Sunday: First Call of the Four — Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20
It was common for a Rabbi to have disciples. They were in essence, students of a master teacher. This provided both education and apprenticeship. The first four disciples were ordinary men. They had no special religious credentials. Jesus had met them before. One of them, Andrew, as a disciple of John and had been instrumental in getting the others to come and hear Jesus speak. When Jesus called them, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This is a great example for us. When Jesus calls, we shouldn’t hesitate or question.
Monday: The Synagogue & the Demoniac — Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37
A service at the Synagogue began with prayer, then praise, a first and second reading from the Old Testament, then teaching from a “learned guest.” In this visit to the Synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus was the “learned guest.” The people were astonished at Jesus’ presentation because it was bold. He taught as one having authority because He did have authority. He didn’t quote any man, but He directly shared what God had to say. An example of the authority Jesus had is His ability to command a demon. The demon knew who Jesus was and recognized the power He had. When Jesus exercised that power and authority and commanded the demon to leave, it did.
Tuesday: Peter’s Mother-in-Law — Matthew 8:4-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41
What Peter’s mother-in-law was suffering was likely what the Talmud calls a “burning fever,” typical to that region of Galilee. The Talmud details a mystical prescription for curing the burning fever, involving an iron knife, a papyrus cord, a thorn bush, and quoting Exodus 3:2-5 for 3 days. Jesus didn’t need to use ritualistic healing. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law by a simple touch and the exercise of His authority.
Wednesday: A Tour of Galilee — Matthew 4:23-24; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44
Jesus didn’t remain in just one town. He went throughout the region preaching, teaching and healing. These three key elements of Jesus’ ministry proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom to the people. He taught them how to follow God in obedience and He ministered to their needs. In our busy lives, we need to remember that these three elements are the basics of what we should focus on, also.
Thursday: Second Call of the Four — Luke 5:1-11
The first call of Jesus is a call to salvation, but the second is a call to discipleship. When Jesus first called His disciples, they immediately followed, accepting that He was the promised Messiah. But this passage says that they returned to their jobs. Jesus once again called them and told them that He would teach them to be fishers of men. At this point they left everything and totally committed to following Jesus.
Friday: Cleansing a Leper — Matthew 4:23-24; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
Lepers were scorned and outcast. Many persons saw their illness as a judgment from God. The Rabbis believed that anyone who touched a leper would become unclean themselves. When the leper asked Jesus for healing, Jesus heard the plea and willingly responded. Instead of being disgusted by the man’s affliction, Jesus had compassion. He touched the man and the leprosy was immediately cured.
Saturday: The Paralytic — Matthew 9:1-8; Mark. 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26
When the men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus, they ran into several problems. First, there were too many people for them to be able to bring their friend through the door. They didn’t let that stop them, though. Instead they took the man up onto the roof and lowered him down through it. Their persistence enhanced their faith and Jesus rewarded them.