Due to weather conditions, all in-person daytime and evening programs have been canceled across the church’s locations for Wednesday, except for the Recovery programs and Food Pantry at Overland Park. Decisions for Thursday daytime programs will correspond with local school district decisions and will be posted on the church’s website.
Scheduled programming has resumed for Thursday, February 13 at all Resurrection locations.
Matthew 10
2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter; and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee; and John his brother; 3 Philip; and Bartholomew; Thomas; and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean [or zealot]; and Judas, who betrayed Jesus.
Luke 6
13 At daybreak, he called together his disciples. He chose twelve of them whom he called apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter; his brother Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; 15 Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called a zealot; 16 Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus chose disciples with starkly different viewpoints and backgrounds. He included Matthew, a tax collector who collaborated with Rome, and Simon, a Zealot who violently opposed Roman rule. * These men likely saw each other as bitter enemies. Yet Jesus intentionally brought them together in his inner circle. God’s kingdom transcends political divisions and social hostilities. Jesus created a new community where former enemies could work together, united by their commitment to following him.
Lord Jesus, too often politics says if you win, I lose. But you taught and acted on the premise that in the kingdom ruled by God’s love, everyone can win. Help me to make that kingdom my life’s guiding focus. Amen.
Jennifer Creagar serves as the Community Assistance Coordination Director in Resurrection's Congregational Care Ministry. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.
* “A second Simon is listed; he is further identified as the Cananaean…. Most modern commentators understand the word to be an Aramaic equivalent of “zealot,” referring to the zealous group of Jewish revolutionaries who were anti-Rome. New American Bible renders “the Zealot Party member”; New English Bible “a member of the Zealot party”; Barclay “the Nationalist.” (Barclay M. Newman and Phillip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew in the UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1988, p. 285.)