- Burn the Ships
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The Hebrew word for disciple is Talmidim. In the Jewish tradition, a Rabbi would select a Talmidim, and the young student would literally follow the teacher around, watching the way the Rabbi carried himself, how he talked, and how he understood the scriptures. The relationship between the prophet Elijah and his protege Elisha is one of the earliest examples of discipleship we have. Jesus called each of his twelve closest followers into this discipleship relationship. They traveled together by foot from town to town, hanging on every word of their teacher, sitting around fires, breaking bread, and sharing their lives. Jesus used everyday situations and examples to teach His Talmidim. They watched how Jesus interacted with both the rich and the poor, the important and the outcast. But it wasn’t enough just to know about Jesus; the disciples needed to follow the example of their Rabbi.
John 8:31 says, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” Jesus made it abundantly clear that truly being a disciple of Christ means acting out His teaching, treating people the way He treated people, and pointing to the Kingdom of God. Being a Talmidim of Jesus takes real sacrifice and dedication. This word stresses the relationship between rabbi (teacher or master) and disciple (student). A Talmidim of Jesus’ day would give up his entire life in order to be with his teacher. The disciple didn’t only seek to know what the teacher knew, as is usually the case today. It was not enough just to know what the rabbi said, but the foremost goal of any talmid was to become like the rabbi and do what the rabbi did. Will you follow the Teacher?