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Tag Archives: Nazareth

Sending Them Off

Jesus Discourses with His Disciples (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What? Jesus is sending His disciples away? You’d think after they were mean to him in his own hometown of Nazareth that He’d want to keep his disciples close by for support.

What do you mean, you want me to listen to a story? Jesus is all alone now. Where’s the story?

What do you mean, Jesus is never alone?

Okay, I’ll listen.

***

Jesus called his twelve disciples to Him and He gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

***

You mean now the disciples could do all that miracle stuff that Jesus did?

You mean they can get me some fish?

But what would they need Jesus for if they could do it themselves?

They needed His authority? I don’t get it.

I’m listening.

***

Jesus told the disciples to take nothing for the journey – no bag, no bread, no money, and no extra tunic.

***

How are they going to eat? I’m getting hungry thinking about it.

I don’t need that stuff they’re leaving behind because you feed me, but what about them? You’re not going to feed them too, are you?

I am listening.

***

Jesus told the disciples that the worker is worth his keep. When they entered a town or village they were to find a worthy person and stay at his house until they left that place.

***

Now I get it. They would go heal people and preach about God so someone would feed them because they were doing that.

But what happens if they can’t find anyone to do that? Would they be like stray dogs then?

***

Jesus said that if the people didn’t welcome them they were to shake the dust off their feet when they left as a testimony against them.

***

Shake the dust off their feet? Is that kind of like when I kick up dust to cover my business?

A Prophet in His Hometown

09 Jun

What do you mean, you’re going to tell me a short story? I can stretch out a story for a long time. There’s no such thing as a short Bible story for me.

I’m going to ask lots of questions, so don’t think I’m not listening when you tell me the story.

***

Jesus went to his hometown of Nazareth and his disciples went with him.

***

Was Jesus going to a big family reunion?

Of course I’m listening. I told you I was going to ask lots of questions.

***

When the Sabbath came…

***

What’s the Sabbath? I’ll listen if you tell me.

***

The Sabbath is a day to rest and to worship God. So when the Sabbath came Jesus began to teach in the synagogue and many who heard Him were amazed.

***

I would be amazed if I heard Jesus too.

What do you mean, that’s not a question?

***

The people couldn’t figure out how Jesus got such wisdom and could even perform miracles. After all, they knew Him when he was growing up.

The people said, “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sister’s here with us?” And…

***

It sounds like Jesus was having a big family reunion. He had a big family.

I shouldn’t always have to ask a question. I asked one last time.

***

the people of Nazareth took offense at Jesus.

***

That wasn’t very nice of them.

I am too listening.

***

Jesus said to the people, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

***

That’s why I don’t get any respect around here.

Do you know what those cats did?

***

Jesus couldn’t do any miracles in Nazareth, except lay hands on a few sick people and heal them, because of their lack of faith.

***

So you mean that even Jesus can’t do miracles if the people don’t have faith?

I have faith. I have faith that Jesus can make some fish appear for me.

Wait, you mean that’s the end of the story?

Can I ask another question?

10 Comments

Posted by Bongo on June 9, 2013 in Bongo, Dogology, humor

Tags: Bible, Christianity, faith, Jesus, Nazareth, Question, Sabbath, Shabbat

In His Hometown

17 Feb

It’s pretty cool all those miracles Jesus was doing. I bet he was a hero when he finally went back to his hometown. I bet they were all excited for Jesus to do some miracles for them.

Where was it Jesus was from again?

Oh yeah, Nazareth. They probably knew him pretty well there since that’s where he grew up.

Okay, I’ll listen to the story.

***

Jesus went to Nazareth and on the Sabbath day…

***

The what day?

Oh, that’s the day they rested and worshiped God?

I guess every day is a Sabbath day for me – at least about the rest part. Naps are good.

I’m listening.

***

On the Sabbath day Jesus went to the synagogue and he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled it and read,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

***

Jesus left out a part. The part about giving extra fish to all the dogs.

Okay, I’ll listen.

***

Jesus rolled up the scroll and gave it back. He sat down and everyone was looking at him. Then he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

All the people were amazed at what Jesus said, but then they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Jesus knew what the people were thinking and he said, “I tell you the truth. No prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

Jesus didn’t perform any big miracles in Nazareth.

***

I guess they didn’t get any extra fish either.

***

The people in the synagogue became furious at Jesus.

***

I guess they were pretty hungry and really wanted some fish.

***

They took him to the brow of the hill the town was built on and intended to throw him off the cliff. But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Then he went to Capernaum and made his new home there.

***

Did the people in Capernaum get some extra fish?

Hey person, you could give me some fish. You wouldn’t want me moving to Capernaum, would you?

19 Comments

Posted by Bongo on February 17, 2013 in Bongo, Dogology, humor

Tags: Capernaum, Christianity, dogs, faith, God, Isaiah, Jesus, Nazareth, Pets, Sabbath

Escape to Egypt

15 Jan

“…out of Egypt I called my son.” Hosea 11:1

Hey person, whose son is in Egypt? Are there animals in this story?

They worshipped what in Egypt? No way! They worshipped cats!? It’s a good thing that son was called out of Egypt. Who was that son anyway?

He was? How did he get there? I thought he was in…?

Okay person, I’ll let you tell the story.

My person says Jesus had his first big adventure when he was still very little. I like adventures. I’m listening person.

Okay, I’m quiet now.

My person says that after those Magi she talked about in the last Bible story gave Jesus his gifts, you know, that gold, frankincense, myrrh, and those chew toys, they were warned in a dream not to go back to that sneaky King Herod, so they went home another way.

After the Magi left, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt because King Herod was going to look for Jesus to kill him. Sure enough when that sneaky evil King Herod realized he’d been outwitted by the Magi he got really mad and wanted to find and kill Jesus. But Jesus had already left for Egypt.

It wasn’t too long before sneaky evil King Herod died and an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream again, and told him they could go back to Israel. I hope they didn’t bring any of those cats back with them.

When they got back to Israel, without any cats, they found out that King Herod’s evil son Archelaus was ruling in Judea – the area they had been in before they went to Egypt – and they decided to go to a town called Nazareth in the district of Galilee instead. My person says that Nazareth is where Jesus grew up.

That was a pretty exciting adventure for a little kid – running away from an evil king, all the way from Israel to Egypt. I’m sure glad it ended okay. But person, I think there’s something wrong with my ears. I keep hearing this meowing sound.

23 Comments

Posted by Bongo on January 15, 2012 in Bongo, Dogology, humor

Tags: Christianity, Egypt, faith, Israel, Jesus, Nazareth, Pets

To Bethlehem

18 Dec

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

My person promised. She said today’s Bible story will have animals in it – so I’m waiting. She’d better be right or I’m going to erase those words she put on my blog that I didn’t write.

My person says that Joseph eventually got married to Mary – that sounds funny, married to Mary. Okay person. I’ll try to listen, but I’m still waiting for those animals.

Caesar Augustus – he was the head guy of the Roman Empire that ruled over Israel at the time – decided he wanted to have a census. A what? Everyone had to go to his own town to register. My person said that since Joseph was from the line of David – hey I remember David. He started out as a shepherd boy and had lots of animals around him – Joseph had to go to David’s hometown of Bethlehem, and he took Mary with him.

Bethlehem was about eighty miles from Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived. Mary was about to have a baby so it would have been hard for her to walk that far. My person says she probably rode a donkey.

A donkey! Finally, there’s an animal in the story.

Okay person, I’m listening now. When Joseph and Mary – and the donkey – finally made it to Bethlehem there was no room for them at the inn.

Mary was about to have her baby so she needed someplace to stay. You know what my person said they did? They went and hung out where the animals lived. Mary had her baby and she laid him in a manger. My person said a manger is the thing that the animals eat from.

I hope those animals don’t try to eat that baby by mistake.

34 Comments

Posted by Bongo on December 18, 2011 in Bongo, Dogology, humor

Tags: Bethlehem, Bible, Cats and Dogs, Christianity, faith, Joseph, Mary, Nazareth, Pets