In our community, we have made it a habit over the last few years to do comprehensive surveys of “the Jesus-Way”.  We have done this is in numerous ways (here is an example of one of our experiments in process: Jesus Dojo #2 and how we applied the results: Be @ Peace Project)

This week, I asked the question, “What did it look like for Jesus to engage the “other”?  Here is a summarized list of my many observations.  Most every bullet point is a personal parable.

May I be a hyper-local and global neighbor.

Jesus and the Other:

Bullet point observations from the Gospel of Matthew:

• In the Nativity, Jesus indirectly welcomes a mess of folks into his story:  Parents and more surprisingly, the Magi: pagan, foreign, maybe sorcerers– Matt 1-2
• Matt 3:13ff, Jesus receives baptism from John (the god-man is ministered to by the other.)
• Matt 4:11, Jesus receives ministry from angels, presumably fulfilling the very temptations of the devil:  make bread, angels minister.
• Jesus message: “Repent , for the kingdom of God is at hand.” 4:17
• 5:18, Jesus saw two brothers by the Sea of Galilee: Simon and Andrew (note Simon and Andrew left behind their nets to follow.)
• 5:21 Jesus saw two more brothers, james and john (they left their boat to follow him.)
• “they brought him ALL who were ill” 5:24
• Large crowds followed him 5:25, 8:1
• Leper came to Jesus, Jesus healed 8:1-4
• Jesus MARVELED AT THE CENTURION, “I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” 8:5f
• Saw Peter’s mother in law lying sick. Touch her hand. Healed her. 8:14
• Healed many 8:16-17. “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”
• Potential disciples tested: 8:18-22 “Foxes have holes…”
• Demon-possessed men came to Jesus by sea 8:28ff
• “Seeing THEIR faith…” healed paralytic.  Matt 9:1ff
• Saw Matthew in tax collectors booth: 9:9
• Reclined at the table with many tax collectors and sinners 9:10ff “I desire compassion and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
• Jesus interrupted by synagogue official 9:18f
• Aware of touch of woman 9:20
• Interrupted again 9:20f
• Commends courage and faith of woman 9:22
• Jesus laughed at 9:24
• Healed two blind men 9:27f
• Stopped for mute man 9:32
• Proclaimed kingdom and healed 9:35
• Close to 12, matt 10
• Teach and preach in cities 11:1
• Responds to Johns questions 11:2f
• Publicly defends john 11:7f
•  “come to me all…” 11:28-29
•   Many followed him, he healed them ALL 12:15
• All are his mother and brothers: 12:48
• Spoke in stories 13:34-35
• Siblings: James joseph simon judas and sisters 13:55
• Jesus withdrew in a boat (there is no evidence that Jesus owned a boat, so he borrowed it from someone) 14:13
• Felt compassion (even though looking for alone time) and healed them when he went ashore: 14:14
• “Don’t need to send the crowd away, they need food” 14:16
• Fed 5,000+ souls
• Crowd came to him after walking on water for healings: 14:34
• “Your faith is great” to Canaanite woman 15:28
• Healing crowds 15:29
• Compassion on crowds 15:32
• Fed them 15:35
• Transfiguration, he took friends with him 17
• Jesus responds to father of demon possessed son 17:14
• Large crowds followed him and he healed them  19:1
• Answered Pharisees questions 19:3f
• Jesus honors eunuchs 19:11f
• Children brought and Jesus received them 19:13
• Laid his hands on children 19:15
• Engages Rich Young Ruler 19:16f
• Jesus engages Mother of Zebedee sons 20:20
• Jesus announces that he is closest of friends to “servants”, “least” and “slaves” 20:25-7
• Jesus explains his life is a ransom for the many 20:28
• Jesus engages and loves and heals two blind men 20:29f
• Jesus borrows donkey and colt from a stranger 21:2
• Jesus corrects those engaged in commerce in the temple 21:12
• He heals blind and lame 21:14
• Children praise him and he honors them 21:16
• Answered questions of chief priests and elders 21:23-46
• Jesus engages even when being manipulated (malice) 22:15
• Answers Sadducees questions 22:23f
• Eats with a leper 26:6
• Woman poured perfume on his head 26:7
• Jesus allowed a betrayer to be among his closest friends OR Jesus loved deeply enough to allow himself to be hurt by the other 26:14
• Jesus borrows a room and the means to prepare Passover from a stranger 26:18
• Took friends with him into time of pained prayer in Gethsemane 26:36f
• Jesus didn’t fight his betrayer or his accusers or his arresters (non-violent?) 26:47f
• Jesus was alone in his most painful hours 26:57f  Where were the crowds, where was the stranger, where was the foreigner, where were his friends?
• Peter, arguably Jesus’ closest friend, denies him 26:69f
• Rich man (joseph) and mary and mary care for his dead body 27:57f
• Jesus appears to his friends after he rises and eventually to a crowd of 500

Jesus commands that we live with the global other as our focus, just as he had: Matthew 28:18-20