Twelve of them, whom he called ‘apostles’: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother
Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of
Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who
would be the traitor.

Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood in an open plain. Many of his disciples were
there, and a large crowd of people, who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem,
and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear him and to be healed
of their diseases. And people troubled by unclean spirits were cured. The entire crowd tried
to touch him, because of the power that went out from him and healed them all.

Reflect

There will always be people who are happy to tell you what to think and how to think.
People share their outlooks on life in bestselling self-help books and on their YouTube
channels. It wasn’t really different in Paul’s day. Rival schools of philosophy did their best
to encourage people to follow the paths they set out, claiming that these paths would bring
peace, joy, and enlightenment. But Paul cuts through the noise of these competing
philosophies with a simple message: believe in Jesus. Only by faith in Christ are we
redeemed, saved from death and given a share in eternal life.

Following Jesus may be simple, but it isn’t easy. We know what we need to do. We are
called to die to ourselves so that we may live in Christ. When we live in Christ, we live
like he did –humbly serving those in need, especially the poor and the outcast; loving
without limits; and bringing healing and hope to a weary world.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2023