Monday, September 18, 2006

Following The Rabbi

"A talmid did not follow a rabbi as a student. They desired to gain the rabbi's knowledge, but for a greater goal-they wanted to become like the rabbi himself.

A talmid followed the rabbi everywhere-every day, and every hour of the day-often without knowing or asking where the rabbi was going. The talmid rarely left his rabbi's side for fear that he would miss a teachable moment. He watched the rabbi's every move, noting how he acted and thought about a variety of situations.

Talmidim trusted their rabbi completely. They were eager to hear the rabbi's teachings and they worked passionately to incorporate the rabbi's actions and words into their lives. The disciple's deepest desire was to follow his rabbi so closely that he would start to think and act like the rabbi himself." ~ Ray Vander Laan

A thought for you to ponder: Is it still possible to follow the rabbi Jesus in this same manner?

4 comments:

Jon said...

I believe we can be talmidim.

Always listening to the voice.
Always aware of the presence.
Always being taught.

Seeking to be like the master.

And it can happen in more than simply metaphorical ways. It's a literal voice, presence, and teaching.

--Jon

Tom said...

Jon, being a talmidim gives new meaning to the NT phrase, "in Christ" doesn't it?

Jon said...

Hmmm. "In" is an interesting word. I don't know what it means in reference to Christ, now that I think about it.

It seems to always qualify something else. Like "abide in" him. Or "live in" him. Does it mean within? inside of? part of? Does it take time to "get in"?

Jesus mentioned it when he prayed for us (John 17). "Them in Me, as I in You, Father."

What does it mean to you? What were you thinking?

Tom said...

In our current Christian culture, the most popular word used to desribe being a Christian is the word "relationship" or "personal relationship" (not fond of that phrase). One of the reasons I appreciate the idea of being a talmidim is because it offers a different view or image of what it means to be a Christ follower. When the NT was written the phrase they used to describe being a Christian is the phrase "in Christ". It was used primarily in the letters portion of the NT and it is used by most of the authors.

Like you mentioned, Jesus lived "in" his Father. I am going to look at it some more...it's time for bed. In the meantime:
"Peace be to you all who are in Christ" ~ 1 Peter 5:14