Following the Rabbi

I was going back through old posts on my blog and found that I never finished recording my notes from RVL's teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, I never even came close. So I thought I would go back over those notes to refresh my memory. It all came rushing back and leaves me so blown away by the God that I serve that I felt I should go over them a bit more in depth yet again. So I will attempt to record a few more on here, mostly for my own benefit, but I hope they will speak to you as well. And if I slack off in continuing the notes...nag me. :)

(ps...RVL's site is http://www.followtherabbi.com/ and I highly recommend it.)

RVL never begins a session without the Shema...so I always begin reading or recording my notes from them with it as well. It's sad how quickly you get out of the habit. But at any rate, it's always a wonderful way to begin.

Shema Israel, Adonai elohenu- Adonai echad
Ve' ahavata et Adonai eloeikah
b'khol levavkah,
uve'khol naphshekah,
uve'khol m'odekah
ve' ahavata l're'acha comocha. Amen.

One of the sections that really stood out (among many) in the teachings was the Jewish commitment to their faith. They KNEW what they believed. Really knew it. One of the things that we, as a Western, modern society do not understand was the way of a disciple and a Rabbi. We hear those words tossed around in the New Testament frequently, but do not truely grasp their meaning. We take Rabbi to simply be a teacher and disciple to simply be someone who follows them. The word translated "disciple" is Talmidim or Talmid. The Rabbi-Talmidim relationship was a very familiar one to the Jews of Galilee. Jesus used this relationship to bring about his ministry.
In Jewish culture the Rabbis were the authorities on the Jewish teachings. Most of the Rabbis of the time were given authority to teach Torah using already approved interpretations. However, there were a few who were given the authority to actually make their own interpretations and pass judgements. Many times in Scripture it says that the people were amazed by Jesus because he "taught with authority" referring to the authority exercised by only a small group of Rabbis. Many religious teachers questioned his authority. But it was obvious that he was in fact accepted as a Rabbi (having completed the necessary schooling as a Jewish child.)
When Jewish children had finished their early education in Torah, the best of those were able to attend a "secondary school" or Beth Midrash. Here they would continue their religious studies. And the very best (only a few) of those would attempt to gain permission to follow a Rabbi. In following the Rabbi they would eat, breathe, live for the Rabbi's teaching. They watched his every move wanting to imitate him in every way. The ultimate goal was to become exactly like the Rabbi.
This was an intense committment. They were willing to follow the Rabbi no matter where he led, though they often did not know the destiation or what would await them. They trusted that he would lead them to the place where they would be able to best learn from his teaching and become more like him. As is stated on http://www.followtherabbi.com/ "there is much more to a talmid than what we call a student. A student wants to know what the teacher knows for the grade, to complete the class or the degree or even out of respect for the teacher. A talmid wants to like the teacher, that is to become what the teacher is."
Once the Rabbi felt the Talmid had become like him, he would commission him to make his own disciples who would, in turn, pattern their lives after them. This is what Jesus did as well. It seems odd to us that the disciples would say "do what I do" because we certainly don't have that kind of faith in our own actions or motives. But these men had devoted their lives to striving to become just like Jesus. They had mirrored his every action.
We put so much empahsis on putting our faith IN Jesus, but we forget the importance of having the faith OF Jesus. We fail to pattern our lives after our Rabbi, living and breathing his teaching. If we are truely followers of Christ, true disciples, Jesus will show up in our lives every day. When I consider the amount that I know about the faith OF my Savior, of the teachings and Scriptures that he found to be crucial, I realize that I have thought it enough to claim him without claiming what was important to him. They really cannot be separated.
I really must learn more about who Jesus was when he walked this earth to be able to truely pattern my life after him. Because what he wants for me is to become like him, to follow where he leads, to love like he loves, to give like he gives, to live and breathe him...to follow my Rabbi.