Jesus gradually gathered twelve men to be his disciples. One of those men was a publican named Matthew Levi. Jesus went to his tax booth in Capernaum and said, “Follow me.” Thus, Matthew left his work and became a disciple. Later, Matthew invited Jesus to a banquet in his home. Among the guests were people known as “publicans and sinners.” The Pharisees saw and disapproved of this. In answer to the Pharisees, Jesus said, “They who are whole need not a physician.”
Discussion Questions
Why did the Pharisees disapprove when they saw Jesus talking and eating with “publicans and sinners”? Jesus wanted to reach those who needed to be whole again. What does that mean? Jesus was friendly and good to everyone.
After the resurrection, Jesus came alongside two men as they walked to Emmaus on Sunday afternoon. Jesus talked with them about the scriptures, but they did not know who he was. When they arrived at their home, the two men urged Jesus to abide with them. During supper, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly, “their eyes were opened,” and they could see that their guest was Jesus. As soon as they recognized him, he vanished from their sight.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean when the story says that “their eyes were opened”? After Jesus vanished, the two men realized why their hearts felt warm when Jesus talked with them as they walked along the road. Can you say more about that?
In the early hours of Sunday morning, several women believers set out for the tomb where Jesus had been laid to rest. The women brought spices with which to anoint his body. This was a common practice among the Jews. On the way, they wondered who would roll away the huge stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. When they arrived, they were surprised to see that “the stone had been rolled away.” They were even more surprised at what they saw inside.
These women believers were determined, but not yet hopeful, when they walked to the tomb. They, like the apostles, did not remember that Jesus said he would rise again. Why didn’t they remember? What did the women see inside the tomb?
People can be courageous in many different ways. How was Jesus courageous during the last day of his life? How were the women courageous? We can remember a Psalm that says, “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart.”
