dirt of a rabbi!!
This past week I had the privilege of teaching in YWAM Orlando's Bible Core Course. This was the third year that I got to teach the Gospel of Mark and I hope not my last. This was the third BCC that has run in Orlando and the first that I did not staff. It was slightly bittersweet as I arose each morning to Skype in to teach this hungry crew of 14 students, plus staff and additional YWAMers at the CRACK of dawn - 4 am and earlier - so that I could pour in to their lives some of the things I have learnt over the past few years.
Through the sacrifice of getting up early and giving up my very precious sleep - which I love so much - I was once again reminded of how WORTH it it is for me to sacrifice my sleep not only for a group of people who are SO hungry for the Lord that they set aside 3 months of their lives, dedicated to study the Word of God, grow in relationship with Him and deepen the intimacy of their relationship with Him BUT also because JESUS is SO worthy of my sacrifice! What an honour and privilege it was for me to be with them - even if it was over Skype during the wee hours of the Hawaiian morning.
As usual the Gospel of Mark challenged me in more ways than I can count. I was once again hit with the realisation that this life is just a vapour. What we do here on earth can make an impact for all of eternity...so how do I want to live my life?
In Mark 6, Jesus decides to take a walk...now this is no ordinary walk mind you...but a walk...on the water!! The passage tells us that Jesus' intention is to walk past His disciples. When they see Him they are terrified (OBVIOUSLY - b/c this is not "normal") they think it must be a ghost. Jesus calls out to them and assures them! Matt 14 accounts Peter actually getting out of the boat and following Jesus!
What if that is what Jesus was hoping for all along? What if Jesus was hoping His disciples would see what He was doing and take a step of faith and get out of the boat and follow Him? What if the disciples realised they could take the dominion (that had been given in Gen 1.26) over the sea and walk on it??! What if every one of the disciples had such a confidence in their identity in Jesus that they could take this HUGE step of faith and do the "impossible"? What if each disciple was already living such radical faith that when Jesus moved they followed closely on His heel?? There was a blessing that was popular during the time of the disciples that said, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”
Meaning that they walked SO closely behind their Rabbi that his dust would be on their faces!!
What would the world look like today if we lived this radical lifestyle?? A lifestyle of taking the authority that has been given to us and living a radical life of serving Jesus, allowing the Spirit to break out and guide us? Guide us to those hurting people who are in such a desperate need for the love of a Saviour who died for them and who longs to receive the reward of His suffering?? How different our faith, our relationship with Jesus and the world would be today??
Let us be a people who live life so radically obedient to the Spirit that when He moves we follow. Let us be a people where we live a life where we aren't bound to a boat (or anything else for that matter) but a LIFESTYLE where we will take steps of great faith to see the impossible happen.
Share story
0 comments: