Prayer: (Jesus) instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. Mk. 6 Lord, you sent your disciples on mission with practically nothing. Help us to know how to use our time, talent, and treasure in such a way that we stay focused on your mission. Amen.

Journal: Read Mark 5:1-20. From this passage what can you discern about the Kingdom of God?

Journal: About ten years ago, while waiting at the Pittsburgh Airport, I met a young biblical scholar named Dr. Brant Pitre. We were both heading to the same biblical conference so we rode together, and in the car we had a lively discussion about biblical interpretation, especially the reliability of the Gospels. Dr. Pitre shared how annoyed he was by the oft-used comparison between the transmission of the story of Jesus and the “Telephone game” where little children whisper a story to one another, around a group, until the end result is completely garbled and nothing like the original story. I turned around to Dr. Pitre (I was in the front seat and he in the back) and said, “Yes! Someone needs to write a book dedicated to refuting that stupid comparison.” And guess what? He has! Read the Word on Fire interview below with Dr. Pitre about his new book, “The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ,” to which I happily contributed an Afterword. with-dr-brant-pitre/5070/

Jesus proclaims God’s Kingdom The message of Jesus’ words and actions was to consistently proclaim the Kingdom of God, or Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ’s Ministry Begins at Capernaum Jesus called us to turn away from sin and listen to the message he proclaimed about God’s love for us. He chose twelve apostles to follow him and help to spread the Good News. The first of Jesus’ chosen apostles were Peter, Andrew, James, and John; whom Jesus called away from their fishing nets to go and follow him.

The Kingdom Is Open to All Jesus opened his arms to everyone. Sinners, too, are called to enter God’s Kingdom—but people must repent of their sins and respond to God’s love.

The Poor and Lowly are Beloved in the Kingdom. Jesus tells us in many ways that we must have a special love for the poor and persecuted in the world. He also tells us that we must become as little children and be open and accepting of others and God’s will.

Messages about the Kingdom With parables and rich images, Jesus explained God’s Kingdom. He surprised his listeners and helped them understand that the true nature of our God is vastly different than many of their assumptions. He often used paradoxes, which are statements that seem contradictory, but actually contain a hidden truth. A few examples of Jesus’ familiar paradoxical teachings:  “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”  “Whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be your servant.”  “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Miracles of Jesus Jesus performed many miracles that confirmed the truth of his words and his authority to proclaim his message. When Jesus said that he could forgive sins, some of the scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy, which is a sin against the dignity of God, since only God can forgive sins. By healing the sick, Jesus proved that he did, indeed, have the power to forgive.

The Miracles of Jesus The miracles themselves teach us important truths about God’s Kingdom. With different types of miracles, Jesus communicates different truths. Physical healings demonstrated Jesus’ power over sin and revealed that the coming of God’s Kingdom brings wholeness and happiness. When Jesus drove out evil spirits through exorcisms, he established his power over Satan. Jesus showed his power over the forces of nature, since all of creation came to be through him, with various nature miracles. And by raising people from the dead, Jesus proved his mastery over life and death as the true Son of God.

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