Author: Jimmy Hinton

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Jesus Sends the Twelve

brown leather duffel bag

Jesus hand selected twelve apostles to follow him wherever he went. They were given authority over every demon and were given the ability to heal every disease and affliction. What’s astonishing is that Jesus chose mostly uneducated people who were ordinary tradesmen. Several of them owned fishing businesses and Matthew was a tax collector. We find that the most extraordinary characteristic was their faith to follow and their hard work ethic.

When Jesus sent the Twelve out into the towns to heal and proclaim the kingdom, he said, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. . . Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay” (Matthew 10:5, 6, 8 ESV). He further instructed them not to take anything extra for the journey. They were told to take the clothing and food they already had, and no more.

Not only that, but they were to “find out who is worthy in it (the town or village) and stay there until you depart” (vs. 11). If the house was worthy, Jesus told them to let their peace come upon it and if not, they were to “let your peace return to you.” This is important because Jesus did not want them preoccupied with money, jobs, or the worries of life. As important, he did not want them wasting time in places where the good news was not welcome.

This same message is equally important for us today. Churches shouldn’t spend time, money, and resources on things that don’t produce fruit. Christ’s concern is that all come to repentance and a full knowledge of Christ and the kingdom, and this can never happen if we aren’t productive as followers of Jesus.

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The Twelve Misfits

silhouette photography of group of people jumping during golden time

When Jesus called his disciples, he selected a group that clashed with each other. Some were family; some were friends. None of them were very educated, but they had a good work ethic. It almost seems like Jesus hand selected people who would labor without wavering instead of selecting people who knew the Law but weren’t willing to work. Jesus repeatedly spoke about the need for more workers in the field. This would have resonated with the disciples who owned their own businesses. They were used to recruiting workers and working with other people of other trades to make their business work.

It must have been a shock to the twelve apostles when Jesus called them to follow him, especially given their lack of formal education and their backgrounds as fishermen. It must have come as more of a shock when Jesus gave them the authority that he did: “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” (Matthew 10:1 ESV).

What’s even more telling is that Jesus selected a group of people who were wildly different. This sometimes lent itself to intense fights among the twelve. They argued over who would hold the best position in heaven. They often didn’t understand what Jesus told them and would argue over the meaning. And, of course, Judas betrayed Jesus the same night that Peter denied knowing him. Yet Jesus divinely selected these people.

We must remember that our level of skill, education, and money are not what matters to God. While those things can add tremendous value, God will empower anyone who is willing to carry his word to the lost and hurting.

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Seasoning Our Speech

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Words really matter. They have the power to both tear down or build up. They can encourage or discourage. Just as important, how we speak to and about outsiders matters. People will never want to be part of a community that talks down to them. I often wonder how appealing Christianity is to outsiders, based on what they hear us say about them. Peter tells his readers to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16 ESV).

Words are as important as actions. In fact, they are inseparable throughout the Bible. Both our words and actions are meaningful. How we respond to people will influence the way they view both us and God. As believers, we are representatives of Christ and his body. Are we attracting people to Him or are we turning them away?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech be seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5-6). There is a lot packed into these two verses. First, our time is not really ours. It belongs to God. We are to use it wisely. Second, wisdom is essential. We need to “walk in wisdom” toward outsiders. That requires dedication to prayer and a whole lot of patience. Finally, our speech is to be seasoned with salt so that we know how to answer people.

So many people rely on their own ability, knowledge, or people skills. But this is not what Paul appeals to. Instead, he’s urging them to tap into God’s wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and to choose their words wisely. How we speak to the unchurched really, really matters.

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Just Do It

sea man people woman

Nike was a struggling company before it’s iconic slogan, “Just do it!” was adopted. Most people don’t know that the slogan was inspired by the 1970s famous killer Gary Gilmore. Gary was executed by Utah state and was asked if he had any final words. He said, “Let’s do this.” Dan Wieden, founder of an ad agency, was from the same town as Gilmore. He adapted Gilmore’s phrase to “Just do it” and presented it to Nike in 1988. The slogan saw instant success and catapulted the company to an over 1,000% increase in sales.

Obviously it was the message, and not the origin, that inspired people. It’s only three words but the slogan was brilliantly coupled with star athletes and inspired ordinary people to go out and do extraordinary things. Thirty-three years after the slogan was introduced, Nike still enjoys global success and has stood the test of time. Last year Nike’s revenue was $37.4 billion. The simplicity of the messaging is what has worked well with Nike. When messages are too broad, too wordy, or too ambiguous, it leaves people unmotivated or confused.

Jesus’ final words can be summed up into a very clear message: Go make disciples. It’s a message that inspired his disciples to do great things for the kingdom of God. In Acts 1 Jesus ascended into heaven right before his disciples’ very eyes. His message to “Go make disciples” was reinforced at his ascension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ESV).

As the disciples stood there, staring at the place where Jesus had just stood, two angels reminded them of their mission to go make disciples: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?” (vs. 11). They went to Jerusalem after the ascension and the 11 apostles were with the Galilean women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. They were devoted to prayer and very shortly after appointed a twelfth apostle. From there, they began accomplishing the charge to “Go make disciples.” The church began to grow because there was a very focused charge to get to work!

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Jesus Appears to Mary

brown and black rock formation

Mary Magdalene is one of the most important and influential women in the New Testament. She had seven demons, which presumably Jesus cast out. She was a wealthy woman (Luke 8:2-3) and joined other wealthy, influential Galilean women who provided for Jesus and his disciples. Mary Magdalene is mentioned fourteen times in the Bible and in eight of those, she is mentioned along with other women. Whenever she is mentioned with other women, her name appears first, signifying her importance.

Unlike most of the disciples, Mary was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died. When Peter and John ran to the tomb after hearing it was empty, they eventually went home, not understanding what Jesus said about being raised from the dead. It was Mary Magdalene, however, who stayed at the tomb alone. While she was standing there, Jesus appeared to her.

The angels asked Mary why she was weeping. She said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they laid him” (John 20:13 ESV). Then Jesus appeared to her and also asked why she was weeping and who she was seeking. Not knowing it was Jesus, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away” (vs. 15). Jesus answered, “Mary.” Then she recognized him and clung to him.

Jesus told her not to cling to him because he had yet to ascend. Instead, Jesus told her to go to the disciples and tell them that “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (vs. 17). Mary effectively became the first person to proclaim the risen Christ. Jesus could have easily appeared to Peter and John but he didn’t. He waited until they went home to appear to Mary. He intentionally chose Mary to be the person to carry the message out that the Christ was risen from the dead! Mary–the one who was plagued with seven demons. Mary–a woman who was looked down on in Jesus’ day. Jesus’ resurrection is a story of hope and restoration, of salvation and equality.

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Ask and You Will Receive

aged ancient asian buddhism

Jesus repeatedly told his followers that he was going to die and be raised up again. They did not fully understand what he was talking about until after the resurrection took place, and we can certainly understand why. John records that Jesus said, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (John 16:16 ESV). Without further context, this statement is pretty ambiguous.

Jesus knew that they were asking each other what he meant, so he answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (vs. 20). In an almost out of place shift, Jesus begins talking about asking: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (vs. 23-24).

This is in the context of sorrow turning to joy, of death and resurrection. Oftentimes people lamenting after a loss experience extreme isolation. They often feel as if people are with them for a time then abandon them later. But Jesus is saying there is power in asking. Specifically, asking so that our joy can be made complete. We often hesitate to ask for help but at the same time we expect people to help. Jesus is reminding his disciples that not only is it OK to ask, but they should ask for anything.

This is an important reminder for us that it’s OK to ask. It’s OK to ask for help. It’s OK to pursue joy. It’s OK to not be OK. And it’s OK to know that God loves us enough to give what we ask.

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Keep Watch

woman wearing gray long sleeved shirt and black black bottoms outfit sitting on gray wooden picnic table facing towards calm body of water at daytime

As we near Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, we focus on the events leading up to the death and burial. Jesus spent a good portion of his last days warning his disciples. He warned them of danger, of false teachers, of wars, and of getting weighed down with life and being unprepared.

Jesus expected his disciples to be prepared at all times. He spoke of thieves coming in the middle of the night, masters who closed the door and locked out the people who weren’t prepared, and the foolish virgins who weren’t prepared for the bridegroom’s coming. As he neared Jerusalem for the final time, he had a stark warning for his followers:

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35 ESV). Jesus is clear: everyone will experience the day of reckoning. The question is not how will we avoid it, but rather how prepared will we be for it.

Notably, later when Jesus was in the garden with his disciples, he told them to get up and pray that they didn’t fall into temptation. Given the context, the only logical temptation they would face was abandonment of their Lord and eventually their faith. Troubles were very nearby, and Jesus was asking them to keep watch and be prepared. Preparedness doesn’t mean that we breeze through troubles. We know this because Jesus himself had drops of sweat that were like blood. He was completely overtaken by sorrow and pain. Yet his prayer to the father was for preparedness–your will be done.