Jesus the King by Timothy Keller
Week 4: Chapter 3 — The Calling
Read Chapter 3 of Jesus the King. Primary text: Mark 2:13–3:35.
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Jesus continues to shatter social and religious expectations about who belongs at his table and who is welcome in his kingdom — Keller shows that the company Jesus keeps is itself a proclamation of the gospel.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), a tax collector — someone despised by religious Jews as a collaborator with Rome and a thief. Keller emphasizes how shocking this would have been. What does Jesus's choice of Levi say about who the gospel is for and how the kingdom operates?
2.When the Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors, Jesus replies: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Keller unpacks this carefully. Who are "the righteous" Jesus is not calling — are they actually righteous, or is something else going on?
3.Keller notes that the religious leaders accuse Jesus of breaking Sabbath laws, and Jesus responds by claiming to be Lord of the Sabbath. This is one of many implicit claims to divine authority in Mark. How do these escalating claims function dramatically in Mark's Gospel? What is Mark building toward?
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