Luke 6:14-19 FNV

The words here used are few, and we pass them over often without pausing to think of what they involve. It was, perhaps, the hour in the ministry of Jesus when his miraculous power was most abundantly displayed.

Miracles, according to the records of Christ's life, were of most frequent occurrence, not occasional. They were the simple details of His life, coming as naturally from Him as acts of kindness from the benevolent heart or gifts from the charitable. It was thus He expressed His sympathy with the poor and suffering. In this way Christ showed His message of mercy to man, and revealed the nature of that redemption of the race which He began by living and dying for the world. In no other way could He so deeply have impressed the world with the distinctive character of His redeeming power.

To the places here enumerated, St. Matthew adds Galilee, Decapolis, and the region beyond Jordan. St. Mark (Mark 3:8) - where the same period of our Lord's ministry is treated of - alludes to people from Idumaea forming part of the multitude which just then used to crowd round the Master as he taught. Thus the great sermon was addressed to men of various nationalities - to rigid and careless Jews, to Romans and Greeks, to Phoenicians from Tyre and Sidon, and to nomad Arabs from Idumaea.

[Excerpts from the Pulpit Commentary & H.W. Butcher]

Here are the names of the ones he chose:

First there was One Who Hears (Simon), whom he named Stands On The Rock (Peter), and his brother Stands With Courage (Andrew). Then he chose two brothers that he called Sons of Thunder - He Takes Over (James) and He Shows Goodwill (John). Next there was Friend of Horses (Philip) and Son of Ground Digger (Bartholomew) along with He Brings Together (Levi/Matthew) and Looks Like His Brother (Thomas). Then he chose He Takes Over (James), son of First to Change (Alphaeus), along with One Who Listens - the Man on Fire (Simon-the Zealot) and Speaks Well Of (Judas) the son of He Takes Over (James). And last of all he chose Speaks Well Of (Judas), who later betrayed him.

Creator Sets Free (Jesus), along with his twelve message bearers and a large number of his followers, went down from the mountain to where the ground is flat. A great number of people came to hear him speak and to be healed. They came from all over the Land of Promise (Judea), from Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and from the coast of Rock Land (Tyre) and Hunting Ground (Sidon). The ones tormented by unclean spirits were being set free. All the people were trying to touch him, for great power was flowing out from him to heal them all!

Luke 6:14-19 FNV