal, and I went off to my own little place, and I wrote the question at the top of the journal, and I sat there, and I felt like my brain was breaking, because despite 40 years of living on this earth at that point, I had never really asked that question. Like, I was always tuned to ask, what does God want, right? What does God desire from me? And I think this is a very good question, too, but they were asking me to think about, what do I desire? Like, what do I want in this life?And this is the question Jesus asks to Bartimaeus today — what do you want from me, is what he asks him. And it's the question I think you should be asking of yourself. And the truth is this, right? Even if you say, well, I don't have a desire, or I'm not supposed to have one — it's always there. It's lurking underneath. You're just kind of squashing it down. There are things sitting in your heart right now. You just simply need to be honest about them, and you need to bring them to God, and you need to see, like, God, is this what you desire? And then we tune our desires with the desires of God. And God may say, as he said to Bartimaeus, a big yes, be healed. And he may say no. And we must learn what it means to receive both of these answers.But with this sermon, my hope for you today is that as we continue down this path together of the Jesus way, the abundant life way, we get serious about what it is that we actually want ourselves in this life, but then we do something about it — that we don't just sit still and we don't wait for the thing to happen and we sit on our hands and do nothing. We actually then pursue and we proceed to go somewhere.Mark 10:46–52: Blind Bartimaeus on the Road to JerichoJesus is asking Bartimaeus today, what is it that you want me to do for you? And I actually think God is asking this same question of each of us. What do you want me to do for you? The truth is this: it's obvious that only you can live your life. No one's going to live it for you. God's not even going to live your life for you. And so part of being a follower of Jesus and finding our way down that path toward abundance is walking with an active kind of faith — moving and doing, pursuing, working in the world. And as we do so, coming back to God regularly, daily, asking God, is this what I should be doing in the world? Use me today for your ends.Let's go ahead and pick up Mark. If you've got your scriptures, we're in Mark 10:46 to 52. If you don't have a Bible with you, there's definitely one in the pew back, and I would encourage you to pull that out right now.Jesus is nearing the end of his life. He's heading out of Jericho and actually into Jerusalem for the very last time, and this is where we pick him up. It says:"They came to Jericho, and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside."I really want you to envision this scene. I want you to put yourself into it. I want you to be Bartimaeus. I want you to sit there blinded for decades. I want you to be the beggar on the side of the road who is desperate. And then you know who Jesus is, and he's walking by. I want you to ask yourself what you would do in this situation.We continue in verse 47: "When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Have mercy on me." And he cries out. Oh, you might do this too, right? You might cry out and you know this is your one shot. You're going to shoot your shot and you are going to find that man that can actually do something.But then there's probably some of you in the room who might think, well, he's a very important person and he's got other big things that he needs to do. He's on his way to save the world, in fact, and probably doesn't want to be bothered by my petty needs. And so maybe I'll just continue to sit here and do nothing. But this is not what Bartimaeus does, right? Bartimaeus shouts out, and he says, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Help me out. I'm in a desperate place.And he goes on. "Many rebuked him, and they told him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me." Second time around, he is told by the crowds, be silent. Stop speaking up. And what does he do? Does he listen to the crowds and say, yeah, they're right, I probably should just sit here and be quiet? No, he shouts out all the more. And he says, Jesus, help me.Bartimaeus as the Opposite of Vanity: Seeking Jesus Above the Crowd's OpinionNow, if you were here last week, we talked about vanity, right? And if you remember what vanity is, it's being more worried about the crowds and what they think than about the one audience you should be seeking. Bartimaeus is a beautiful example of the opposite of vanity. He cares nothing about what the crowds think. He is not worried at all if they think he is immoral, if they think he is not worthy of Jesus' attention, if they think whatever they might think of him. He's a nuisance on the side of the road. He does not care about them. He cares about the only one in the room who needs to care for him. And so he shouts out all the more. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.Jesus hears him and stops, says, call him to me. And they called the blind man, and they said to him, take heart, get up, he's calling you. And what does he do? He throws off his cloak, he sprang up, and he came to Jesus. And Jesus says the question of the day: "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said, "Rabbi, teacher, let me recover my sight." And Jesus says, "Go your way. Your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.Holy Hustle: The Active, Pursuing Faith of BartimaeusA couple key pieces of this that I want to draw out — really just one big one — is the nature of his faith, Bartimaeus. It is an active faith. He is pursuing Jesus. He is shouting out, not once but twice. He is not allowing the crowds to stop him. He is not allowing people to say, no, no, no, go over here and do this other thing. He is going to pursue Jesus actively, and he's going to go after the one who can indeed help him. And then when he gets the call, what does he do? He doesn't sit there in the dust. He throws it all off. The cloak, by the way, is everything he owns. And he leaves it all behind, unlike the rich man who appears just prior to this. He gives it all up, and he begins to follow Jesus in this moment.This is what Bartimaeus does, and he represents what I'm calling this morning holy hustle. Holy hustle. He is somebody who in a holy kind of way is hustling and doing something to reach the ends that not only he desires, but it turns out God desires these ends for him as well.The Persistent Widow of Luke 18: Another Portrait of Holy HustleLuke tells the same story about Bartimaeus. Luke tells it slightly differently. This will appear, if you want to look it up at some other point, in Luke chapter 18. But what Luke does in 18 is he pairs it with what happens in Luke 1 to, I want to say, 6 or 8. And in that little passage, Jesus tells a parable. And this parable is about a widow. And it's a widow who has been treated unjustly — something has been done to her that is unjust. And if you recall this parable, what does she do? Middle of the night, she goes and she finds the judge, the one who is supposed to mete out justice in the world, and she goes and she knocks on his door.It turns out he is an unjust judge. He doesn't really care about her at all. But what does she do? She knocks again, and then she goes again, and then she goes again, and she is persistent. She doesn't stop. She too has this holy hustle. And then finally, what happens in this parable? Well, this unjust judge who the passage says is evil and unrighteous, well, he finally relents and he gives her what she wants because he's just tired of her asking.And then it says, but if that's an unjust person, if that's somebody who is evil, imagine what a good God does when he hears our needs, our desires, and our prayers. What does that God do? Well, he looks upon us, as Bartimaeus asks for, with mercy.The Plastic Lawnmower: What Grace Actually Looks Like in PracticeThere is a holy hustle about the persistent widow. There is a holy hustle about Bartimaeus this morning. Now, all of this, by the way, gets at the nature of maybe one of the Bible's biggest topics, which is grace and how grace works. And I'm going to guess that at this point, some of you might be a little uncomfortable with the notion that you are somehow doing something to affect God's grace in your life. Because many of us have grown up in a Protestant tradition where we recite good Protestant phrases like sola gratia, by grace alone, and it's all God's doing and it's none of our doing. I'm not going to necessarily take aim directly at that, just close to it.Because what I think about how grace works is there is a part that you and I must play in it. Bartimaeus, for example, he could have sat there and said nothing, done nothing, waited, watched Jesus walk by, and then he would have remained blind for the rest of his life. But this is not what he does, is it? He shouts out. He is active. His faith pushes him to do something.I want you to think of it this way. I meant to bring a prop, by the way. I don't bring props often, and I was really happy about this one, and now I'm very sad that I didn't. So I want you to imagine, up on this stage is one of those plastic lawnmowers that kids have. Do you know these? We have one at our house still. A child who is five years old says to his dad, I want to help you mow the lawn. Now the dad chooses to give him the fake plastic lawnmower that does very little real good, but the fake plastic lawnmower is still something. And then the dad goes out and grabs his real metal lawnmower, one that is quite dangerous, but very effective. And he begins to mow. Well, alongside him is this five-year-old with the plastic mower, thinking that he is mowing the grass very well alongside his father.This is not a perfect analogy, but that little boy is doing something — something very important. He is showing up. He is engaging with the father. He is participating alongside of him. It looks like he's mowing, even though he's clearly not. If someone walked by to see this scene, they would know immediately that the father is doing all of the mowing out there. But when the grass is finally cut, and the father and the son walk inside, sweating profusely, and grab a drink, both of them have had a hard day's work together, and no doubt, the five-year-old son will look at the dad and be proud of what they did together. Did the son do anything? Yes, he did. Did the father do everything? Yes, he did.But you can also imagine a very different scene in which the five-year-old does not ask to mow with the dad. He just stayed inside and he watched. He wasn't part of it at all. He didn't ask the father for a mower, and he didn't walk alongside the father every step of the way. When the grass is cut and the father is inside getting the long drink, will that son look at the yard and say to the dad, look what we've done together, dad? No, he will not.This is what grace looks like. It is God who is doing it all. Obviously, it is Jesus who heals Bartimaeus. Jesus effectuates the grace. Jesus does the work of healing that blind man. Jesus does what Bartimaeus cannot. Bartimaeus sat there for decades, blind, begging, and could do nothing about it. And Jesus comes along, and he does what Bartimaeus simply cannot do — much like the five-year-old cannot do anything about really mowing that lawn. But he can show up. And he can be with his dad. And he can choose not to stay indoors, but to go outdoors and to mow with the father.I think the showing up is what Jesus rewards here. It's not that Bartimaeus has done anything, and yet he's done something — something very important. He has opened himself to the grace that God offers. That is what Jesus is asking of you right now. He is walking by and he wants you to call out. Maybe to be obnoxious and to forget about what the crowds are saying and to seek his grace.Two Traps to Avoid: The Genie Lamp and the Bootstraps TrapNow I will warn you, there are two traps that we should talk about. I don't want you to be confused. The first has to do with the play that I saw last night, Aladdin, in which there is a genie that pops out, and you rub the lamp, and you simply ask for your wish, and the genie says, your wish is my command, and he gives it to you. This is not how God works. Not at all, in fact. And we know this with certainty, because if you turn with me back to Mark chapter 10, I'll show you something that would be easily missed.You see, if you go to the passage right before this one, it's a passage about two men, James and John, the brothers, and they come to Jesus, and they have a request themselves. And so in verse 35, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and they said to him, teacher, we want you to do something for us, whatever we ask of you. We want to rub the lamp, right? And we want our wish to be your command. And so he says to them, interestingly, what do you want me to do for you? This is the precise question — like word for word — what he says to Bartimaeus, right? What do you want me to do for you? And they proceed to say, well, we want to sit at your right hand and your left hand in glory, right? We are self-seeking in this moment, they may as well say out loud. And Jesus says, you don't know what you're asking. Sometimes this is God's answer to us. We might be in prayer and rubbing what we think is the God lamp and saying, God, we want you to give me this thing. And sometimes God says back to us, you don't know what you're asking for.But sometimes it's actually a little deeper than that. I don't know if you caught the 60 Minutes this week, but there's a former senator from Nebraska named Ben Sasse. He's in his mid-50s. And in December of last year, he was given a cancer diagnosis, and he should not and probably will not make it to the end of this year. He is an honorable man. He is, in terms of politicians, we'll say he's one of the good ones. And he is a man of deep faith. And it is interesting to watch him because he has certainly asked God to take this cancer away from me. And God's answer has been to this point, no. No, I am not going to take that away from you. And this is sometimes the answer we get from God. Our desire, our will, our hopes, our dreams are much like Bartimaeus' — and we want to be healed of the blindness or whatever it is that's besetting us. But sometimes God says, no, I have other plans.And then Ben Sasse shows us a way forward. Because he will stand there and he will say, I trust the God of the universe to have a plan that is in all of our best interests. And so I am going to use the rest of my life, the life that I have left, that God has given me, and I am going to pour life into this world as long as I have breath in my lungs. And so this is what he has set out to do for however many months he has left.The second trap we might fall into — I was struggling to find a name for it — it might be like the bootstraps trap or the entitlement trap or the ownership trap, which is to say that that little boy that goes out there and mows the lawn with his father might turn around and then tell one of his friends, hey, look what I did, right? I am the keeper of this lawn. This is my domain. I own all of this. Look at how great I am. The holy hustle only remains holy if you don't fall into the bootstraps trap, which is to say that when the success comes, if the success comes, you always recognize that it's grace. From top to bottom, it's grace. And so you always point back to the one giving the grace, and you give him thanks for the successes that you have in life.Three More Traps: Suppressing Desire, Dying to the Wrong Things, and the Trap of InactivityBut there are some traps that this whole sermon has been trying to keep you out of, and I want to make sure you catch those as well. One of those traps says that we have or are supposed to have no desires or wants or needs. But as I started with, this is just silly. Of course, you will always have desires, so I think it's better to simply name them and to start working on them and to try to figure out if they are holy or not, if they are God's desires or not.Another trap says something along the lines of, we're supposed to die to ourselves, right? And this is true. The scriptures talk about this all the time. But sometimes we end up dying to the wrong things. We are supposed to die to that which makes us unholy, that which works against the grace of God working in us and through us. But instead, some in this room, and myself included, have fallen into the trap where we die to noble things and good things, things that actually give us life — maybe even desires that God himself has planted deep in your soul. And we say, we're not allowed to have those desires. I'm supposed to die to that old self. And to you, I would simply say, it's quite possible God has planted that seed in you and is really trying to grow it and is trying to nourish it and wants you to nourish it because that part of you might be the very thing that is going to change the world that is all around you. But this requires wisdom, knowing what parts of yourself to die to and what parts of yourself to live into — this is a life's journey. And it requires wise guides and people in your life, being discipled by someone else or others, coming to church on Sundays.Finally, there is this other trap. And this other trap is the trap of inactivity. It's just sitting there, waiting for God to move or to do something. It's as if Bartimaeus had not called out to Jesus, or the persistent widow had not walked next door to the judge's home and knocked on it ten times. The trap of inactivity says, well, God will do what God will do when God wants to do it. And I would encourage you, maybe the right thing to do is to get up, and to shout out, and to be a little obnoxious, and to go knock on somebody's door, and to do something about what God is trying to do in your life.This walking with Jesus on the narrow road to life requires a tremendous amount of wisdom. And here's why. The scriptures tell us routinely to wait on God. And so one might mistake what Bartimaeus is doing as not waiting on God. Bartimaeus is maybe being too active. And so it requires wisdom to know when I lean in and when I wait. This again requires good friends and wise counsel and people who are helping you discern what to do with your life.Easter Morning, the Amphitheater, and the Shout That Surprised a PastorOn Easter morning this year, in that early service, many of us gathered outside at the amphitheater down there, and something remarkable happened, for me at least. I don't know if you remember this, but for me it was a moment. You see, I didn't think it was going to work, and then it did work. I said to the congregation, I want you to be thinking of something that you're hoping for this year, something that you're dreaming about, something that you want, a desire that's deep down in you, and I'm going to ask you to shout it out. We're not doing this again this morning, by the way. And then I thought, well, no one's gonna do it, or they're just gonna whisper it. And so I kind of prompted it, and then we got to the point where I asked, okay, shout it out now — and like everybody shouted at the same time. And I was shocked because you clearly had some strong desires deep down in your hearts that you want, that you hope for.And I want you this morning to name those again. Not out loud this time. But I want you to name them in your heart and in your head. Because the first step toward living a faithful life is to name what we desire, to start walking toward it, and then allowing God to course correct along the way. To hustle, but to make sure it's a holy hustle.What Is Your Deep Desire? God Is Asking You the Same Question He Asked BartimaeusAnd so this morning, just to kind of prompt you and pump the well a little bit, you might be hoping or longing or desiring for one of these things. To be a present, engaged father. To find a spouse. To leave the job that is killing you and find the courage to do what you were made for. You might be desiring to find freedom from that thing that you've never told anyone about. To get sober. To get into the right school or the right grad program. To experience the real and living God rather than just study about him. To find a community where you actually belong, where someone knows you and you know them. To have one real friend. To eat right and to lose weight. To see a family member come to faith. To leave something behind that outlasts you.I don't know what your deep desire is. But God wants to know. And God is coming to you this morning and asking you the same question he asked Bartimaeus. What do you want? It starts with honesty. And God's answer may be no. But God's answer may be yes. And he's just waiting for you to say it out loud and to start walking toward him.Because there's this other part of the story that would be easily missed again, but I don't want us to miss it. Because right at the end of all of this, Bartimaeus comes forward, and he tells Jesus what he wants, and Jesus heals him. And then it says he followed him on the way. Which is everything that Jesus is trying to get us to do this morning — to follow him along the road. And our hopes and our dreams and our desires, it should all be aiming for that road of life, for that way of Jesus that he wants to walk us down.But God is not going to live this life for you. And yet, paradoxically, he is the one who will enable all the work you are supposed to be doing. He's got his mower out and he's ready. You just have to pick up your plastic mower, head outside, and walk where Jesus walks the path ahead of you, following where he has prepared a way. A path that is intended for your good and for the good of all around you.Let us pray together. Jesus, we come this morning and we hear echoing in our ears, what do you want me to do for you? What do you want me to do for you? God, sometimes we don't answer that question out of fear. Fear that we actually don't have faith, that we don't trust you enough to give it over, that you might disappoint us, that maybe you're not even really there. And so God, this morning, give us that faith to trust you enough, to hand over our life's deepest desires to you. And God, whatever answer that is that comes back, whether it's that resounding yes or a quiet no or a I want to make you holy — God, I pray this morning that we trust you, that we have the faith of Bartimaeus to leap up and to ask you for exactly what we want and then to follow you along the way. We pray this in Christ's holy name. Amen.South Run Baptist Church | 8712 Selger Drive, Springfield, VA 22153 | Sunday Worship at 11amServing Springfield, Burke, West Springfield, Lorton, Alexandria, Fort Belvoir, and Franconia, Virginia.Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Full Text of Readings Fifth Sunday of Easter Lectionary: 52 The Saint of the day is Saints Philip and James Saints Philip and James' Story James, Son of Alphaeus: We know nothing of this man except his name, and, of course, the fact that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars of the New Israel, his Church. He is not the James of Acts, son of Clopas, “brother” of Jesus and later bishop of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James. James, son of Alphaeus, is also known as James the Lesser to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee, also an apostle and known as James the Greater. Philip: Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about whom Moses wrote” (Jn 1:45). Like the other apostles, Philip took a long time coming to realize who Jesus was. On one occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and wanted to give them food, he asked Philip where they should buy bread for the people to eat. Saint John comments, “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do” (Jn 6:6). Philip answered, “Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (Jn 6:7). Saint Christopher: Fact or Fiction? John's story is not a put-down of Philip. It was simply necessary for these men who were to be the foundation stones of the Church to see the clear distinction between humanity's total helplessness apart from God and the human ability to be a bearer of divine power by God's gift. On another occasion, we can almost hear the exasperation in Jesus's voice. After Thomas had complained that they did not know where Jesus was going, Jesus said, “I am the way. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (Jn 14:6a, 7). Then Philip said, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” (Jn 14:8). Enough! Jesus answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9a). Possibly because Philip bore a Greek name or because he was thought to be close to Jesus, some gentile proselytes came to him and asked him to introduce them to Jesus. Philip went to Andrew, and Andrew went to Jesus. Jesus's reply in John's Gospel is indirect; Jesus says that now his “hour” has come, that in a short time he will give his life for Jew and gentile alike. Reflection As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God's power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons—the divine power to love like God. Philip and James, like all of the apostles, show us how the Word of God can heal and unite if only we as a collective are brave enough to listen.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

"The son of Zebedee and brother of John, he was one of the Twelve. At the call of the Lord Jesus, he left his fishing nets and his father and, together with John, immediately followed Christ. He was one of the three apostles to whom the Lord revealed the greatest mysteries: before whom He was transfigured on Tabor and before whom He was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion. After receiving the Holy Spirit, he preached the Gospel in various places, going as far as Spain. On his return from Spain, a violent quarrel broke out between the Jews and himself on the Holy Scriptures, and, being unable to withstand him, they hired a magician, Hermogenes. But Hermogenes and Philip his pupil were overcome by the power and truth that James preached, and were baptised. Then the Jews denounced him to Herod, and persuaded one Josias to slander the Apostle. This Josias, seeing James's manly bearing and hearing his clear preaching of the truth, repented and came to faith in Christ. When James was condemned to death, this Josias was also condemned. Mounting the scaffold, Josias begged James's forgiveness for the sin of slander, and James embraced him, kissing him and saying: 'peace be to thee, and forgiveness.' And they both laid their heads under the sword and were beheaded for the sake of the Lord whom they had loved and served. St James suffered in Jerusalem in the year 45. His body was taken to Spain, where to this day miracles of healing are performed at his tomb." (Prologue)   His relics are venerated at his shrine in Compostela, Spain.

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Sermon TextJohn 21:1–25 (ESV)After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, Children, do you have any fish? They answered him, No. He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, It is the Lord! When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? and he said to him, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, Follow me.Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you? When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.Cross-referencesLuke 5:4–8And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answered, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.1 Peter 5:10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

In the Kairos moment, you will find yourself in an unknown place.And a person will appear.This person is known among storytellers as “The Old Man in the Woods.”His job is to prepare you for all the challenges you will face on the next segment of your adventure.Mr. Miyagi was the Old Man in the Woods for Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid.Obi-Wan was Luke Skywalker's first Old Man in the Woods, and Yoda was his second.Have you noticed how every James Bond movie begins with 007 visiting “Q”?“Q” is the armorer who supplies 007 with precisely the gadgets he will need to accomplish his next mission.“Q” is James Bond's “Old Man in the Woods.”Luke chapter 4 tell us of how Jesus, immediately after his baptism, spent 40 days in the wilderness of Judea. When he emerged from that wilderness, he revealed himself to the world. Verse 14 of that chapter says, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”Would it be fair to say that Jesus spent 40 days with the ultimate “Old Man in the Woods” prior to doing what he famously did?John bar Zebedee sat next to Jesus during The Last Supper. He was the only one of Jesus' followers to witness the crucifixion. And was entrusted by Jesus – from the cross – to care for his mother, Mary, while He was away.John bar Zebedee, in chapter two of First John*, writes about the Three Stages of Life.He speaks of the Child, the Young Man, and the Old Man.I am writing to you, dear Children,because your sins have been forgivenon account of his name,and because you know the Father.I write to you, Young Men,because you are strong,and the word of God lives in you,and you have overcome the evil one.I am writing to you, Fathers,because you know Himwho is from the beginning.Because you know Himwho is from the beginning.Children spend a dozen or more years preparing to become the strong Young Men and strong Young Women who, full of zest and zeal and zip-a-dee-doo-dah, will face challenges, overcome difficulties, and leave their fingerprints on the world.And every one of them will need an advisor – an older and wiser friend – to counsel them, encourage them, and prepare them for what lies ahead.John bar Zebedee was not speaking of biological Fathers and Mothers when he wrote the letter that we call the book of First John.The people John calls “Fathers” are those who have already wandered the pathless forest and found their way to the other side.The people John calls “Fathers” are those who already “know.”The American Dream promises that when you have finished your journey and completed your task, you can recreate, luxuriate, and selfishly celebrate your success for the rest of your life.And that certainly remains an option, if it appeals to you. But I believe that it will not.I believe that you will choose to advise, encourage, and counsel the next generation who must blaze a new and different trail through a new and different wilderness than the one that you and I faced.I believe that you will find fulfillment in your occasional role as “The Old Man” or “The Old Woman” in the woods.Roy H. Williams*I consolidated and reorganized what you will find in chapter two of First John, but if you read it closely, I believe you will agree that my retelling is faithful to the message of that original text.

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel – John 21:1-14 – Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed Himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of His disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered Him, “No.” So He said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to His disciples after being raised from the dead. Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Gospel John 21:1-14 Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. Reflection These stories are all about Jesus revealing Himself to his disciples, His followers, those who knew his teaching. And it's clear what his calling them to is to continue the work that he established. And it's gathering all people together and making the community one by believing in this one beautiful revelation that Jesus is sharing with His people. But what I love about this story, is that in the work of doing that, and it's our work, all of us. He wants to be the source of what we can accomplish by feeding us. Come, eat breakfast. Come, eat with me. Come, let me nurture you. It's a beautiful image of church. It's a beautiful image of who we are in God. And it gives us great hope as we continue to try to establish His kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, here and now. Closing Prayer It's clear that from the beginning, Jesus intended that His church grow and change and enter into every heart and every mind and animate their actions. When he asked that of us, we must understand that he is also telling us that he will nurture us. He will feed us. He will cook for us and give us the energy, the insight and the wisdom that we need to accomplish his work through us, through our humanity. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friends of the Rosary,Alleluia! Christ is Risen!Today, Friday, within the Octave of Easter, the Lord was revealed to himself for the third time after being resurrected from the dead by the Father.The risen Jesus showed up to seven disciples by the shore of the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-14). They returned to their old occupation of fishermen.Peter and six others — Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others — were in a boat on the sea. The boat is evocative of the Church and the number seven, the fulfillment, the community of Jesus approaching the end of its journey.At the command of the Lord — who was not recognized at first — the disciples lowered their nets and brought an extraordinary catch. This is the work of the Church until the end of times: to gather in souls and bring them to the Creator.The 153 large fish is the number of species of fish and is meant to signal the universality of the Church's salvific mission.Happy Easter!Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠April 10, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET