i've been listening

a few nights ago, i was reading rob bell's "velvet elvis" and was captivated by two simple truths. -- jesus was a jew. and jesus sought out guys like me.

now the first is really no news to me, of course he was. i remember that from the felt boards in children's church. but why it mattered so much, i was about to find out. and the second truth, well its important because it directly impacts the way i approach this whole idea of christianity.... read on.

so the other night, as i read, something happened, i saw jesus in a different way. i believe i saw him in the way he desires for me to see him all the time. and here's why...

see, jesus was a jew. right. and in order for jesus to have been a jewish man, he would have been a jewish boy. annnd this is why that rocks -----

a jewish boy's entire childhood revolved around one thing: learning scripture. by the time a young jew was around 10 years old, he would have memorized the entire torah. (wow, i could hardly memorize a poem at 10 years old!!) but these youngguns would study and learn and memorize and study more. it was a different world obviously. they had a different mindset, a different focus. young jews basically had one goal: to be close to God. they did that by learning the scriptures to a T in hopes of one day becoming a disciple of a rabbi - a teacher of God's word. so if they were really good, if they new scripture by the back of their hand, if they were the best of the rest, then they would in a way be assessed around that age and be invited to learn more.

--- now the most significant aspect of this system in relation to jesus' story is what happens to the "rest," to the guys who weren't good enough. these kids would begin learning their family's trade; whether it be farming or shepherding or carpentry or fishing. they would learn the ins and outs of the job they would likely work for the rest of their lives. but we'll get back to that in a bit, back to the "quest kids."

--- now these young jews, the brightest of their class so to speak, would begin studying the rest of the scriptures. they would spend countless hours in the presence of the local preists and rabbis. they would spend their days learning and studying and learning more. because for a young jew, realizing the dream of becoming a disciple was all that mattered. so eventually, when the youngster was around 14 or 15, the studied jew would approach a rabbi in hopes of possibly hearing the 3 most important words of their lives. but before a rabbi would even think about accepting a boy as his disciple, he would offer a rigorous Q & A session. he wanted to know everything about the boy. - how much he knew about scriptures, how much he knew about those who knew the scriptures, how much he knew about what those who knew the scriptures knew.... intense is an understatement! and here's why: a disciple was indeed a student, but ultimately, he would try to in essence, become the rabbi. here's what i mean - a disciple tried to do everything the rabbi did, like the rabbi did it. the disciple would follow a rabbi no matter where he went, literally. across the room, across town, across the nation, everywhere. all because the disciple didn't want to miss a thing! if it came out of the rabbi's mouth, the disciple heard it. and remembered it.

so if this young, gifted jew was cut out for the job, if he knew the scriptures and everything about them, if he impressed the rabbi and the rabbi actually thought that this kid could essentially become him, then he released those special words mentioned earlier: "Come, follow me." --- and if the rabbi felt that the jew wasn't ready, if he couldn't do the work, if he wasn't cut out for the tast, he would send him home to learn his trade. it was do or die. like i said, intense.

now where the whole "jesus being a jew" really becomes significant is this next part. now we know that jesus was amongst the "best." he knew the scriptures and everything about them, he knew the ins and outs and commentary. but where it gets interesting is when you focus on the types of guys jesus sought to be his disciples. he didn't seek the "best of the best," jesus sought out real, working young guys who didn't make the cut or who weren't good enough. when jesus called peter and andrew to follow him, these dudes were fishing! not in the way we view fishing, they weren't out chillaxing one sunny afternoon, catching some rays and wettin'-a-hook. no, fishing was their job. that was their trade. they were fishing because they didn't make the cut, neither was "good enough" to become a disciple. so when jesus calls out to them, "Come, follow me," you can see the significance of a real-life rabbi seeking those types of jewish boys. what a feeling! to be chosen by a rabbi! you've been told you weren't good enough, for whatever reason it was, you didn't make it into that circle. but jesus was bringing a new message. a new idea. a new revolution. he wasn't excluding anyone. he wanted the rejected, the incapable. he knows that where we fall short, he makes up the difference.

this is exciting. i mean this is great news for me. i'm not good enough. but i don't have to be. jesus can use me if i am willing. i'm not the best. i'm nothing. i don't know the ins and outs. but i don't have to know everything. its a developing story. i am a work-in-progress. jesus can use me right now. where i fall short, he makes up the difference. he chose those just like me, regular dudes who were willing to be used to accomplish his mission. what a beautiful opportunity.


i've been listening.

and he spoke up.


love is a verb.
-pc