Category: Matthew

Salt Life

SALT

• Adds Flavor to Life,

• Purifies Set apart,

• Preserves  the souls of man for the Kingdom of God

Good Morning,

Today we get a chance to look at Matthew 5:13-16. The Salt Life image that we see on cars or shirts is imprinted my brain. Verse 13 says how we are the salt of the earth. A couple characteristics of salt that can be seen as a parallel to our Christian life includes the ability to make me thirst.   Last week as I battled a cold and went to the good ole’ gargling of salt water,  it made me thirst.  That even as I poured the salt into liquid it never lost its saltiness.  As we are living in this world do we lose our flavor? As we are watered down by worldly pressures do we keep our saltiness  in every part of our life? Colossians 4:6  says Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

Salt also adds seasoning. It makes a better taste. Does the flavor of being a Christian make others come back for seconds? Seasoning brings out the best flavor of our foods.  Do we bring out our best and point it all back to God?

 

I have learned I can’t always control the circumstances I face, but I am the keeper of my “saltiness.” Will I be bitter, broken down or better and making a difference? Less seasoned or more flavorful? When God comes back, what good am I if I’ve lost my flavoring?

 

Light of the World

If we all understand that the light of the world is God we will be able to see. Matthew 5:14-16 what living for Christ is like. That God’s light should be in full display in our hearts, minds, works and actions. That as we let our light shine others will see the reality of God in us.   God’s light will guide us as we speak to Him and for Him. God’s light will shine when we are trying to avoid a situation.  Let’s not let sin dim our light.  Let’s not put our light to the side when others need to see.

Ephesians 5:8 says For you were once darkness, but now you are the light of the world. Live as children of the light.

Have a blessed day being the salt and the light.

Today’s Readings: Matthew 5:13-16, Psalm 59

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; you are my fortress , my refuge in times of trouble.

Don’t Waste Your Opportunities 

Today we are going to go through Mathew 25. I want to do this a little differently and tell this in story form. I hope this encourages you to dive into the word and read it like a story rather than a textbook. Close your eyes and start to imagine this as if you were in this story. Let’s talk about verses 31-46.

Your soul and the souls of many others are together waiting to be judged by God. As far as the eye can see are souls of others just like you. As you stand there, you notice that each person is going before the throne of God. The line starts to move and each soul goes either right or left. Groups are getting told to go right, other groups are getting told to go left.

 

After every person has found their place either to the right or to the left, silence seems to overtake everyone. God slowly turns to the group on the right and says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

There is a bit of confusion that overtakes the group on the right. They say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? ”

God simply answers, “ Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

It starts to come back to each and every one of them. The times they visited the hospital to put a smile on a little child’s face. The times they chose not to walk by a homeless person but instead gave them money or food. The times they chose to put others first rather than themselves. Those instances weren’t just moments in time where they did a good deed, those were encounters with our heavenly father. At that very moment, God made himself known to those people and they understood.

Then God turns to the group on the left and says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.

“ They too were confused but said, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” At that very moment, the group on the left is made known of all the encounters they had with God that they chose to ignore. They were reminded of the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit whispered to them when they had the opportunity to help. Instantly they realize that all of the reasons they had in the moment were meaningless.

Then he will answer them and say, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” At that moment it was as if there was something stuck in the pit of their stomach. They plead for forgiveness over and over but the decision and their choices have already been made. Eternity has been decided. Don’t waste your opportunity!

 

Please don’t waste this time you have been given and get caught up in all the distractions of this world. In the end, they will all be meaningless. Start to looking and praying for opportunities to encounter God in your life. I promise there are plenty out there; you just have to be willing to sacrifice your time. Rejoice in today because you have been given another day on this earth, so be a light for his kingdom. Have a great Thursday everyone!

 

Parable of the Fig Tree

Today’s reading: Matthew 24 and Psalm 97

Matthew chapters 24 and 25 are Jesus’ own sermon on His second coming.  Chapter 24 starts out with the disciples asking with immense anticipation, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

Jesus responds, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” I thought this was one of the most interesting (and totally loaded response) in the chapter so I wrote on it for BibleJournal.net almost 2 years ago.

Since I have the privilege of another opportunity to write on this chapter I would like to discuss another statement Jesus made that stood out to me. 

“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 25:34)

The question here is, who is ‘this generation’?  There are several interpretations, one popular is that ‘this generation’ refers to the elect.  In my estimation, Jesus would have just said ‘you’ or something clearer if that were the case.  I have come to think this is a statement of the elapsed timing of the tribulation.  That is, a generation of time will pass from the beginning to the conclusion of the end of days.  Put another way, the generation that sees the beginning of the birthing pains of the end days will also see Jesus’ return.  What do you think?

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. – Matthew 24:32-34

Christmas is almost here!  It’s a great time to renew and refocus our anticipation of Christ’s second coming!

Do as I say, not as I do

Good Morning Bible Journal Family!

Keep reading daily and living out God’s word.   Developing yourself and others requires time in His word.  Ephesians 4:11-12 says So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Today’s Reading Matthew 23 and Psalm 96

Matthew 23:4-5 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

I  heard growing up the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do” many times at different occasions.  So in most cases what did I do? I didn’t listen and did it anyway, often learning the hard way. So in fast forwarding time, now there are times when I have say to my own children, students, family, friends, and others,  “Do as I say, not as I did.”  Mostly because I learned the hard way and trying to spare some pain.

Some of us learn by listening, while others learn by doing and failing or succeeding. God has provided us His perfect living word and provided us a perfect model of these words in His son, Jesus.  There are other places in the bible where we find those who didn’t follow, or made up their own version of the law. As we continue to read through Matthew we get to Matthew 23 where Jesus warns us about the hypocrisy in the Pharisees.  It’s hard to believe that those who were so familiar with the word and could probably reference and quote whole books of the bible would lose sight of God. Not even  realizing they were in the presence of His son Jesus. To the point of trying to disprove Him or get Him to say something wrong(which He never did). The Pharisees had such wonderful knowledge of the law but lacked the true relationship needed. There are so many times where I wish I could just remember that “just right” verse for that moment to share with someone.   But I realize that wasn’t the only thing that was holding back these teachers of the law. Often they could put made laws above Gods.  They told the rules to everyone but when it came down to them it wasn’t happening. Rules that were followed were to make them look better and not about the focus being on God.

When I think about the Pharisees I wonder why they couldn’t take off blinders and realize they were in the presence of our Lord. Honestly, I wonder why at times my blinders can be on too.  Do I practice what I preach? Is there times I don’t even say anything? In my humble reflection, I think about sharing of God’s living word. Am I focusing and Him or myself.  God has already promised you a place in heaven with Him and it won’t be based on what we do or don’t do. Am I  acting out of convenience for myself or my present circumstance. am I dropping the ball just like a Pharisee.  Do I put things on others and not willing to help out of selfishness? As we read through these living stories I’m given a daily reminder of making sure it’s not about me, it’s about God.  It’s not about me, it’s about others.  It our earthly lives it can be easy to get caught up in the

In our earthly life we have to be careful to what people ask us to do.  Is it what they want? Is it what we want? Ultimately,  is it what God wants? As I reflect on these words I try to remind myself of the true meaning of why we do things.  Is it for myself or for others. If we go back to the acronym JOY (Jesus, Others, Yourself) are we talking in our homes and workplaces about Jesus=1st, Others = 2nd, Yourself= 3rd  Oh how I can mess up this order sometimes.  Are we acting these characteristics of Jesus out in lives? You may be the only Christian that person runs into today.  One additional reminder question to reflect on says Matthew 23:28 “In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside…

Psalm 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

 

Dear God,

Thank you for your truth.  Thank you for washing us clean. Your word continues to shape and form our lives. Our prayer is to not make anything about us, but about You and your word.  That as we go about our days with the true meaning of what we do, how we do it, and who we do it for, leading us all back to you and your love.  Keep our communion in you close so we know who we live our life for.  I pray our words match our actions and always represent you, in which we give you all the glory.

Amen

The only example we should follow is His.  John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

Few are Chosen

Today’s Reading: Matthew 22

Good Morning, it’s the start of another week! I’ve been intentionally praying for God to help me to remain connected to Him as the holiday season approaches. As I began reading the text for today’s reading, I got a little anxious. I actually put it down a few times and moved on to other projects because I just simply didn’t get it! I think it’s important to share that with you as a writer. Sometimes, extracting meaning from these ancient writings is complicated and messy. I tossed around the idea of skipping the Parable of the Wedding Feast all together. I mean, honestly guys, what in the world is going on here! There are clear parallels to the story of the Wedding Feast in Luke 14. But, Matthew’s telling is far more violent and confusing. Some commentaries argue that the two stories are actually separate tellings of the same event. Matthew’s writing comes within the context of the week of the Lord’s Passion. Whether or not they are a recounting of the same story, the intention of the author is clear. The message is that God invites us to grace and mercy through his Son, Jesus. And, we along with all of Israel are declining that invitation. We react with indifference and sometimes even whole hearted rejection.

The wedding feast is likened to covenant that God makes with his Christian followers. When the initial chosen guests refuse to come, the King sends his servants out to find anyone in the street to partake in the banquet. How often are we missing this invitation? How often am I responding with scorn or irritation to the opportunity to be with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven? The story takes a final twist in verse 11:

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?…” Matthew 22:11

 The man isn’t just sent away, rather he is thrown out to the darkness bound and beaten. This final part is uncomfortable. It’s a challenge to us as Christians. Are we going to come dressed for the party? Are we going to put on the vestiges of Christ in order to be truly prepared for his coming and our salvation? In the end, this twisted tale is really about becoming the bridegroom of Christ. It’s about dressing for the party even if we aren’t sure there will be anyone else there that we know. Matthew ends the parable with this:

“For many are called, but few are chosen” Matthew 22:14

 This is so powerful for me. So many of us are called by name but only a few are chosen for eternal life with Him. I want to share the final paragraph of Allen Ross’ teaching published in Bible.org on living a kingdom bound life:

In interpreting the parable, the context is so important. Throughout the events of the Passion Week leading up the crucifixion, the conflict between Jesus and the leaders became much sharper than it had been in Jesus’ public ministry before. Now everything was clearly set in order in the events and teachings for all to see, and in seeing the issue, the people would know that their decision to accept or reject the grace of God in Christ was truly a matter of life and death, eternal life and death. He made it clear that the only way they would ever see the kingdom of heaven was by him.

The story makes it clear that there is no reason, none at all, for people to reject a gracious invitation from the King to come to the wedding feast and enjoy all good things. The only reason they reject the invitation is that they do not believe the King, or they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (Allen Ross, Bible.org)

There’s just no way to say it better. Are we going to accept or reject the invitation extended by our King? Can we withstand the conflict with our personal, political and cultural leaders in order to accept the grace offered by God. Can we put on the clothing of Christ and attend the feast?

 

 

 

Words Are Eternal.

Matthew 18 and Psalm 91

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” – Matthew 18:18-20

Something I struggle with a lot is remembering to think before I speak. Please tell me I’m not the only one here! My brain starts the second I wake up and doesn’t seem to stop moving a mile a minute until I go to sleep at night… and when my brain is moving a mile a minute, so is my mouth, most days- I’ll be honest.

That’s precisely why the sentence in the middle of the above passage felt like it smacked me right in the forehead when I was reading these verses today. The sentence I’m talking about says, “What you say to one another is eternal.” Um, excuse me? If that’s not slightly terrifying, I don’t know what is. All those little quips I say when I’m tired… the thoughtless remarks that slip out every so often… the careless things I say when I’m hurt to the people I love most… those are ALL eternal. Yikes.

Reading those words today made me pause and remember that my words matter. Not only do they matter, but they actually don’t ever go away… because they’re eternal. But on the positive side of this fact, I’m also reminded that the encouragement I share with a stranger, the kind words I try to remember to share with my people throughout the week, the prayers I pray over my marriage, business and family… those words are eternal, too. Read the last verses of Matthew 18:18-20 with me:

When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.

“You can be sure that I’ll be there.” I love that. Let Matthew 18 be a reminder to you today that your words matter… and whether it’s the encouragement you knew the Lord was calling you to share or the hurtful comment that came out when you were having a tough day, those words never go away. To close, the first verses of Psalm 91 bring me some hope after being reminded that my words never go away. And I don’t know about you, but I definitely needed some hope after that reminder! The verses say,

You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
    spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.
    I trust in you and I’m safe!”

Thank goodness that even though this life can be challenging and we often fall short, God is our refuge and our safe place. When we mess up and don’t use our words in the way that’s most honoring to Him, He’s still our refuge, and we can be sure that He’ll be there for us.

Do You Not Remember?

“Do you not remember?” Jesus asks this question of his disciples in Matthew 16:9. They have – again – misunderstood something that He said to them, and He says, “Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?” (Matthew 16:9-10). Remembering is important. It is clear just from this passage alone that Jesus places a high value on remembering.

I believe that Jesus is reminding us of the importance of remembering because it helps us to understand Him and His work. Just prior to the verses above, Jesus says, “Do you not yet perceive?” (Matthew 16:9) And later, He asks, “How is it that you fail to understand…” Matthew 16:11). Remembering leads to greater understanding. Have you ever looked back on an event in your life, one that you didn’t understand at the time, and finally, perhaps even years later, thought – THAT’S why that happened. I have, for sure. I believe that is what Jesus is talking about here.

Later in this same chapter, Jesus speaks over Peter, saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). I have always loved this verse; whenever I read the word “rock” here, it reminds me of the idea of standing stones mentioned in Joshua 4:7: “So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” For years, I have wanted to create some sort of memory box, our own version of standing stones, to honor God’s work in our little family. I want to always remember the good work He has done, and I would love to have a tangible memory of that work. Today’s reading, about rocks and remembering, is the push I need to actually begin this project!

One last note. If you have time today, take a minute to read Psalm 89. It begins, “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 89:1) and ends, “Blessed be the Lord forever!” (Psalm 89:52). The theme of remembering winds through this Psalm, and it is a sweet complement to Matthew 16.

God Heals

Today’s Reading Matthew 15, Psalms 88

As I sit with my youngest daughter in the hospital, I am mediating and reading the chapter for the bible journal and I cannot help but be overwhelmed with the context … God please heal my daughter.

Matthew 15: 21-28

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”And her daughter was healed instantly.[e]

 On Saturday afternoon, my father-in-law and daughters and I went on a routine shopping adventure. Its that time of year that the shoes are getting smaller and the sandals are not the right footwear for the seasons, especially when you see snowflakes at the end of October. As we complete the selection of shoes and preparing to leave, my youngest daughter, Nadya falls off a shoe-measuring stool and hits her head on the floor. As I pick her up and comfort her, she starts to have some questionable symptoms, which prompt me to take her to the emergency room. While at the hospital, we are checked up and admitted for overnight observations for concussion or seizure activity. As she sleeps that evening, I read the bible provided there and begin to review, read, and mediate on the chapter for today Matthew 15.   The Spirit of God is ever present and leading me to have a deeper communion with Him and He is consistently making me aware of His presence. What other time, place, and situation would make this passage ever be more real.

In the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is telling us about how people have changed the way God wanted his people to live, worship, and interact with each other. The Pharisees were questioning the validity of the teachings and followers. Jesus is telling us that the food and things that we put in our body will go in and come out and will not have eternal effect on our spirit. However, Jesus then refers to the things that we say and do to others is not a result of the tangible food that we eat, but the manifestation of the true character of our heart and spirit. It’s the true essence of us that is the reflection of God and how it is exhibited to others a reflection of our heart.

The following section of the chapter puts this into practice: the Canaanite lady and her daughter. Here is where the Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and begs for him to have mercy on her and her daughter. At first Jesus continues to walk by without acknowledgement of the person. This would have been utterly painful for Jesus to see and hear.   Then the disciples, orders Jesus to tell the woman to leave “them” alone. Wow, sometimes we forget who is in charge and we may overstep our own authority. Can you imagine that the disciples are giving Jesus orders? But Jesus has compassion on the woman, but wants to makes sure that she is truly committed and her faith outshines her circumstances.

It is the true spirit of the person that Jesus sees. He sees pass the unclean, the unworthy, the classes, the cultural differences, the gender, and the socioeconomic of all people. We have to recognize that Jesus is here for all to be given the Glory of God. We also have to recognize that we have to be confident in the promise of God. When we ask God for something, sometimes He is “silent” to us. Sometimes He reiterates the question that we ask. Sometimes He wants us to make Him know that we are longing for His presence and grace. In the end we pray that we will hear “…you have great faith! Your request is granted.”

As I complete this entry, Nadya is home, sleeping in her bed. Seizure free. Concussion free. Blessed beyond measure. Amen. Thank you for your prayers.

 

Rest. You Need It, So DO IT!

Rest. What comes to mind when you truly think of rest. I imagine myself on a beach at sunset with no one around. I can hear the waves as they gently wash against the shore. In the distance, I can hear the faint calls of a seagull as it flies to find its next meal. I’m not thinking about work, the dog, any relationship problems, medical issues or anything. My mind is clear and I am at peace. I think we get a taste of what rest is like when going on vacation but does that truly give us peace?

 

I am responsible for covering Mathew Chapter 11. There are a lot of different things I could be writing this on but I choose to write on the last 6 verses because it really fits with my life right now.

 

Let’s read through this together…Mathew 11:25-30

 

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[g] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 

I think my life is a point that makes it very relatable. Our schedule is crazy busy right now and we are really feeling it. When life gives you lemons, you just add 3 more. That’s the saying, right? I know it’s not but I think it should be. We are a culture who hates the word “No” and loves to challenge the word “impossible.” Rest is something we laugh off and say we will get to when we are dead but are we truly living as Christ by doing that?

 

As we start to go into the winter months and things maybe start to slow down a little, try to make a mental note of how you are feeling. Remember how refreshed you are and know that it is possible to have that feeling all year long, it just requires you to say no. Even God had to rest when he created the heavens and the earth so realize that we need it too.

 

Give our heavenly father those burdens and take a breath. We both know we need it. Life is too short to be on every committee or join every sport. It’s just not worth it to keep saying yes when it’s so much more fulfilling to say no.

 

I hope this speaks to at least one of you out there reading this. It definitely spoke to me. Have a great rest of your Thursday and rest up my friends!

Are you ready to finish what you started?

24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?  Matthew 10:24-25

“It is enough…”.  A true disciple wants nothing more than to be like his Master.  Jesus did not have much in the world in terms of tangible things.  He was born in a barn.  As an adult, He did not have a home and all the ‘important’ people hated him.  They wanted to kill him and they did.  Yet Jesus had all the intangible things. Do we want more than what Jesus had?

“…how much more…”  Given that a true disciple does not want to surpass his Master, Jesus gives a warning to those thinking they may want to follow him.  The warning is clear, as you become more like Christ, people will treat you more like He was treated.  How do we want to be treated?  

In addition to how others will treat us, Jesus gives other warnings to those who considered following him.  Knowing the heart of each, perhaps Jesus tailored the warnings.  Do we relate to any? 

Comfort

In Matthew 8:19-20 the scribe who said he would follow Jesus is told that following Him would mean forgoing a life of comfort.  A home is the baseline of comfort.  

Inheritance

In Matthew 8:21-22 one that would follow Jesus is told that following would mean forgoing his inheritance.  Following Jesus, for this scribe, may mean a life without the wealth of his family and perhaps one full of dependence.  “Allow me to bury my father” is another way of saying, I’ll be back once he’s died and I’ve received all that is coming to me.

Family

Later in Matthew chapter 10 verses 34 thru 37 (Matthew 10:34-37), Jesus teaches that following him will mean being ready to depart from family.

Counting the Cost

Jesus made sure we knew the cost of following Him and the importance of counting the cost so we could finish what we started and receive our reward. (Luke 14:25-34, Matthew 13:45-46, 2Timothy 4:6-8, Galatians 6:9).  

Counting the cost of being a Christian means being willing to give up seeking approval and popularity, status and the favor of men, comfort, an inheritance, and even family.  

Counting the cost of being a Christian means being ready to trade all these things for eternal promises.  Not just some.  Here is a promise God made in Matthew chapter 10.  

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. – Matthew 10:39

Oh God, that we might trust You with all. You are good and You alone are worthy of all our trust LORD. Amen.

 

Painting: Christ Calling His First Disciples – Adam Brenner (1800–1891)