April 11

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. Matthew 10:24,25a.

Perhaps we do not have a full appreciation for the meaning of the word, disciple. In the Old Testament it is the Hebrew limmud, which means instructed, learned or taught. See Isaiah 8:16, for example. A follower of a Rabbi would be instructed, memorize the Torah, walk in the footsteps of the Rabbi, and passionately want to be like the Rabbi—in every way. Jesus introduced a new way of creating a disciple. He chose men who had not passed any other training. They came from various earthly disciplines. He knew that He could instill in them the burning desire to not only follow Him, but also to become like Him. That of course would happen because of the working of the Holy Spirit within them.

I have often discussed discipleship with my fellow Christians. It is apparent that we may have forgotten the overwhelming desire to become like Him. The above passage of Scripture says that it is enough that we become as the teacher—but that is the very point that we need to focus upon. His Holy Spirit is working continuously within us to achieve that ultimate goal. It will not be accomplished by my human, fleshly effort, but it will be achieved by the progressive, life-changing sanctification that God has ordained.

Today, Lord, let me not just accumulate some knowledge about You. Let me not just try to mimic Your behavior. Instead, let me be changed progressively toward the end result that I am like You. I cannot handle it all at once, but I can be patient as Your Holy Spirit works within me. Thank You for choosing me as a disciple. All praise is to You. Amen.
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