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Resource
HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple: A Vision for Discipleship
Our culture isn’t exactly friendly to the concept of discipleship. In a culture where
friendships and communication can be said to be cheap, it is no surprise that a
relationship expensive in terms of time, energy, and care is difficult. In order to
truly understand discipleship, we have to look beyond the current climate of our
culture today. We need to discover the true meaning of discipleship in Jesus’ day in
order to find out what it means for us today.
To understand discipleship, you have to understand the ancient Jewish way of
educating children. For the Jews, education was one of their highest values. It was
the way that they passed on their faith to the next generation. In particular, their
education centered on the study of the Old Testament. In fact, rabbis in Jesus’ day
would argue about how early a child could begin memorizing the Bible. The
Talmud, an ancient Jewish teaching document, states, “Under the age of six we do
not receive a child as a pupil; from six upwards we accept him and stuff him (with
Torah) like an ox.”
Jesus would have started His education at a school called Bet Sefer or House of the
Book, a Jewish equivalent of primary school for those who were 6 to 10 years old.
From the ages of 6 to 10, education focused on one thing: memorizing the Torah—
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. For people in an oral
culture, memorization was much easier. Humans still have this ability today—we
just choose to memorize different subjects, the lines from popular movies and
songs, for example.
At the end of Bet Sefer, only the best of the best students would continue their
education. Those who were the best at memorizing would go on to Bet Talmud or
House of Learning from the ages of 10 to 14. Here, they would focus on memorizing
the rest of the Jewish Scriptures. In fact, there are still Jewish men and women who
do this today.
If you were the best of the best at the end of Bet Talmud, you would present
yourself to a Rabbi and enter Bet Midrash. The students here would be elite
students similar to Ivy League students today. The rabbi would ask you questions to
see if you were really the best of the best. This was extremely important for
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The Big Picture
Understanding Jesus’
culture helps us
understand what
discipleship truly means.
Resource
HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple
the rabbi. Rabbis had a particular way of interpreting and teaching of the Scriptures
called their “yoke.” Jesus refers to this in the Gospels when he says, “My yoke is
easy and my burden is light.” In order to spread this yoke, the rabbi would want only
the best disciples. He would ask them questions like, “How many times does the
word well appear in the book of Genesis?” or, “How many times does Habakkuk
reference Deuteronomy 17?” Off the top of their heads, the disciples would recall
the memorized words and count them. These were the law school or GMAT
questions of their day.
If the rabbi believed that you had what it takes, he would say the two words in
Hebrew every disciple would want to hear, “Lek Hackeri”—“Come follow me.”
Upon hearing these words, the disciple would leave his family and his village and
follow the rabbi wherever he went. A blessing developed: “May you be covered in
the dust of your rabbi.” The hope is that the disciple would follow behind the rabbi
so closely behind that the dust from the rabbi’s sandals would cover him.
If the rabbi prayed a certain way, then the disciple also prayed that way. If a rabbi
told a certain story, then you learned how to tell the story. If the rabbi ate a certain
way, well, you get the picture.
Now, if you didn’t have what it takes, the rabbi would say: “You know the Torah
well, but you don’t have what it takes. Go back to your village. Go and make babies
and hope they become rabbis. Go and ply your trade.”
How does this system relate to the Scriptures we know? Turn to Matthew 4 and
read about the time when Jesus calls His first two disciples, Peter and Andrew.
Sometimes we can read the Gospels as if they were about another world. We don’t
question them. We just assume instead that this is just the way things work. If we
stop and imagine that the disciples are normal people, it is pretty odd that they drop
their nets and follow Jesus just because He says, “Come follow me.”
But if you understand their system of discipleship, the scene makes a whole lot more
sense. Jesus, as the rabbi, says the two words every Jewish boy would want to hear,
“Lek Hackeri”—“Come follow me.” But, Jesus is not your typical rabbi. Peter and
Andrew aren’t in Bet Midrash. They are plying their trade. They were not the best of
the best of the best. And yet, Jesus still calls them. They follow because a rabbi
thinks they are good enough. The rabbi thinks that they can be like Him.
What does this following by the disciples of Jesus look like in the Gospels? When do
the disciples try to be like Jesus? Turn to Matthew 14 for one example. There, the
disciples encounter a pretty odd sight—Jesus is walking on water. The disciples have
seen a lot of really crazy things, but this one has to be the
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The Challenge
We cannot let our own
imperfections and
inadequacies hold us back
from following after
Jesus.
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HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple
strangest. Again, the disciples are normal people. What would you think if you were
in a boat and your teacher was walking on water? The disciples’ reaction was sheer
terror (Matthew 14:27).
But Peter’s reaction is much different. He asks, “If it is you, Lord, tell me to come out
on the water.” Why would he do this? If his rabbi is able to walk on water, then
Peter as a disciple can do this too. And sure enough Jesus says, “Come.”
There is an interesting question in the midst of all of this: How old were these
disciples? Usually, we think of them as grown men with beards. We know that Peter
is older because he has a mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14). Jesus also discusses the
temple tax with Peter. Only those 20 and older pay the temple tax, so Peter was
most likely over this age. How old were the other disciples? Jesus worked within a
particular context and culture. As we saw above, disciples were usually called
around the age of 14 or 15. Some rabbis had a lead disciple who was older than the
rest. He helped train the other disciples. If this scenario was the case for disciples, it
would make sense that Peter, as the eldest, would be seen as the leader.
Before we get too carried away, however, stop and think about whom Jesus chooses
to be His disciples, to be people like Him—perhaps, 14 or 15 year old boys on the B
team. They were young men who weren’t the best of the best. And yet, Jesus still
believes in them. He still believes that they can be like Him. He still calls them out on
the water.
All of this background has radical implications for our own discipleship.
First, we are all individually called to be disciples of Jesus. It is easy to shoot holes in
our own character and talents. And yet, Jesus still believes in us. In return, He is
asking for us to trust in Him. Will we drop our nets and follow Him?
Second, it helps us understand what a discipleship relationship is supposed to look
like. For those who disciple others, you don’t have to be the rabbi. Jesus is our rabbi.
You’re not a doctor and they’re not the patients. You aren’t a therapist or a spiritual
director. The disciples are not obedient to you. They are obedient to Jesus Christ and
the Church. You are an older disciple helping other disciples to know how to follow
the rabbi. The discipler lives out St. Paul’s words: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" (1
Corinthians 11:1). You’re an older brother or sister helping them drop their nets.
Third, discipleship is more than just teaching others, it is a way of life. Our culture is
very much concerned with acquiring skills in order to perform tasks. Skills aren’t
bad, but left on their own, they will not amount to much. More important than skills
is the character we possess and the way we integrate our faith in Jesus Christ into
everything that we do. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “To evangelize means…to teach
the art of living.” Discipleship is not a one-hour lesson once a week. It is sharing our
very selves (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
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HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of discipleship. Jesus was totally dedicated to
these 12 men for 3 years. As a result, 11 of them were willing to spread the Gospel all
over the world. Ten of them died as martyrs. While it is more difficult in our culture,
discipleship can nevertheless be even more powerful today because of its radical nature. Never before has there been such a need to serve as examples for others. Discipleship is crucial to carrying on the faith in our generation.
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For Discussion
1. What stood out to you the
most about Jesus’ method
of discipleship?
2. Why do you think that
Jesus didn’t choose the
best of the best?
3. Do you think the idea of
discipleship is difficult in
our culture today? Why?
Why not?
4. What element of
discipleship applies most
to you today?
(Note: This whole concept of Jesus as rabbi isn’t a secret teaching. In fact, Jesus is
called “rabbi,” sometimes translated “teacher,” several times throughout the Scriptures (for instance, John 20:16; 3:2; 3:26; 6:25). Because we don’t understand the culture, the meaning throughout the Gospels is lost on us. Much of this article was inspired by Rob Bell and a chapter called “Dust” in his book Velvet Elvis. For more on this
subject, see the website: www.followtherabbi.com)
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