Sons of Thunder
Mark 3:17
James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder).
I have a friend and turkey hunting partner that I love to hunt with. "Shortly" and I hunt similarly... save one thing. Shortly carries a call that he made called the U-BOAT. This call is a longbox that can make beautiful high pitched yelps, and LOUD calls as well. I rarely call as loud as the box call, or "Shorty", calls. It's bold and sharp.
Jesus name the brothers, James and John, the "sons of thunder", why? He certainly knew these men even though he had never personally met them before. Christ, as God, knows us all "while we were still in our mother's womb". So why did he name them by this name? I don't think that they were loud or trouble makers. There was never a sign of that.
There is one instance where Jesus was going to be traveling through Samaria and James and John had gone ahead to find a place to stay. Jesus and the disciples were turned away, because they were traveling to Jerusalem. James and John went to Christ and asked if they should, (Luke 9:54), "call down fire from heaven to destroy them". Jesus rebuked them for such thoughts.
Jesus said in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Oh that we would all have the zeal of James and John, the sons of thunder. They were willing to kill a whole group of people because they felt Christ was slighted over a night's accommodations. We need to have this same zeal and be prepared to stand up for the name of Christ but do so in a way that communicates the love that Jesus has for the lost.
Romans 12:17-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
You don't have to be loud... but be bold and honest.
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