Precarious Projects: Disciples Making Disciples

This is a precarious project.

The instructions were straightforward, but it’s often those that get muddled in our efforts to … ‘simplify’ the straightforward.

They called him many things – some thought he was Elijah, some thought he was John the Baptist, some considered him to be a great prophet and others were hoping he would be their conquering King restoring a once illustrious nation and kingdom. One thing they also called him, which he didn’t dispute, was Rabbi. Indeed when he rose from the dead triumphantly one of the first people to see him called him just that – not Messiah, not Saviour, not even My God – she called him Rabbi.

As a good teacher, he had those who learned from him. They were referred to as disciples. Before they became sent ones, before they did great accomplishments in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth, they were first and foremost disciples. They were with him. They learnt from him. They ingested and imbibed him and even though after three and a half years they did not understand all of it, they stayed with him and when they received the promise, they were enabled to carry out the project.

A primary part of that project was to invite and immerse others into this life-changing relationship and thereby get others on the journey as students of the Rabbi. As they lived out the instructions of the Rabbi, so others would be taught how to live out the instructions of the Rabbi. This was never about the academic transfer of information as if looking to pass an exam writing words on a piece of paper to show understanding. This was about communicating abundant life to inform and instruct others in abundant life. All from the perspective of being students ever desirous to imbibe and ingest the Rabbi – not just hear his words, but hear Him, receive Him, learn of Him. So as to live his life on this earth for others to see and then others to follow as students.

Those instructions should be straightforward, but then other things get in the way and with one thing and the other those instructions get confused and muddled. Maybe that instruction wasn’t for all of us. Perhaps he didn’t mean that we should actually be teaching other people. Surely he was talking about folks in the 1st Century who had the time to do all of that, but nowadays we are just too busy making ends meet. It’s much better to just get paid professionals to do that bit of the job, while we get taught how to get God to look out for us as we get on with the busyness of making ends meet.

Those are not the instructions, though. The invitation to follow him involves the invitation to know him and make him know and get others to do the same. That’s the instruction.

There is no doubting, though, that is is a precarious project.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden