Insights from Inside (040705)Jesus and the People (1)

Read: Matthew 1 - 11

How did Jesus deal with various kinds of people? It will be a pattern for us to deal with people we meet. Of course, we've got to consider the context. Below is only from the Book of Matthew. I'll continue with the other books of Gospel, each in a blog.

1. Satan: "It is written... It is also written... Away from from me, Satan!..." (4:1-11)
2. Simon, Andrew, James and John: "Come, follow me... and I will make you fishers of men." (4:18-22)
3. The sick, demon-possessed, and the paralyzed: He healed them (4:23-25)
4. The crowd: He gave them the Sermon on the Mount (5-7)
5. The leper, asking to be healed: He reached out his hand and touched the man. Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Jesus gave him warning and what's next to do. (8:1-4)
6. A centurion (a non-Jew), asking for help: Jesus healed his servant remotely. He gave praise for the man's great faith. (8:5-13)
7. Peter's mother-in-law, lying with a fever: He touched her hand and she was healed. (8:14-15)
8. The demon-possessed and the sick: He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. (8:16-17)
9. A teacher of the law and a disciple, who said they want to follow Jesus: He told the cost of following him to the teacher but he challenged the disciple. (8:18-22)
10. The Twelve, in the boat in the storm: "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" (8:23-27)
11. The Gadarenes, the demon-possessed: He drove out the demons and sent them into the herd of pigs. (8:28-34)
12. A paralytic: "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven... Get up, take your mat and go home." (9:1-8)
13. Some of the teachers of the law who said to themselves that Jesus was blaspeming when they heard Jesus saying, "your sins are forgiven": Jesus rebuked them. (9:3-6)
14. Matthew, the tax collector: Jesus told him, "Follow me," and he had dinner at Matthew's house, together with his disciples, many tax collectors and "sinners." (9:9-10)
15. The Pharisees, grumbling when saw Jesus ate with Matthew and "sinners": He rebuked them by saying, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick... I desire mercy, not sacrifice... For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (9:11-13)
16. The Twelve, asking Jesus about fasting: He taught them on fasting using parables. (9:14-17)
17. A ruler, asking Jesus to raise his daughter from death: Jesus took the girl by the hand and she got up. (9:18-19, 23-26)
18. A bleeding woman, touching the edge of Jesus' cloth from behind: Jesus turned and saw her. He said, "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." And she was healed at the moment. (9:20-22)
19. The flute players and the mourners at the ruler's house: "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep."But they laughed at him. (9:23-24)
20. Two blind men, believing that Jesus could restore their sight: Jesus touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you" and their sight was restored. But Jesus gave them stern warning. (9:27-31)
21. A man, demon-possessed and therefore could not talk: Jesus drove out the demons and he spoke. (9:32-33)
22. The crowds whom Jesus saw: He saw them and had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (9:35-36)
23. The Twelve, after Jesus saw the crowds: He taught them that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. He told them to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. (9:37-38)
24. The Twelve: He sent them out with detailed instructions and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (10:1-42)
25. John's disciples, questioning him whether he was the one who was to come: He answered them implicitly that He is the Messiah. (11:1-6)
26. The crowd, after John's disciples gone: Jesus taught them about John the Baptist. (11:7-19)
27. The cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent: He denounce them. (11:20-24)
    
28. His Father: He praised him. (11:25-26)

(to be continued)

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Jesus is socially very active. His main business was people. He spent almost all of his life with people. He spent almost no time only for himself. He knew his time was very short and the best and God-pleasing way of living his short life was to live among his people whom he created.

He show the same patterns of response to the "sinners", the sick, the demon-possessed, the Twelve, the crowds, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. But his responses are radical and counter culture.

His main activities were wandering from places to places, teaching, preaching, socializing with people, healing the sick and the demon-possessed.

Christians should also be like their Master in dealing with people: active and counter culture.