Not What You Were Expecting?


Jim and I have been watching back episodes of The Chosen  so that we're caught up when season 4 is released in the theatres later this month.

This week, in one of the episodes, Jesus added Simon the Zealot to his disciples.

Imagine - being a young Jewish boy growing up under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire, and leaving your home to go off to train as a zealot (members of a political movement which sought to incite the people of Judea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms).

All your life you'd heard about the Messiah - and all your life you supposed, as did your parents, and your grandparents, and generations of ancestors before them - that this Messiah would come and deliver your people.

Naturally, you assumed that meant from the Romans.

But The Chosen perfectly depicts the moment when Simon realized Jesus' "army" was not what he'd envisioned.  Instead of a well-trained fighting force, what he saw was just a bunch of untrained, undisciplined men and women. 

And instead of fighting, Jesus was teaching...

It must have been quite a shock.

Now fast forward to today...

What do YOU envision Jesus' "army" to look like?  Do you feel like Jesus surrounds himself with a bunch of people who have their "$&%+" together, people who no longer sin, or struggle, or have bad days?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Now - just like then - His "army" is a bunch of people just like us.  People struggling with their own sins, their own failures, and their own uncertainties.  And now, just like then - His desire is to teach us, so that we might learn His ways, and His truths; and for us to live in the knowledge that WE are His chosen people.

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:29-30

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last..." - John 15:16



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