The Biblical Teaching of Disciples--16

In Luke 1-10, there are twenty references to disciples. Most of the texts also have parallels in Matthew and Mark.

1. Eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners--Luke 5:27-39 [parallel to Matthew 9:9-17; Mark 2:13-22].
    a. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to the disciples of Jesus, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus responded, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. vv. 30-32.
    b. The Pharisees and scribes responded: the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast and pray, but the disciples of Jesus eat and drink. Jesus responded by giving  a parable: While the bridegroom is here at the wedding, the wedding guests will not fast; but when the bridegroom leaves, they will fast. Here the bridegroom is Jesus. vv. 33-35.

2. Eating grain on the Sabbath--Luke 6:1-5 [parallel to Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28]. One Sabbath when Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads, rubbed them in their hands and ate the grain. Some of the Pharisees saw this and complained that they disobeyed the law. Jesus responded by reminding them that David and his companions ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.

3. Jesus called twelve of his disciples--Luke 6:12-16 [parallel to Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19a]. Jesus called his disciples and chose twelve whom he also named apostles. The names are listed here.

4. Many people come to Jesus to hear his words and be healed--Luke 6:17-19 [parallel to Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-39]. After choosing the twelve, Jesus came down from the mountain to a level place, where a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude from all Judea came to him to hear his words and be healed.

5. Blessings and Woes--Luke 6:20-26 [parallel to Matthew 5:1-12]. Jesus then looked up at his disciples and gave them certain blessings and woes.

6. Do not judge--Luke 6:37-42 [parallel to Matthew 7:1-5]. Jesus told his hearers not to judge. Then he gave a parable. If a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into the pit. A disciple is not above his teacher.

7. Jesus Raises the Widow's Son at Nain--Luke 7:11-17. Jesus' disciples and a large crowd went with Jesus to Nain, where Jesus raised the widow's son at Nain from the dead.

8. The Disciples of John the Baptist ask Jesus if he is the Messiah--Luke 7:18-35 [parallel to Matthew 11:2-19]. The disciples of John the Baptist told John that Jesus had raised the widow's son at Nain from the dead. John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to find out if Jesus is the one who is to come. Jesus told them to tell John what Jesus had done in healing all the sick.

9. The Parable of the Sower--Luke 8:9-10 [parallel to Matthew 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-12]. When Jesus gives the parable of the sower, Jesus' disciples ask him what this parable means. Jesus responded by telling them that he would tell them the secret, but the purpose of parables is to hide Jesus' messages from the crowds.

10. Jesus calms a storm--Luke 8:22-27 [parallel to Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41]. Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. Jesus fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the disciples were afraid. Jesus woke up and stilled the storm and rebuked his disciples for their little faith.

11. The Mission of the Twelve--Luke 9:1-6 [parallel to Matthew 10:5-15]. Jesus called the 12 disciples and gave them power over demons and to cure diseases. The NRSV does not use the word "disciple" in v. 1.

12. Feeding the 5,000--Luke 9:10-27 [parallel to Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44]. When the crowds were hungry, Jesus told his disciples to make all the people sit down. Jesus blessed the five loaves of bread and two fish and gave them to his disciples to distribute it to the crowd. God greatly multitude the food.

13. Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah--Luke 9:18-20 [parallel to Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30]. While he was praying, Jesus asked his disciples who they thought Jesus was. Peter said he thought Jesus was the Messiah.

14. Jesus heals a boy with a demon--Luke 9:37-47 [parallel to Matthew 17:14-23; Mark 9:14-32]. A man came to Jesus telling him his son was seized by a spirit but Jesus' disciples could not cast out the spirit. Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy. Then Jesus told his disciples that he would be arrested, persecuted, and killed on the cross.

15. A Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus--Luke 9:51-56. When the Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus, Jesus' disciples James and James asked Jesus if they wanted to come down fire from heaven to destroy this village. Jesus rebuked them for asking this.

16. Jesus tells his disciples that they are blessed what they see--Luke 10:21-24 [parallel to Matthew 11:25-27]. Jesus thanks his Heavenly Father for revealing God's things to infants rather than to the wise. Then Jesus told his disciples privately that they are blessed what they see.

Not that in these chapters, there are references to the disciples of the Pharisees, the disciples of John the Baptist, to the twelve disciples of Jesus, to two disciples James and John, and to a larger group of disciples of Jesus.

Share YOUR beliefs and insights and understandings and perceptions and concerns with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis+