What does it mean to be a “disciple” of Jesus? Maybe it’s because of my upbringing. Maybe it is because of my love for learning. But I have often assumed that to be a good disciple, was to be a good student. I don’t think I’m alone in this. I believe that for many of us we see ourselves as good disciples of Jesus when we read the Bible through in a year, take good notes during the sermon on Sunday, attend our Sunday School class or small group with our Bible in hand, memorize our weekly Scripture verses, and pray before we go to bed.
These are all wonderful things to do, and we should do them. But is that the measure of a disciple? Recently, I did a study on what did it mean for a person in the first century to be a disciple. I found some interesting information. To begin with, a disciple in Hebrew is the word Tal’mid. This word carries much more weight that we commonly ascribe to it.
According to Jewish tradition, here is the process for a young boy to become a Tal’mid of a Rabbi (teacher).
* at age 5 – Read and begin memorizing the Torah = the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
*at age 10 – Begin studying the Mishnah = The Rabbi’s oral interpretations of the Torah. Talk about tough. How would like to be examined on every sermon ever preached?
* at age 13 – Have the Torah memorized and fulfill the Commandments with your lifestyle. For most in the Church, we probably can’t name the books of the Bible in order, lest of all, quote the first five books by memory.
* at age 15 – Ask a Rabbi permission to become his Talmid. Most young men were turned down. To be chosen meant that the Rabbi felt the young man had the intellect, moral, spiritual, and ethical character to become like him.
* age 18 – Take a bride.
* age 20 – Pursue a vocation. To be a Rabbi was a great honor, but it wasn’t going to provide for you and your family. Rabbi’s had to know a vocation.
* age 30 – Become an official Rabbi.
I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty hefty system of requirements. The difference between how the first century Jew viewed discipleship and the way many of us view it is that a student simply wants to know what the teacher knows, but a first century Tal’mid wanted to be like the teacher, to become what he is.
This was how Jesus viewed being a disciple. This was how Peter, James, John, and the rest of those early followers of Jesus viewed being His disciple. Their desire was not simply to know what Jesus knew, but to become like Him. To lose their own identity and take on the identity of their Messiah, their Rabbi, Jesus.
In Luke 9: 23, Jesus said, “…If anyone desire to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Believe me, I am thankful that Jesus said, “If anyone…” That gives me hope. That gives you hope of being His disciple. With this one statement, Jesus tore down all those traditional requirements to become a Tal’mid (disciple). Jesus said, “anyone.” You who can’t remember your own phone number, lest alone, the first five books of the Bible. You who have the embarrassing past you don’t want anyone else to know about. You who have been less than faithful to God. You who think you are too old, too young, too ______ (you fill in the blank). When Jesus says “anyone,” He means ANYONE can become His disciple.
I’m glad He took away the requirements, but I don’t think He did away with the expectations. The goal for being His disciple is still the same as it was when He called His first followers. Jesus wants us to become like Him. To lose our life in Him is the only way we will truly find our life. We are meant for so much more than getting an education, building a successful career, making, saving, and spending money. We were made to be like Jesus. Our hearts yearn to be like Him. The world desperately needs us to be like Him.
God said that this is His predetermined plan for all us who come to follow Jesus. God wants us to be like Jesus.
Romans 8: 29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,”
