The disciple
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Matthew 28:19
What is a disciple? To get to the bottom of this question, we look at the origin of all discipleship, rabbinism in Jewish Galilee. This is discipleship: I respond to Jesus» invitation to follow him and now put all my efforts into sharing all of life with him and becoming like him. The disciple is an apprentice or trainee of Jesus.
«Therefore go to all nations and make disciples of them»(Matthew 28:19 NL). Before this order, Jesus says to Peter: «From now on you shall be called Peter. Upon this rock I will build my church»(Matthew 16:18 NL). Jesus is building church, we are to make disciples. Most churches are overburdened with reaching people who are distanced from the church and turning them into devoted followers of Jesus. Maybe that’s why we have it the other way around: We build church and hope that Jesus will make disciples. What is a disciple in the context of Jesus?
Ray Vander Laan is an excellent expert on the Jewish environment at the time of Jesus. He believes that discipleship would be dramatically different and richer if viewed in the setting of that time. In other words: Discipleship takes on a whole different colour, a whole different shape, when we understand what a disciple was at that time. That is why it is crucially important that we start at this point.
Further explained Ray Vander LaanThe model of rabbis and disciples was invented and practised in Galilee. Not in Judea or Jerusalem, nor in the Diaspora in Babylon or Egypt, but in Galilee. Galilee is a hilly province surrounding the Sea of Galilee. The people from this rural area were not particularly educated, but they were passionate about God, passionate about the scriptures, passionate about debating to get the right meaning of the scriptures. And they were passionate about waiting for the coming of the Messiah. The centre of the rabbis and their disciples was Capernaum, a small village on the north shore of the lake with less than 2000 inhabitants.
Vander Laan puts forward two theses:
- God had sent Jesus to Galilee because he wanted to apply the discipleship model that was lived there.
- Jesus had been a disciple of a rabbi for some time and then called and trained disciples himself at the age of 30.
In Capernaum and the surrounding area, people passionately studied and debated the Tanakh (the OT) in order to know God’s will and to be obedient to Him. It is probably no coincidence that Capernaum played a major role in the Gospels as the place where Jesus lived and worked (Matthew 4:13). There Jesus called some of his disciples to follow him (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 2:14), taught (Luke 4:31) and performed many signs and wonders (Matthew 8:5–17). Jesus deliberately chose the Galilean model of rabbi and disciples. Today we reflect on the Hebrew school system and learn what was understood by a disciple at that time and how to become a disciple of a rabbi.
Bet Sefer (House of the Book)
In Galilee, primary school was attended by all children between the ages of about 6 and 10 (in Judea, interestingly, only the boys). As a rule, the lessons took place in the synagogue. The synagogue was thus not only a place of worship, but also a house of dialogue and debate, as well as a place where the children were educated. The goal for boys was to read and memorise the Torah (five books of Moses). Because for girls school was completed after this level, they memorised parts of the Torah and parts of other scriptures. This extended basic education was to prepare the girls for their early marriage. Why this content? The Israelites were deeply convinced that God had spoken to their ancestors. It was clear to them that the five books of Moses were a transcript of what God had communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai. Torah means teaching, instruction, also «the way». It contains law, but it is not law. The best way to live is to live according to the Torah. That is why their thinking revolved around the Torah. They wanted to learn it and live it. There is a quote: «Under the age of 6 we do not accept a child as a disciple. From 6 years on, take him in and fatten him with the Torah like an ox.» The children should have the scriptures inside them. Education was not a luxury or a choice at that time, but the key to survival. It could happen that the teacher smeared honey on the children’s fingers or on the writing board. He would let them taste this honey and say: «Sweeter and more precious than honey, that is God’s Word. Take this word into yourselves.«Then they started with Leviticus. That is part of the curriculum. It was beginner material. The goal was to have memorised the five books by the age of 10. That’s why everyone always knew what Jesus was talking about when he quoted a Bible verse. They had learned this at school. It was inside them, their elixir of life. This memorisation could be a model for us! How much is it worth to us to know God’s Word?
Early on, differences in aptitude became apparent among the students. Some demonstrated a natural approach to the Scriptures and were clearly ahead of others. If they knew the Torah by heart, they reached the next level: Bet Talmud. The others, after Bet Sefer, learned a family trade such as tanner, fisherman, farmer or stonecutter. The girls got married.
Bet Talmud (House of Learning)
Now it was time for 11 to 14 year old boys to memorise the entire Tanach (OT in our parlance). Tanach is made up of the abbreviations of Torah (instruction), Nebiim (prophets) and Ketubim (writings). They also learned about the oral tradition surrounding the text and were introduced to the art of asking questions. By the age of 13 or 14, the very best Hebrew students could memorise the entire Bible (39 books). Alongside this, it was a matter of being slowly introduced to the Talmud. The Talmud is an interpretation of the Tanakh and describes how the rabbis understood these writings and how they were applied in everyday life. Everything was about the art of asking questions. The teachers were not concerned with their students being able to spew out information on demand. Rather, they were to learn to wrestle with the text and link it to other passages. Good questions were a sign that this student understood something of the text.
That is why Jesus so often answered questions with counter-questions (Luke 2:46f; Mark 2:18ff.24ff; 11:30). This has nothing to do with arrogance, but was the usual form of a teaching conversation. When Jesus was 12 years old in the temple, it says: «He sat in the temple in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions»(Luke 2:46). Jesus did not ask questions because he did not know the answer, but proved precisely that he had understood the context. Therefore: «All who heard him marvelled at his understanding and wise answers» (47). Jesus, through wise questions, spun out answers.
Bet Midrash (House of Study)
Those who had also mastered the second level and knew all 39 books by heart applied to a rabbi. A boy of about 15 years of age expressed that he wanted to take the yoke of this rabbi upon himself. More than that, he not only wanted to internalise his teachings, but he wanted to become like the rabbi! It was not just about teaching, but about a way of life or a way of being. Therefore, the young man thought a lot about the different rabbis. It is better that you know who you want to become like. At some point he addressed the rabbi: «Rabbi, you are a wise and understanding man, your reputation has preceded you. I have a question: May I follow you?» Actually, he asked the rabbi if he could possibly be like the rabbi. So it was not just about points scored in the final exam, but about personal life.
The rabbi then let the candidate listen for perhaps six months. Afterwards, the rabbi replied: «I’m honoured by your question, it’s wonderful that you’re striving to follow God, and if I can help you, I’d love to be your rabbi. So recite Leviticus – it’s beginner material. And then: seventeen times Amos uses a phrase from the book of Numbers, which are then followed by seventeen prophecies. Please recite these seven phrases with the prophecies from Amos.» Almost always, the rabbi would then say, «You are a godly young man, you know the scriptures, but go home and become a farmer. God has gifted you, but he has not given you the gifts to become like me.»
However, if a boy was accepted after this testing time and the testing interview, the rabbi said to him: «Follow me!» (cf. Matthew 4:18–20). Whoever heard these three words became a talmid and passionate about becoming a rabbi. That involved a lot of effort. He wanted to see, hear and experience everything: How he got up in the morning, at meals, how he met friends and enemies, how he reacted to unkind words. It was about walking in the dust of the rabbi. He wanted to be covered in the Rabbi’s dust, to walk so closely behind him that the dust that was kicked up covered his face. Discipleship is a 24⁄7 project. Does this fire burn within us to become like the rabbi?
At the age of 30, this phase was completed and a disciple could become a teacher himself. Jesus precisely began his public ministry at the age of 30 (Luke 3:23). He thus adhered to the rabbinical model. How old were his disciples? Pictures in art show men in their 50s with bald heads and grey beards. There is much to suggest that most of them were well under 20 years old. In Capernaum, Peter was asked if his rabbi did not pay a temple tax (Matthew 17:24). Then Jesus said: «Go down to the lake and cast a fishing line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch. You will find a coin inside. Take this coin and pay the tax for both of us.» (27). And the others? They did not have to yet! The Law of Moses states that the temple tax must be paid from the age of 20 (Ex 30:14). The majority of Jesus» disciples were teenagers!
The twelve Jewish teenagers Jesus called from the fishing boats, from the custom house or elsewhere, were boys who had not reached the third level but had been sent back to their family trade. They were not the best of the best. Jesus calls boys to follow him who have not made it. It always amazed me that the disciples just like that – nothing at all – got up and followed Jesus. Today I know: that was nothing special, because there was nothing greater for Jewish boys than being called to follow a rabbi. The disciples must have run home at record-breaking speed: «Mummy, Daddy, this Jewish rabbi thinks I can become like him!«Jesus believed in these twelve, even though they often failed. He believed that these twelve could carry on this mission that he gives them.
Jesus turned the tables! He approached the young men and called them. Jesus also calls out to you: «Come and follow me!» That is grace! Jesus believes that you can become like him. Have you ever experienced that someone believed in you? Strengths are released, nothing is impossible. This is discipleship: I respond to Jesus» invitation to follow him and now do everything I can to share all of life with him and become like him.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 2:13–17
- Mark 2:13–17 is an example of how Jesus called his disciples. What is characteristic about it?
- In Judaism, a ten-year-old knew half the Bible by heart. What do we put into really knowing God’s Word?
- A disciple does everything he can to be like his rabbi. Is this fire burning in your chest? Do we wake up in the morning with the thought: What can I do today to live like Jesus?
- What can it trigger when we believe in someone? Jesus» disciples took steps that would have been unthinkable before (Mk 6:7–13; Mt 14:28–31). Who encourages me to dare to take steps beyond the normal? Who do I help in this?
- What role does the small group play in your discipleship?
