Daily Devotion, February 5, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read Mark 3:13-19.

In this listing of Jesus’ disciples, “The Gospel According To Mark” tells us that some of them were known by other names or labels. They were “also known as…” Jesus apparently gave James and John a nickname which meant “sons of thunder.” One imagines that they could be temperamental. (In Luke chapter 9, he tells of a scene involving them that supports such a nickname.) This list tells us that Simon was also known as a Zealot, a radical group that sought to overthrow the government through violence. We are even reminded that Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus.  

Seeing those additions in that list caused me to wonder what the rest of us might also be known as. People know us by how we live our life. They know us by how we treat people. They know whether we can be trusted, whether we are peaceful or not and whether they could come to us for help. What are you “also known as”? That reputation (sometimes in the form of nicknames or labels) can be either good or bad.  

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that no matter what negative reputation you may have had in the past, God can empower you to change and become a different person. You can go from being known as someone in a negative way to someone who is known in a positive light. You can be someone who is “learning to live the way of Jesus Christ…”

Personal Worship Option:

Join us in worship today at Christ Church, ideally on campus at either 9:30 or 11:15. If not there, be sure to connect online at some point. And look for opportunities to invite someone else to do so as well!