Tag: good deeds

Mk 6:11 “…shake the dust off the soles of your feet…”

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

Jesus told his twelve closest disciples to publicly shake the dust off the soles of their feet.

Why would He say this?

Jesus sent His disciple to the cities where He would soon be visiting, They were instructed to deliver a message to prepare the people for the visit. To validate the message Jesus gave the disciples incredible and unprecedented power to miraculously heal physical ailments and spiritual bondage. In spite of the power they were to demonstrate, Jesus knew from experience that the disciples would face rejection by some.

But rather than to get upset about rejection, Jesus instructed them to shake off the dust of the town from their feet. By this action the townsfolk of that culture would understand that the pair of disciples who shook off the dust were absolving themselves of their responsibility to share their miracles or message. The pair would then just go the the next town and hope for a better reception.

Click here to go directly to my personal application and your comments or continue with my full notes.

COMMAND 196: “…shake the dust off the soles of your feet…”

REFERENCE:

This is the Frankfort Michigan North Pierhead shining its light at dusk.
The tower and its light is there to guide mariners in day or night and in good or bad weather. Jesus’ commands are like that to guide the souls of men and women. More images are in the Photo Gallery. Click here to see why I like lighthouses.

Mk 6:11; See also Mt 10:14; Lk 9:5

RECIPIENT:

The twelve disciples

CONTEXT:

After Jesus departed Nazareth, He equipped His twelve closest disciples to perform unmistakable and unprecedented miracles of healing. He then sent them in pairs to the towns that He planned to visit. Presumably they were to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival and to receive His message favorably.

Mark

Mk 6:7-10 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; ⁸and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff–no bread, no bag, no money in their belt– ⁹but to wear sandals, and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.“ ¹⁰And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.” ¹¹“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there…”

Matthew

Mt 10:1; 5-10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
⁵These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; ⁶but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” ⁹“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. ¹¹“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. ¹²“As you enter the house, give it your greeting.
¹³“If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.” ¹⁴“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city…”

Luke

Lk 9:1-4a And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ²And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. ⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. ⁵And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city…”

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

Mk 6:11b “…shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.“

Mt 10:14b “…shake the dust off your feet.”

Lk 9:5b “…shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

RESULT:

Mk 6:12-14 They went out and preached that men should repent. ¹³And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. ¹⁴And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them.
Mt 11:1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Lk 9:6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

Jesus sent His disciple to the cities where He would soon be visiting. He instructed them to deliver a message to prepare them for the visit. To validate the message He gave them incredible and unprecedented power to miraculously heal people of their physical ailments and spiritual bondage. In spite of the power they were to demonstrate, Jesus knew from experience that the disciples would face rejection by some. What other power could these disciples have wielded in their indignation and anger? Jesus does mention the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:22 – 19:29)! However, in mercy, Jesus instructed the disciples to literally shake the dust from their shoes rather than to call down condemnation.

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

shake: G1621 ἐκτιναìσσω ek-tin-as’-so ‘ — to shake violently

dust: G2868 κονιορτοìς kon-ee-or-tos’ — dust

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

Your sincere greeting of cheer or your message of vital knowledge may be rejected. Don’t be too surprised if occasionally someone takes offence ta your good attitude, words or deeds. You need not take the rejection personally because you have no idea what they’ve experienced in life. Instead, let your peace remain with you and brighten someone else’s day. Perhaps they will be more receptive.

RETURN TO COMMAND

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

Stay There Until You Leave

23 August, 2021

Christopher Carlson

Mark No Comments

Mk 6:10 “…stay there until you leave “

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.”

Why would He say this?

After Jesus departed Nazareth, He instructed His twelve closest disciples and sent them out in pairs. They went on ahead ahead of Him to prepare the people to receive His message favorably by performing unmistakable and unprecedented miracles of healing. When Jesus finally arrived in a town that was first visited by the disciples, they would have been eager to hear what He had to say. By staying with one family the disciples would have no distracting concern regarding their food and board. Also, by staying with one family, they minimized the social complications that would have occurred because of their instant popularity. The disciples’ mission would have been diminished had there been competition or even jealousy among hosts.

Click here to go directly to my personal application or continue with my full notes.

COMMAND 195: “…stay there until you leave…”

REFERENCE:

Light in the Detroit River — This command reminds me of the Windmill Point light and the time our host allowed us to stay for the night. After taking this picture, Dawn and I guided our little pontoon boat into Sinbad’s Restaurant and Marina to get something to eat for dinner. We were delighted when, after eating at that fine restaurant, the harbormaster graciously allowed us to remain in the marina for the night. This was just one of many fabulous experiences we had traveling Michigan to photograph its lighthouses.

Mk 6:10; See also Mt 10:11; Lk 9:4

RECIPIENTS:

The twelve disciples

CONTEXT:

After Jesus departed Nazareth, He equipped His twelve closest disciples to perform unmistakable and unprecedented miracles of healing. He then sent them out ahead in pairs. Presumably they were to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival and to receive His message favorably.

Mark

Matthew

Luke

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

Mk 6:10b “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.“

Mt 10:11 “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.“

Lk 9:4b “… stay there until you leave that city.“

RESULT:

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them.
Mt 11:1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Lk 9:6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

While meeting practical needs of the people, the pairs of disciples delivered their message in order to prepare for Jesus’ arrival. By preparing the people in this way, they would have been eager to listen to what He had to say. Staying with one family in each location would have been a practical advantage to the disciples in that they would have no distracting concern regarding their of food and lodging. Presumably, the disciples would have healed any sicknesses in the host’s house.

It would have also been an honor for the host to have such popular guests in the house. Had the disciples moved from house to house the hosts might feel they had done something wrong or other hosts might begin competing for the privilege. Competing hosts might foster jealousy among them and would have hindered the disciples’ mission.

Examples of Guests in the Bible

The Bible has a few examples of houseguests. These examples have a consistent theme. In each of the examples, the guest gave something of value to the host.

In 1Ki 17:8-24 Samuel, an old testament priest, was a guest at a widows house. She and her son would have starved to death had Samuel not have provided food for her by supernatural means.

In Jn 2:1-11 Jesus was one of the invited guests at a wedding that was held in the Galilean town of Cana. The host had not procured enough wine for the party and had therefore run out of it. Jesus turned ordinary water into excellent wine so that the host would not be embarrassed.

In Mt 8:14-15 Jesus was in Peter’s home at Capernaum. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and Jesus healed her:

In Ac 28:7-9 The apostle Paul, was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. He was a guest in Publius’ house. Publius’ father was ill and Paul healed him with a touch.

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

inquire: G1833 ἐξετάζω ex-et-ad’-zo – to examine or to test thoroughly by questions

worthy: G 514 ἄξιος ax’-ee-os – for comparison to have the weight of another thing of like value

house: G3614 οἰκία oy-kee’-ah – a dwelling or the people who live there

stay: G3306 μένω men’-o – a primary verb; to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

When I travel a long distance to visit with family or friends and they offer to have me stay at their house, I will stay there until I leave town. That is, of course, if they are willing to host me that long. Leaving one home to stay at another’s home has the potential for my host to misunderstand as to the reason why I left.

Also, if my host will allow it, I will make myself useful while I’m there. At a minimum, I’ll happily pick up after myself. Maybe, like Jesus, I’ll bring the wine. Better yet, I’ll help out with some project or chores while I’m there, Perhaps they will invite me to come again!

RETURN TO COMMAND

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Do Not Put On Two Tunics

6 July, 2021

Christopher Carlson

Mark 2 Comments

Mk 6:9 “Do not put on two tunics.”

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

Jesus told His twelve closest disciples to take nothing extra on their journey, not even two tunics.

Why would He say this?

Jesus sent these twelve men on a journey to the cities of Israel that He planned to visit. He equipped the men with miraculous powers and told them to use their powers to help people. They were to heal the sick and to urge the people to prepare themselves for Jesus’ arrival. He specifically told His disciples to travel lightly. Therefore, they were to take only their immediate necessities and not to include any backup necessities, such as an extra tunic. They would not need any other provisions because practical gratitude of the people would sustain them.

Although Jesus was instructing His twelve disciples about a specific journey, I think that there are some principles I can apply to my own life.

Click here to go directly to my personal application and your comments or continue with my full notes.

COMMAND 194: “Do not put on two tunics.”

REFERENCE:

Ludington North Pierhead Light — On Sept. 9, 1910, the Pere Marquette 18′ ferry departed Ludington, Michigan with approximately 30 railcars on board. Midway to Milwaukee the ship began taking on water. In an effort to save the ship, the captain gave the crew orders to lighten the load by jettisoning the railcars. Unfortunately, the crew did not possess supernatural powers like the disciples had so as to keep the ship afloat, and it was lost to the waves for over a century. The shipwreck was discovered in 2020.
Click here see why I like lighthouses.

Mk 6:9; See also Mt 10:9; Lk 9:3

RECIPIENT: The twelve disciples

Mk 6:7-9 And He summoned the twelve…

Mt 10-1a; 2-4 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples…
²Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

CONTEXT:

After Jesus departed Nazareth, He instructed His twelve closest disciples to send them out two by two to go ahead. Presumably they were to prepare the people to receive Jesus message favorably by performing unmistakable and unprecedented miracles of healing.

Mark

Mk 6:7-9 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; ⁸and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff–no bread, no bag, no money in their belt– ⁹but to wear sandals; and He added…

Matthew

Mt 10:1; 5-8 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
⁵These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; ⁶but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.‘ ⁸“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. ”

Luke

Lk 9:1-3a And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ²And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money…”

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

Mk 6:9b “Do not put on two tunics.”

Mt 10:9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.”

Mt 9:3b “Take nothing for {your} journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not {even} have two tunics apiece.”

RESULT:

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them.
Mt 11:1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Lk 9:6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

Travel Lightly

These disciples were instructed to travel lightly in their own country, preach and, to supernaturally heal people. They were not to take more than their immediate necessities and not to take any extra goods or possessions. They were to have their own needs met by grateful individuals.

Bring a Staff or Not to Bring a Staff?

Did Jesus say to bring a staff or not to bring a staff? This apparent inconsistency in the three narratives from Matthew, Mark and Luke is cleared up when you note that the Greek word ῥάβδος in Matthew and Luke is the plural form “staffs” and in Mark “staff,” ραβδον, is singular. Jesus told them to travel without an extra staff.

Specific Instructions for the Twelve

This is specific instruction for the’ twelve closest disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. All their needs were to be supplied by the people they met and, they were to take nothing extra nor acquire anything extra. Jesus equipped these twelve men with miraculous powers and told them to use their power to heal sick people and to tell them that Jesus would be arriving soon. They didn’t need any other provisions because practical gratitude of the people would sustain them. Jesus later in Luke rescinds the command to take no provisions:

Lk 22:35-36 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” ³⁶And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.”

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

acquire: G2932 κτάομαι tal-ee-thah’ — a primary verb; to get by any means

worker: G2040 ἐργάτης er-gat’-ace — a toiler; figuratively a teacher

worthy: G514 ἄξιος ax’-ee-os — deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise):

support: G5160 τροφή τροφή — literal or figurative nourishment

put on: G1746 ἐνδύω en-doo’-ō — to sink into a garment); to literally or figuratively invest with clothing

tunic: G5509 χιτών khee-tōne’ — an undergarment, usually worn next to the skin, a garment, a vestment

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

When the opportunity arises to do someone a significant good deed such as save their life or return lost money or care for some urgent need, remind them that they matter. Perhaps suggest that they pass on the good deed to someone else in the future. Since I’m a Christian, I can also humbly tell them that God loves them and that He is their ultimate provider. Also, If I’m actually in need and the recipient is offering a gift of gratitude, then it is okay to accept it to meet my need.

RETURN TO COMMAND

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

60 See that no one knows about this!

18 April, 2019

Christopher Carlson

Matthew No Comments

Jesus told these men to keep a secret about what had happened. But they went throughout that land spreading the news about Him.

Please share your thoughts, your own application or questions in the comments at the end.

COMMAND 60 “See that no one knows…”

Mt 9:30

photo by Dawn Carlson
Grays Reef lighthouse in North Eastern Lake Michigan silently tells everyone the secret about the shallow reef just beneath the waves.

RECIPIENT:

Two blind men

CONTEXT: My notes about the context of this command

Jesus performed this miracle in His own city Capernaum, where He lived.
Mt 9:27-30 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ²⁸When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ²⁹Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” ³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them:

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

Mt 9:30b “See that no one knows about this!”

RESULT:

Mt 9:31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

(word: Strong’s # Greek pronunciation — definition)

see: G3708 ὁραìω hor-ah’-ō — to stare at; (by implication) to discern clearly (physically or mentally); (by extension) to attend to

no one: G3367 μηδεìν may -dem-ee’-ah — not even one man, woman or thing

know: G1097 γινωìσκω ghin-ōce’-kō — a primary verb; to absolutely know

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

Jesus also instructed the parents of the girl He raised from the dead “…that no one should know about this.”

This command is similar to COMMAND 49 from Mt 8:4 and others.

I do not know why Jesus told these men to keep a secret about what had happened. These men had to return to their homes and families with some explanation as to what happened to them. Perhaps Jesus wanted them to delay their testimony about the healing. Some scholars have suggested that Jesus was not yet ready for all His miracles to be made public before His physical departure because He did not want people to take up arms to make Him a temporal king. Jesus may have given these men more instructions than what Matthew recorded.

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application

Carefully consider the implications that it will be impossible for the recipients of my good deed to be silent about it; they will be unable to keep it secret. If secrecy is imperative I must plan the deed to be anonymous so as to avoid any complications. The recipient will have the choice to thank God or their own luck!

I wonder how shall I put this command into practice this week?

Below, please share your comments , question or perhaps your own application for this command

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Mk 6:11 “…shake the dust off the soles of your feet…”

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

Why would He say this?

COMMAND 196: “…shake the dust off the soles of your feet…”

REFERENCE:

RECIPIENT:

CONTEXT:

Mark

Matthew

Luke

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

RESULT:

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

Mk 6:10 “…stay there until you leave “

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

Why would He say this?

COMMAND 195: “…stay there until you leave…”

REFERENCE:

RECIPIENTS:

CONTEXT:

Mark

Matthew

Luke

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

RESULT:

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

Examples of Guests in the Bible

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

Mk 6:9 “Do not put on two tunics.”

Summary Notes

What did Jesus say?

Why would He say this?

COMMAND 194: “Do not put on two tunics.”

REFERENCE:

RECIPIENT: The twelve disciples

CONTEXT:

Mark

Matthew

Luke

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

RESULT:

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

Travel Lightly

Bring a Staff or Not to Bring a Staff?

Specific Instructions for the Twelve

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments

Please share your thoughts, your own application or questions in the comments at the end.

COMMAND 60 “See that no one knows…”

RECIPIENT:

CONTEXT: My notes about the context of this command

COMMAND FULL TEXT:

RESULT:

DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application

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