I AM a disciple

Do you ever think about what your life looks like from someone else’s point of view?

Like, really?!

Who you are, every day, to your best friend, why they chose you over somebody else? Or just how you are in front of somebody you know, how they think of you as a person? Or, to a stranger, what is their opinion of you from that tiny moment you met them, whether or not you had a conversation, you are somebody in their life. Are you  always be the best person you can be or do you put on a show in front of others?

You should always strive to be your honest self, to everyone! Not just to put on a show during the week, to make people think more highly of you, and when you get to church on Sunday,  that mask you have been wearing all week is taken off and you’re back to your ‘honest’ self. Do you think that if you took that ‘church’ self into your community anyone would think any differently of you?

I have been thinking a lot about the disciples of Jesus and I have to say, what I've read and heard, the disciples were NOT the best of the best. The disciples were just like you and I. They were young men, about my age there or there about. What happened then was, most Jewish children would go to school for the first time at the age of 6, and they would learn the first 5 books of the Torah , until they were 10. By ten years old the children would no longer be in education and they would go back home and start to learn the family trade or how to run a house hold. Those children though, they still knew those first 5 books. But, if one of those children showed real potential, who showed the most natural ability to learn, then they would go on to learn the rest of the Hebrew scriptures, by heart! The best of the best knew Genesis through Malachi from memory. That is something pretty incredible. At the end of this time they spent learning the Torah, at the age of 14 or 15,again, most of those young people would go to their family trade or business. But, the best of the best will then apply to become the Rabbis disciple! They will devote the rest of their life to become not just like the Rabbi, but live the way the Rabbi lives.

What I’m trying to say is that Rabbi's would only take the best of the best. If the student didn't have what it takes then that student would be turned away from further learning. The Rabbi wouldn't choose you if he didn't think you had what it takes. But Jesus didn't do that. Jesus went up to normal, everyday people, and they were instantly chosen by Him. The fact that these young men were already tax collecting, fishing and in carpentry trades means that they weren't the best of the best! They were their true selves; they never pretended to be someone they weren't. In this day and age they would have been  turned away from their Rabbis at a young age and would have to learn the trade of their family's. Just because we may not know our scriptures off by heart, or may not learn as well as others, means nothing to Jesus! 

Jesus sees us coming and just opens his arms for us to run to and He just holds us close. He accepts us all, JUST AS WE ARE! Whether we dropped out of school, or finished university with a first. We will never be anyone else's expectation of the best, but we can try for ourselves to be true and to show others what we want them to see at all times and what they will be proud of. You will never know from the way that you live your everyday, ordinary life, the influence you may have on other people! So don't pretend to be something you are not. Don't pretend you know what you do not know, because Jesus doesn't care if you fall short of  'perfect' because all He matters about is that we take off our masks and leave them behind!