nooma_dust

Have you ever said something like this, "I want to be the kind of person who does the right thing. and i don't just mean the big things, where right and wrong are obvious and easy, but I mean the small things. The subtle, unnoticed things."

Why are the 'small and unnoticed' things such a big deal?
Doesn't God want us to do big things for His Kingdom? Or is this maybe a lie we've bought in to?

Many times in scripture, Jesus is refered to as "Teacher" or even "Rabbi". But what does that mean to our 21st century minds? Why is that so important? We all know Jesus had his 12 Disciples or Apostles, but every rabbi had their disciples -young men who were considered the best of the best of the best. These students would study and memorize the entire Hebrew scriptures, Genesis through Malachi. When these boys would reach the ages of 12, 13 or 14 they would go one of two directions. They would either acknowledge their inability to become a rabbi (a teacher) and pursue their family trade. Or they would go to a rabbi and ask to be one of his disciples.

Now if you pursued your family trade, then that meant you didn't make the cut to follow a rabbi. You weren't good enough -according to the rabbi you wanted to study under. Now if you did make the cut and a rabbi selected you to follow him, he is saying, 'I think this kid can be like me. I think he can do what i do.' Different rabbis had different sets of interpretations about how they lived out, and understood, and interpreted the Scriptures. This set of interpretations was called that rabbis yoke. When he selects is disciples, he is saying, "I think this kid can carry my yoke and spread my yoke to others."

A disciple doesn't just want to be know what the rabbi knows. A disciple wants to be like the rabbi and wants to elarn to do what the rabbi does.

Have you ever thought of Jesus as your rabbi?
Would you consider yourself a disciple?
Have you ever thought about your faith as being an interpretation?Is it okay to have different interpretations fo the Scriptures?

Matthew 14:25-31 "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

We've always been taught or we've always assumed that Peter doubts Jesus. But Jesus isn't sinking. Who does Peter doubt? He doubts himself. he loses faith in himself that he can actually be like his rabbi.

How big of a role do your insecurities play in your life?
Do they ever affect your faith?

Now if the peter and some of the other disciples were fishermen and Jesus calls them to be his disciples, then they're not following another rabbi; and if they're not following another rabbi they're not the best of the best. They didn't make the cut.

What message was Jesus sending us by not choosing the best of the best?

I Corinthians 1:26-29 (TNIV) "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."

Jesus is sending the message to the world, that his movement is a movement of anybodies and he calls them -the JC, the B-squad, the 'not-good-enoughs.' He calls them to be his disciples and they chang ethe course of human history.

What impact are Christians today having on the course of human history?

Matthew 16:19 (NASB) "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

We all know that faith in Jesus is important, but have you ever considered Jesus' faith in us? He must have faith in us, because he leaves his yoke; his commands; his plans in the hands of his disciples.

Do you believe God believes in you?

If it is true that Jesus is our rabbi and we are his disciples -followers, then it must also be true that he has faith in us to follow him and be like him.

What does it mean to be like Jesus?
Can you do it?

Understand this, continue to believe in God. But may you come to understand that God believes in you. Continue in faith in Jesus. But understand that Jesus has faith that you can be like him. A person of love and compassion and truth. A person of forgiveness, and peace, and grace, and joy, and hope. And may you be covered in the dust of your rabbie, Jesus.