Merritt I owe my idea for this sermon to Pastor Colin Griffiths.
Opening Song: #619 Lead On O King Eternal Title: Back to School
Scripture: John 1:49, Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the king of Israel!"
A man in a restaurant opened his menu and read: Today's Special is Tongue of Chicken. He said to the waitress, "Tongue of chicken? That's disgusting! I would never eat anything that came out of a chicken's mouth!" The waitress said, "So what would you like to order?" The man replied, "Bring me scrambled eggs."
In bible days, rabbis were teachers with authority to interpret God’s Word, defining what would or would not please GOD. When Jesus walked on earth, Jewish boys hoped to someday be disciples of their favorite rabbi, so they spent many long hours memorizing books of the Old Testament. A rabbi’s disciple was status achieved by very few. Disciple means “learner, student.” Education system was set up to pick brightest students. Being best didn’t guarantee a spot in the inner circle of a famous rabbi. Higher education only gave permission to ASK a rabbi, then the rabbi would test the student. When youth didn’t meet high expectations, Rabbi said family trade was all they’d achieve, which was a terrible blow!
Students were motivated by REWARD. Discipleship was step to a promising career as a rabbi with great honor. Matthew 23: 5-7, “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in marketplaces and be called 'Rabbi' by others.” Such fame would equal a young football player making it into NFL National Football League today. A rabbi’s disciple was a very big deal!
A preacher was trying for a new church. To impress congregation, he taped notes inside his suit for a sermon. “High priest’s name was,” he pulled open his jacket and read, “Ahimelech." After awhile, “Survivor of King Saul’s massacre of priests was,” he pulled open his jacket, “Abiathar." He preached so vigorously, he didn’t see his jacket notes fall to the floor. “The man who was after God's own heart was,” he opened the jacket and read, “JC Penny!”
With discipleship in Bible context, young men dropped everything to follow a rabbi. Jesus’ disciples were already practicing the family trade which shows they were NOT good enough students to make the cut. Acts 4:13, When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus. Peter and John were not talented enough to make the cut of higher education. Jesus’ disciples were “C” students, yet Jesus chose them! We do NOT qualify ourselves; Jesus makes us good enough! God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
SONG: THE SEEKER
Rabbis had certain way of interpreting and teaching Scripture called “yoke.” In order to teach their yoke, the rabbi wanted A+ students who could answer, “How many times does the word good appear in Genesis? How many times does Habakkuk quote Deuteronomy?” Off top of their heads, best disciples could recall it from memory. These were law school questions of their day. But Jesus said, “MY yoke is easy and my burden is light.” You don’t have to make it into law school to be with Jesus!
If the rabbi thought you had what it takes, he would say what every Hebrew youth wanted to hear, “Come follow me.” A disciple would leave family, village, everything to follow the rabbi. A blessing was, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi,” the wish of a disciple to follow his rabbi so closely dust from the rabbi’s sandals would touch him! Jesus’ disciples are normal people; it’s strange they drop nets and plows to follow Jesus just because He says, “Come follow Me.” But in their culture, it meant greatness! Disciples, like everyone else, longed to be great! They argued over who’d be greatest in the kingdom when Jesus became king. They wanted status, glory, prestige, to be somebody! They followed Jesus for selfish reasons! Though God is totally UNselfish. For those who say, "The church is only after your money," do we think Walmart isn't after money? Understand that when you give to God, He never spends a cent on Himself! Many of us feel we’re not good enough to follow Jesus. We don’t have the smarts, we’re not unselfish. Well, neither were the disciples, but Jesus still called them to follow Him.
Disciples were between teenage and 30; rabbis were 30 and over. After Jesus and His disciples arrived in Capernaum, collectors of the two drachma tax asked Peter, “Doesn’t your teacher pay temple tax?” “Yes, He does,” Peter replied. Jesus said, “So we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours,” Matthew 17:24-27. Two-drachma temple tax was paid by ADULT Jews over 20; Jesus pays tax for Him and Peter, though other disciples were with Jesus. So either Jesus paid for Peter and Himself while stiffing the others, or Jesus and Peter were the only ones 20 years of age or older, required by collectors to pay.
SONG: SILVER AND GOLD
John the youngest was probably 13 at start of Jesus’ ministry. Because of our cultural bias, we picture disciples as being same age if not older than Jesus. Most disciples served up to 16 years under a rabbi until they were 30, but Jesus’ disciples were only with Him three years. As you consider age and level of “official” training for Jesus’ disciples, in God’s amazing power He sent out teen-aged boys! It doesn’t matter if we come to God for wrong reasons! It doesn’t matter what age we are! Just COME to Jesus.
A disciple was willing to surrender to his rabbi’s view of Scripture as THE truth. Jesus said, “I AM the truth.” No matter what churches taught, no matter how far leaders were from God’s love, Jesus is what God is REALLY like. We must look only to Jesus! Since Jews knew scripture for their Bar Mitzvah at age 13, issue was not what the Bible said, but what it meant and how it was to be lived. They knew Sabbath, but real life was, “How many candles may I light on Sabbath? If my taxes are spent to oppress our people, should I pay tax?” They understood Scripture as defined by their rabbi who was the filter or lens to view every life issue. It was continual, relational, daily experience where the rabbi would ask questions of the disciple as He closely saw the disciple’s life.
After church service one morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his parents, “I've decided to become a preacher when I grow up."
"How wonderful! But what made you decide that?"
“Well, I'll have to go to church anyway, and I figure it’ll be more fun to stand and shout, than to sit and be quiet." Since the disciple’s daily life was seen, he would expect the rabbi’s question, “WHY did you do that?”
Emphasis was motive, not just wisdom and information. Through questions, rabbis built discernment in the disciple, willing transparency to give up any and all their own preconceived ideas for whatever their rabbi taught would honor God. Total submission just so one day they could be a GREAT rabbi. A disciple of Jesus fully surrenders to His way of seeing and doing things. After all, it's how you look at things. A gentleman driving in the country saw an old man sitting on a fence watching cars go by. The driver said, "I could never stand living out here. You don't see anything, and I'm sure you don't travel like I do. I'm on the go."
Old man on the fence drawled, "I can't see a difference! I sit on the fence and watch cars go by; you sit in your car and watch fences go by." Discipleship is having God with us and WHAT could be greater than being with Jesus?
Jesus is always the authority. If we transfer authority to a pastor, teacher, or well-known author, we take authority AWAY from Jesus. Matthew 28:20, Jesus says He is with His disciples always. No one takes HIS role as Rabbi.
For those who disciple others, Jesus is our Rabbi. We aren’t a leader or spiritual director. Disciples are not obedient to anyone but Jesus. Matthew 23: 8, "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only ONE teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.” Apostle Paul said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ", 1Corinthians 11:1. We are just an older student or disciple helping other disciples to follow Jesus. Rabbis’ disciples wanted to bring back the former glory of their nation Israel. Jewish rabbis separated from non-Jews and those considered unclean. Jesus was not like that! He touched lepers (Matthew 8:3), healed the unclean and was a totally radical rabbi, God in Person living with us.
SONG: YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING
Jesus revealed who God is and how God does things. Jesus challenged His disciples to go beyond letter of the law. In His new order, people are called to bring God's love and grace to a hurting world. Jesus often did not answer a direct question, but replied with a question or parable story called rabbinic teaching. This made the questioner and listeners wrestle with their personal issues. It is to a Person, Jesus, not a formula or law that we submit. Though Jesus writes His love in our hearts.
We live in a culture that claims to defy authority. “Do your own thing” is the mantra of our day! Yet surgeons, nurses, electricians, teachers, biochemists, accountants, counselors have long study, training, mentoring, practical experience, and continuing education. We become a disciple of someone or something in our careers. We’re ALL disciples of something, be it atheism, work, pleasure, materialism, our favorite hobby, or Jesus Christ. I’d rather be with Jesus, because in Him I find hope, peace, love that I never found before.
Can Jesus accept resentful, obliging obedience? Gifted students approached a rabbi and asked, "May I follow you? Do I have what it takes to be like you?" A disciple followed the rabbi often without knowing where he was going. He stayed by his rabbi's side for fear he would miss a teachable moment! He watched how the rabbi reacted in situations. He trusted his rabbi completely, lived passionately to absorb the rabbi's actions and words. The disciple’s deepest desire was to follow his rabbi to think and act like Him. Jesus said, “IF you love Me, follow My commands.” IF we love Him. If we don’t love Him, there’s no point.
One stormy evening, Jesus and His disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. People of Jesus’ day feared the sea and believed it was symbol of the abyss, great dark unknown. Most people, including fishermen, didn't know how to swim. If His rabbi is able to walk on water, then Peter as a disciple can too. A disciple had faith in His rabbi, so at times Jesus wondered at their lack of faith. When Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers, Peter denied he had ever known Jesus.
Imagine if you betrayed your best friend as He was being murdered by religious officials, and you could never apologize! How would you feel? For any other rabbi, Peter's denial would have ended his connection as a disciple. But after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus reinstated Peter. Jesus showed Peter, "Even though you failed, you can still be My disciple." We don’t need to fear failure or if we have enough faith; come to Jesus! If Judas had not killed himself, could even he have come to Jesus for forgiveness? Yes, but Judas cut himself off; don’t ever cut yourself off from Jesus!
Thomas Wheeler, CEO of Mutual Life, and his wife were driving when the car got low on gas. He got off the highway at an old gas station. He asked the attendant to fill the tank and check oil while he went to the restroom. He saw gas attendant talk to his wife, wave to her and say, "It was great seeing you." As they drove on, Wheeler asked his wife if she knew the man. She said they went to high school together and dated steady for a year. "Wow, were you lucky to meet me!" bragged Wheeler. "If you married him, you'd be wife of a gas station attendant instead of wife of chief executive officer."
"My dear," replied his wife, "if I’d married him, he'd be CEO and you'd be gas station attendant!" It is NOT us, only by Jesus.
Today we still walk in the dust of our Rabbi Jesus. And the dust that covers us is our relationship with Jesus that is closer than any other. The more we know Jesus, the more we understand His greatest attraction, His highest beauty, His deepest motive is His unconditional love.
SONG: HE STILL WALKS ON WATER