Episode 119 – Rabbis and Disciples Pt 3: Being Like Jesusi.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-36{ color: #515151;}i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-36:hover { color: #e00400;}i.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-36.icon-hover-animation-pulsate:after {-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);-moz-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);}Key Passage(s): Matthew 4:18-22; John 8:31–32Most of us love the idea of Jesus as savior. We’re usually less enthusiastic about him being our teacher and reorienting our lives around his. But that’s precisely what it meant to be a disciple. The goal wasn’t to know what the rabbi knew. It was to become who the rabbi was. It meant journeying with him and observing how he spoke, what he noticed, and how he interacted with others. It meant understanding how he made sense of life and then learning to do the same. It’s not the kind of learning that takes place in a classroom. Instead, it takes place on the road and in the experiences of everyday life. By the end of this episode of our Rabbis and Disciples series, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what it means to truly follow Jesus, and you’ll be inspired to follow him more closely in the coming year.

Discussion Questions

What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching?

Ask another person who knows you well this question: What are 1 or 2 ways you’ve seen me become more like Jesus? Then share with your group how you felt about what they said.

If following Jesus was less about the destination and more about the journey, what’s one thing you’ve learned about Jesus during your journey over the last year?

Being covered in the dust of the rabbi was evidence you’d been paying attention and following close on the heels of your rabbi. What kind of evidence do you see in the lives of others that they’re following Jesus closely?

How do you feel about the statement, “We hire Jesus as our savior, but we fire him as our teacher?”

How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?

For Further Study

Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi: An Urban Legend? (Article) by Lois Tverberg

New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus by David Bivin – Chapters 2-4

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg – Chapters 4-5