WEATHER ALERT:

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.

IMPORTANT:

Scheduled programming has resumed for Thursday, February 13 at all Resurrection locations.

Jesus United Political Enemies as Disciples

February 5, 2025
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Daily Scripture

Matthew 10:2-4, Luke 6:13-16

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.

Daily Reflection & Prayer

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.

  • Matthew and Simon the Zealot occupied opposite extremes in their society’s political spectrum— one working with Rome, the other violently opposing it. Yet Jesus called them both to be part of his closest group of followers. When you encounter people with very different political or social views from yours, how do you respond? What might Jesus’ example teach us about bridging such divisions?
  • Jesus didn’t ask his disciples to ignore their differences or pretend they agreed on everything. Instead, he gave them a greater purpose that transcended their divisions—following him and sharing his message. What shared purpose or mission might help you work together with people whose views differ from yours? How can focusing on Jesus help bridge those gaps?
Prayer

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.

GPS Insights

Picture of Jennifer Creagar

Jennifer Creagar

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.

In high school, I was a part of a church youth group that drew kids from two very different parts of the area–Johnson County and South Kansas City. There were a lot of differences in experience, family income, cultural outlook, in addition to football rivalries and tension when the girls from one school starting dating boys from the other. The Holy Spirit and great leadership brought us all together to learn about Jesus, and to share experiences and teaching that set the paths for the rest of our lives. Many of us are still dear friends today, and I’ve been married to one of those boys from the other school for 47 years!
 
Sometimes when we are together, we look back and are amazed at how blessed we were to discover our relationship with Jesus and experience our relationships with each other–despite some very real differences. Members of that group have become pastors, lay leaders, and missionaries. Others have raised families to love Jesus, follow his teaching, and live to serve others. Our incomes, communities, lifestyles, and social and ethnic backgrounds are still very different. We don’t all agree on politics or even theologies. We have laughed together as we realized that only God’s will and grace could have connected this crew in love and learning. We see how God used our differences to bring us all strengths like empathy and open minds.
 
The disciples were like that, and like that high school group, they could only be together due to God’s love and Jesus’ teaching. As Jesus gathered them, they have to have been shocked at the others who were called. Fishermen. Tax Collectors. Collaborators with Rome, and Zealots who opposed everything about Roman Rule, especially the taxes!
 
Jesus taught, and they listened. Then they forgot and Jesus taught them again. Just like the rest of us. Slowly, they began to see the world from more than one perspective and learn how to live and love those who are different. Jesus and his teaching hold that blessing for us, too.
 
Lord, thank you for the differences between us, and help us turn those into strengths and caring. Help us move outside our comfort zones to find the joy and connection you have waiting for us. Amen.
 
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References

* “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.)