Thursday chain of thoughts
Yet another perfect Northwest Florida Gulf Coast winter morning - - 67°F 90% humidity wind SSE 13 mph low clouds fill the sky, Anu Garg's word for today is "sneakernet" which I've done many times in changing data from computer to computer without knowing there was a word for it, and Garg's thought for the day is Janis Joplin saying "On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone."
Born in 1943, Janis would have turned 80 today, but she died of a heroin overdose at 27. If you didn't know or don't remember Janis Joplin or Kris Kristofferson or Ray Price, and "Bobby McGee" and "For the Good Times", I have to let that be your problem, not mine. It's okay, I can't stand your generation's music either!
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In our gospel reading for this coming Sunday, Jesus has just been baptized by John, acclaimed by God, and then led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tested by the devil and refuted the devil's temptations. In Sunday's reading (Matthew 4:12-23) Jesus begins his public ministry.
If you're in Sunday school it's a good Time to learn, practice, and appreciate analytical Bible study instead of the devotional approach that most people seem to know.
Why did hearing that John had been arrested lead Jesus to withdraw to Galilee?
Why did Jesus leave Nazareth and relocate to Capernaum? What do we know about Nazareth, and what was Capernaum like?
Did you know there's a traditional spot for where Simon Peter's home was?
Did you know there's been excavation of synagogues in Capernaum, including doubtless the synagogue where Jesus worshiped?
Look at a map showing the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali.
Who were Naphtali and Zebulon? Who was their father? What did their father say about them in his Blessing? How might Zebulon and Naphtali's blessings have been prophetic or "reversed"?
Look up and read the Suffering Servant Song from which Matthew lifted Jesus' quotation. Just for grounding, check out Isaiah's other three Suffering Servant songs.
In Isaiah's thought, who was the Suffering Servant? Who has Christianity interpreted the Suffering Servant to be?
Pick out verses in the Suffering Servant songs that you recognize as having been lifted into the gospels.
Discuss Matthew's free use of the Hebrew Bible in his agenda, and check a Hebrew Bible versus the Septuagint to learn some things about Matthew.
Read what each of the four canonical gospels says about Jesus calling his disciples, note the differences.
Why might these four fishermen disciples have been willing to drop everything and follow Jesus?
Note that Simon, James and John are Hebrew/Jewish names, while, some Bible scholars have pointed out, Andrew is not, and ask/discuss why.
How old do you and/or various scholars reckon these four fishermen disciples likely were?
How might their age/ages have been relevant in discussing gospel origins, authorship, sources, dating?
Look up verses indicating that Simon (Peter), James and John seem to have been Jesus' most intimately trusted disciples in several key events.
Look up two events in the Gospel according to John where Andrew plays a key role.
Look up and compare each evangelist's list of the disciples names.
What's the difference in a disciple and an apostle?
If John the Baptist's "agenda" was "repent" - - what was Jesus' "agenda"?
Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15
“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles—(Isaiah 9:1,2)
16
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.” (Isaiah 42:7)
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People
23 Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.