JESUS SPEAKING
“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is properly taught will be like his teacher” (Luke 6: 40.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
God is called ‘the most high,’ because elevation has always been how human beings distinguish between the valuable and the invaluable. People honor things by lifting them up. In ancient times, when a king stepped down on level ground with a group of his subjects, those subjects would lower themselves beneath him; many would bow, others would kneel. If the king was a child, then his subjects would sprawl out face first on the ground to make sure the king stood above them. The teacher and student relationship is quite similar (as Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher”) The disciple, or student, must realize his or her lack of knowledge (they lower themselves); the teacher then becomes the superior source of necessary information (they are lifted up.) In exchange for their humility and ability to learn, the disciples were promised that they would become like Jesus. Anyone who lacked this type of humility could not be a follower of Jesus then, and cannot be his follower today. A person who believes they have a better way, or who desires to learn from sources other than the Lord, cannot be properly taught.
A long time ago, I was caught in a dilemma…I remember calling up a friend for advice on a situation that had made me absolutely furious. In the middle of the conversation she said, “What would Jesus do?” I tried to shrug it off, and replied something like, “Well, he’s Jesus, I can’t be like him.” The question cut deep in to me; the answer to how to react to the situation wasn’t debatable; rather, it had a face, and a name, and that name was Jesus Christ. I was not called to behave in my own way, but to behave just like him. After all, a disciple is someone who is a student and follower of their teacher. My teacher and master was, and is Jesus Christ. If I desired to be properly taught (a disciple), I knew I needed to be completely submitted to him.
You as well are called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. How does that process begin for you? First, you must humble yourself and lift him up. Jesus Christ must become the moral authority in your life. Get rid of any competing teachers, and make his words the foundation upon which your life and your actions are built. Daily gospel reading is essential. Commit some of your time daily to the study of his words. The gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, and the book of Revelation contain his spoken words, and descriptions of his behavior; only by knowing your teacher can you be properly taught; only by humbling yourself before the living God can you become his disciple.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You now and ask to become Your disciples. We lift up Your Son and we ask that He become our teacher. Jesus, speak to us, and to our hearts, and mold us and shape us in to Your image. Remind us of all of the words that You have spoken, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may minister to all those You place in our way. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus Speaks 