This evening, I want to share with you something that is close to my heart. I want to share what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. When I was preparing for this message, I came across a letter on the subject that I thought would be appropriate in this situation.
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.
As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
You know, sometimes we feel we’re not the right person for the job. Sometimes we feel like a Moses. When God came to Moses in the burning bush, Moses said to God, “I’m not the right guy for this!” But, you know, God uses people like Moses. You know what? God uses people like Moses to part the seas. Moses may have not seemed like anything special, but God used him to do amazing things. Isn’t it amazing to know that God can use you no matter who you are? David was a young, scrawny boy whom many deemed was foolish for going into battle with a giant, but God brought that giant to the ground.
You see, it is God’s desire to have men and women, ordinary men and women, men and women that some would say aren’t the right people for the job; men and women that some would say are too small or too inadequate or too dumb or too slow or too big. God is calling us to chase after him; to be his disciples.
If you would, turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 4, beginning in verse eighteen. This chapter begins right after Jesus’ baptism when He is led by the Holy Spirit to the desert where He fasts for forty days and forty nights, and then is tempted by the devil. Afterwards, Jesus comes back to Galilee and begins to preach. It is just after this that we pick up our reading this morning. Verse eighteen:
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Then flip over to chapter nine, verse nine, which says: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
To many of us this passage may seem odd. What was it about Jesus that made these fishermen and this tax collector just drop everything and follow him. Why would they so immediately, without even stopping to weigh their options, leave their families and their homes and their livelihood and follow this man named Jesus. You see, to understand how profound this passage is, you have to dig a little deeper into the background of this passage. You see, the words Jesus used were not used at random. They were strategically chosen and these men immediately understood their significance.
You see Jesus used some profound words when he called these men. In fact, he used two words that had a deep and profound meaning to first century Jews. In fact, these words were probably ones they had longed to hear since they were children. You see, they knew recognized Jesus’ call as the call of a disciple. Now, to us, this can be a foreign concept. I mean, I’ve heard the word “disciple” since I was a boy. In fact, I remember memorizing the names of the disciples for a Sunday School contest when I was 7. But, most of us don’t understand what it meant for the men that Jesus called, or more than that, to the people of Jesus’ day.
So, this morning, before we learn how to follow the example of the disciples of Jesus, let us first go back to understand just what it meant, and how profound it was to be called a disciple.
You see, back in the first century, the authorities of Scripture were called rabbis. These were the men who would knew and understood Scripture. The rabbis would make interpretations based on their understandings and teach others based on that. This was called their yoke. For example, today is Sunday, so let’s talk about the Sabbath. The 10 Commandments commanded that no work be done on the Sabbath, but what did that mean? It was the rabbis that would make this determination. And the thing was, different rabbis has different yokes, different understandings of Scripture. So for one rabbi, this was considered work, but for another rabbi, it was not. The rabbis were considered among the most honored and respected men of their day because of their authoritative approach to Scripture. Because of this, the entire Jewish education system was based around one central desire: to become a disciple of a rabbi.
In its simplest form, a disciple meant a student. And the teacher was the Rabbi. But a disciple was more than just a student. It meant a follower. A disciple left everything, his family, his friends, his life to follow their rabbi and to learn from him. This was what every Jewish family desired for their boys.
For Jewish boys, their education began at around the age of six. It was then that they began what was called “Bet Sefer”. Bet Sefer means “house of the book” and the goal of Bet Sefer was for these boys to memorize, get that, memorize the first five books of the Bible. Now imagine. You are six years old and for the next four years of your life, the major focus of your life is to memorize Genesis… Exodus… Leviticus… Numbers… Deuteronomy. By age ten, every single young man in Israel knew these books… word… for… word.
At age ten, the top students of Bet Sefer were selected to move on to what was called Bet Talmud. For these students, from the ages of 10-14, they spent the next years of their lives memorizing the rest of the Jewish Scriptures. All 39 books of the Old Testament. Memorized. Every single word.
By their fourteenth birthday, most of these men retired from their education to be an apprentice in the trade of their fathers. But there were those, those who were the best of the best of the students of Bet Talmud, these students would approach a certain rabbi and say to him, “rabbi, I want to become your disciple. Please let me into your Bet Midrash, your house of study”. The rabbi would then question the boy, determining if he had what it took to be his disciple, the rabbi would say to him, “Come, follow me”. And that was it, the boy would leave everything and follow the rabbi, listening to and imitating their rabbi. One saying from this time period was “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”. It was the desire of the disciples to follow so closely to their rabbi, that the dust that he kicked up covered his disciples.
For others, though, the news was not so good. The rabbi would say “ My son, you know the Torah well, but you are not able to be my disciple”. And then he would say “Go home, learn the family business, make babies and pray that they will become rabbis”. This was the reality of life in Jesus’ day.
So, coming back to our passage this morning, what sticks out about the passage? (Pause) What were the words that Jesus used in this passage? Three little words that would have shocked the life right out of these men. “Come, follow me”. Here was Jesus, a rabbi, a respected man who spoke on the Scriptures with authority. He approached these men and called to them, “Come, follow me”. In other words, Jesus was saying to them, “You, you are good enough. You could be a rabbi. You could teach the Scriptures with authority. Come, be my disciple. Leave your life behind you and follow me”.
Does anything else stand out in this passage? What are Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John doing when Jesus approaches them? They were fishing because they were, what? Fishermen. What does that tell you? Well, to me that says that these men were not the best of the best. In fact, these men most likely approached a rabbi at one time and begged to be HIS disciple, and were most likely told, you… are… not… good… enough.
Right there, with those three words, Jesus is turning the establishment on its ear. Jesus did not seek out the best or the brightest student. He did not look for the most successful or the highest regarded men, but he looked for men who were willing. When Jesus called to these men, without hesitation, they left everything they had to go and follow Jesus.
This has an amazing implication for us today. It’s easy to get caught up in the race to be the best, but Jesus has showed us time and time again that he is not looking for the most equipped, but he is looking for those who are willing. Moses was not the most equipped. David was not the most equipped. Peter was not the most equipped. I am not the most equipped. It’s easy to feel unworthy of God’s calling on our lives because on our own, we are not. It is only grace. It was because of grace that Jesus called these men. It is by grace that we can be called disciples of Jesus.
How can we respond to this grace? How does this grace change who we are? How can we follow Jesus, how can we be his disciples?
In the first century, a disciple was given three charges, three tasks to perform as they followed their rabbi. As disciples of Jesus Christ, these charges speak volumes into our lives and the expectations placed upon us as we follow after Him. What is our goal? To be covered in the dust of OUR rabbi. TO be so close to him that others around us know that we are His followers.
The first charge of a disciple was this: To know their rabbi’s words and understand their rabbi’s teachings. You see, in first century Israel, rabbis did not teach from books, they did not write scrolls. There were no textbooks or how-to guides. The rabbis simply spoke their lessons and the disciples memorized the words of their rabbi. They learned what their rabbi said about every specific situation. They never had to refer to their notes. They didn’t have to go to the tabernacle and read the Scripture about it, they just knew. They were so devoted to their rabbi’s teachings that they soaked up every little thing the rabbi said.
Not only did disciples learn what the rabbi said, but the disciples would observe and learn how their teacher kept the commands of God and how he interpreted the Scriptures. They needed to learn how he kept the Sabbath, how he fasted, how he prayed, how he gave charity, how he blessed his food. On top of that, they learned how he interpreted Scripture; the meaning he drew from them, the parables and stories and lessons he gained from different passages. Even the way he would explain a verse was important to a disciple.
With this understanding, it makes perfect sense when his disciples look to Jesus and ask in Luke 11, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples”. It was clear that these men hung not only on Jesus’ every word, but on his every action. They wanted to be just like him in every way. This is the desire of a disciple. A disciple wants to be intimately familiar with their rabbi’s words and his interpretations.
And it is still true of us today. Things have changed a lot over the last two thousand years. We live in a television generation, a visual generation, a generation that can hardly listen to a teacher for an hour, much less a preacher for twenty minutes. For many of us the idea of memorization is foreign. The charge of a disciple still rings true for us. It is important for us, now more than ever, to become intimately familiar with the words of our Rabbi. The Word of God, the words preserved so well for us, was never meant to be left in a book. It was never meant to be a reference guide, a book left to collect dust on a shelf until we need it.
I find it funny when people describe the Bible as the “instruction manual of life”. The first thing I think of when I hear such things is: “When was the last time anybody’s life was changed by an instruction manual?” In fact, when was the last time somebody was riveted by an instruction manual? The Word of God was meant to be so much more than a reference book or an instruction manual. It was meant to be enveloped into every aspect of life. It was meant to be assimilated into the very core of life. Psalm 119:11 puts it so eloquently, the Word of God is meant to be “hidden [our] word in my heart” so that we “might not sin against Him.” Later in the same chapter, the author shows, again, the importance of the Word of God, saying in verse 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
As we strive to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must learn to treasure the words of our Rabbi and to understand his teachings. They are not just words or stories, but they are precious gems that add such value to our lives. They should be guarded with great diligence and held on to at any cost. This is the commitment of a disciple of Jesus.
The second charge given to disciples in Jesus’ day takes charge number 1 even further. Not only are disciples to know and understand their rabbi’s teachings, but they are to imitate their rabbi’s actions. You see, the rabbi’s of Jesus day knew that it wasn’t enough just to know what the Scriptures say. It wasn’t enough to just know what your teacher says. It was only when you put these things into action that they began to hold any real value in life.
Pastor Rob Bell wrote a wonderful little book a couple of years back and in the book he takes a look at the idea of being disciples of Jesus and talks about the rabbis of Jesus day. The goal of Jewish rabbis and disciples was to “fulfill the Torah”. In other words, they desired to do two things. First, they strived to correctly understand the teachings of the Scriptures. That was charge number one. But understanding the Torah, the commandments of God, wasn’t enough. In order to fulfill the Torah, they must then live out what it is the Torah said. It was only when these two coincided together that it was said that a person was fulfilling the Torah. If one of these two things were missing, however, it was said that they were abolishing the Torah.
Jesus, himself, declares that his intention is to fulfill the Torah when he says in Matthew 5: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them”. The people of his day would have known precisely what he was trying to say. He was not only affirming Moses and the prophets of Israel, but he had come to show what it looked like to live out the Torah. His teachings, his actions, his yoke was the way to truly fulfill the Torah.
For disciples of Jesus time, it was their highest calling to be a reflection of his teacher. Jesus even declares that “every disciple, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.” This is the calling of a disciple: to be like his master, like his teacher, like his rabbi. Their goal is to fulfill the Torah as their master has. What a goal for which to strive towards!
So, how does this goal of being disciples of Jesus change our lives? What difference does it make? How is my life different because of Christ? It often saddens me when I see people who claim the grace of Jesus, but exhibit no changes in their life. What saddens me even more is when I see this in my own life. It is so easy to live the same life that the world lives every day but Sunday. It is so easy to get into the rut of every day life and not strive to live up to the standard set by our Rabbi. But it is the calling of each one of us as Children of God to not only know what He knows, but to live the way He lived. That was the calling of a disciple in Jesus’ day. That is our calling as Christians today.
The third and final charge given to disciples in Jesus day takes the first two charges to the next logical step. Disciples were not only to know and understand their master’s teaching and to imitate their rabbi’s actions, but they were to also raise up disciples. You see, when disciples were fully trained, they embarked on their own to become a full-fledged rabbi. Now, they sought our their own students to teach. When he would find them, he would teach the words of his Master, the traditions and interpretations and actions of his Rabbi. The goal was to pass on the teachings and the torch of discipleship from generation to generation.
During Jesus’ time on earth, he spent three years spending time with, teaching and training his disciples to do one thing: to go out and raise up more disciples. When Jesus was ascended into Heaven, he left his disciples with one final commandment: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” To us, this is considered the Great Commission, but to the disciples of Jesus and to any disciple in Jesus’ day, the Great Commission is the commission of all disciples. It was the duty of all those who learned under a rabbi. To all those who desired to see that the Torah continued to be fulfilled throughout generations.
There was one difference, though, between the disciples of other Rabbis and the disciples of Jesus. For other rabbis, their disciples grew in knowledge and then branched out on their own, bringing students into their own teachings. For the disciples of Jesus, however, we have one mandate. Not to make disciples for ourselves, but to continue to make disciples for OUR rabbi. We are still disciples. You see, for followers of Christ, we can never know enough about our Rabbi to leave his side. Other Rabbis grow old and die, but our Rabbi is the eternal God who will never die. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the one who Was and Is and Is to Come.
Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 23: “But you are not to be called ’Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. Nor are you to be called ’teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” We differ from the disciples of old because our Rabbi is alive still and continues to draw all unto himself.
It’s an exciting thing when you truly consider the worldwide movement that Jesus is drawing people unto himself. And it’s not simply of matter of getting people into heaven. That’s not the be all and the end all of this journey we are on. There will be people in Heaven that were not disciples of Jesus. That is grace. We can accept his grace enough to get us into heaven or we can accept his grace enough to lead us into an amazing journey that will change our lives and will change the world. It is a truly amazing thing to be apart of.
So, how about you? The call of discipleship is an open invitation. Even now, Jesus is beckoning to you, saying “Come follow me. Leave behind everything and devote yourself entirely to me”. It’s an incredible journey and an incredible responsibility, but Jesus has promised that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. “And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. This is a promise that you can stand beside.
I like to think of my relationship with Jesus like a trampoline. When you first look at a trampoline, it looks intriguing, but it’s only when you see somebody jumping on the trampoline that it becomes a thing of beauty. On a trampoline, you feel as though you can defy gravity. And when you have more than one person on a trampoline, you can jump even higher. This journey of discipleship is an exciting one. I invite you to join me on the trampoline I am on. Jump on it with me. Defy gravity. I promise you that once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. And that is a promise you can stand beside.
Let’s pray: Father God, I thank you for your word. How amazing that such Words can be powerful and alive and life-altering. Master, I pray that you will continue to call us all to become fully devoted followers of you. I pray that each one here will take a jump on the trampoline and discover how truly amazing it is. Father be with us as we leave here today. Keep the words we have shared close to our hearts. For it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
