Women disciples

Women Walked with Jesus Too

I thought today of how Isaac could have survived the “botched” job of blessing his children. What if he had called his wife in to have her with him as he blessed them? Funny how us men tend to think not so much relationally but more practically. We would rather go it alone, smell and touch our way through life, and then wonder why we mess up so. Calling his wife to partner with him in the blessing as much as she was a partner in life definitely could have added value to the final act of discipling his family.

So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.”So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him – Genesis 27:18-27 ESV

Luke records many women in his narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry. In fact, his gospel devotes substantial content to female characters, giving more names of specific women in Jesus’ life than any other gospel. In particular, Luke stresses the importance of
women as disciples

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them^[a] out of their means. – Luke 8:1-3 ESV

I am so thankful for the women in my life that have come alongside me and have in many ways, discipled me – my mom when I was a teenager, my wife through 34 years of marriage and my daughter who has grown into an amazing disciple of Jesus and has been blessed to disciple many others and continues to do so as she is a light to those who do not know Him. I am also a of a guest writer for a blog called 66Books. There Courtney leads a number of us into how to read, study and listen to God as students of the Word. Love being part of her team.

Disciple thought for today: Psalm 4 is a quiet, evening Psalm. It trains me to conclude each day by processing my feelings and experiences with God.

I will be like my teacher

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. – Luke 6:40

The first question that comes to my mind is – who is my teacher? I know that I struggle with my walk with Jesus even though I spend a lot of time with Him. I cannot imagine how other followers live who have decided to spend their time doing anything and everything other than spending time with Jesus on Sunday and a possible time or two during the week.

I think it helps me when I look at Jesus and say these words – “You are my Master, I am your disciple.” When I look at my relationship with Jesus in this manner I am fully engaged to learn from Him and to follow Him. Jesus has taught me everything that He has practiced. He does not asked me to do anything that He has not done Himself. My being fully trained lies in coming as near to Jesus as I can so that I can be as much like Him as possible.

Rise up, walk by faith

By Faith – Keith & Kristyn Getty

Ever since the promise to Abram in Genesis 12 that he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth, God had provided more encouragement to ensure that in waiting Abram would not be found to be hopeless. So it is that we find such an encouragement in Genesis 17 with another promise and this time in regards to Isaac’s birth. It is with this promise that God opened up the vision for family discipleship.

For I have chosen^[a] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” – Genesis 18:19 ESV

Family discipleship is a hard concept especially when we view it in the lives of those called by Jesus. He addresses wealth and possessions and by that I mean – family, income, social status, business interests – throughout His teachings and parables. What I do know is that the call to follow Jesus was a transformational call. When I think of Peter’s call, I think before the call took place, Peter had already met Jesus. So in Luke’s gospel, when Jesus calls Peter, it was a call to radical discipleship. So much so that He had to say — “Don’t be afraid.”

… and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”^[a] And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. – Luke 5:10-11 ESV

It is true then, when identifying the marks of a disciple, that a disciple is definitely one who is called. Jesus does not need recruiters. We are called not because we are worthy, but because of His grace.

Luke’s reason for including this incident may be not only to portray the
confrontation of human sinfulness with Jesus but also to show that to receive the
saving grace of Christ a ‘sinful’ man must repent. Long before Luke speaks of the Gentiles with their gross sins and their being included in saving grace, we are faced with the realization that even Peter . . . must take his place as a sinner. – Liefeld

Interesting for me to note that in the calling of Simon, who would eventually be one of the twelve chosen from a larger group, left everything to join Jesus. Yet in the very same chapter is the story of Levi. Like Simon, Levi leaves everything to follow Jesus. However, he will not be among those listed as the twelve.

To be a disciple one needs two things—a master and a teachable spirit.

When I was preaching a sermon on Noah, I mentioned to the congregation that Noah gave up everything to build the ark. For 100 years he was ridiculed, verbally abused, and lost all sense of status in his community. I mentioned that just as everything we own today is not ours, but God’s, and how Noah was a great example of that. The looks I got back were not very friendly. But Jesus says it very clearly:

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. – Luke 14:33 ESV

Maybe I need to introduce Psalm 3 at this point as a great prayer to pray when we are talking about God’s salvation. I hope you can pray it with as much conviction as David did – it is a real prayer, not such a nice one. May our cry for God’s help be our prayer today so that we can rise up and walk by faith.

Walk in the yoke

His Yoke Is Easy – Bishop Paul S. Morton Sr.

I will have the easiest, happiest, and the strongest life if I walk in the yoke with Christ. Only when I do this can I draw the strength and direction that straightens out everything that is going wrong. It does sometimes lead to a battle with my world around me, but that world needs me to stand steady in the easy yoke with Christ.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus makes a very gracious invitation to all who would want to experience the relief, joy, and the blessings of His life through a grace/faith relationship with Him. This is an invitation aimed at all, at the curious and at the convinced to bring them to a place of a deeper level of commitment in which they are to take His yoke and learn from Him as committed disciples.

Think of the world of discipleship before Jesus came. There were the disciples of Moses and the disciples of the Pharisees. They both offered terms that crushed individuals beneath the weight of the Law. Neither could provide relief from the burden and oppressive load that came with it. Jesus came and offered that rest and peace through Him. He came to invite people out of their old discipleship to a new one.

That means something for me as I follow Him and it might mean something different for you. As followers of Jesus we each have a calling that is probably different from one another. My task is to live out my calling by actively partnering with Jesus and following His teaching.

The word “yoke” is the same word that is translated “disciple” later on in Matthew in the Great Commission. When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” He is literally saying, learn what it means to be my disciple and you will find rest for you soul in Me. I will help you walk with God.

While discipleship brings relief from the burden of the Law, it is not lawlessness. His discipleship is easy because His teachings equips us to live out God’s will in the way life was designed to be lived. Jesus does not release His disciples from burdens, He promises to help us.

In fact, if you are like me, the challenge of following Jesus is more demanding than following the Law because I am called to fulfill the Law from the obedience of my heart and not through my actions alone. In fact, I am called to do that with perfection. His Spirit provides the same strength to me as He did for Jesus.

So here is my final lesson. I have to learn from Jesus how to live in God’s truth. I have seen others turn their yokes into an unbearable burden. My calling is not a religious obligation. Rather, my calling is an intimate relationship with the One who calls me. As complicated as my life may become, discipleship is at heart simply walking with Jesus in the real world and having Him teach me moment by moment how to live life His way.

Lack of knowledge

The Crossing – “Ecstasy”

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
    because you have rejected knowledge,
    I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
    I also will forget your children. – Hosea 4:6 ESV

Notice that Hosea does not say that my people are destroyed for lack of faith. Knowledge and faith are different kind of things and while they are both vital, they are different.

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” – John 4:42 ESV

Biblical faith is a conviction based on evidence and not mere credence. Even though the statement – leap of faith – is a common expression, I am not too sure the Bible recognizes this as either evidence or knowledge-based.

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, – 1 Peter 3:15 ESV

I remember this verse so well and it applies here perfectly —

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17 ESV

I found this quote from another expression – blind faith —

Genuine faith derives from facts presented to the mind and from which proper and correct deductions are then drawn (John 20:30,31)…. There is no such thing as “blind” faith. Faith itself is possible only when reason recognizes the trustworthiness of the testimony which produces it. – Guy N. Woods

So I looked at the resurrection story again. Mary Magdalene saw the Lord. She immediately goes and tell the other disciples and they – disbelieved. Jesus appears to two men walking. They too returned to tell the disciples – neither believed them. So the questions have to be asked – Were these disciples justified in rejecting the report of the resurrection of Jesus because they were not eyewitnesses themselves? Was their disbelief evidence of some intellectual integrity on their part? Were they to be commended for their rejection that came from two trustworthy witnesses?

No, they were not justified in their disbelief.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. – Mark 16:14 ESV

Facts must be reported before they can be believed.

Read how those in Corinth responded —

And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. – Acts 18:7-8 ESV

What did they hear that caused them to believe? It was the testimony given by Paul. Faith is seen as the acceptance of knowledge based upon credible testimony.

Today I have faith without sight, because of credible testimony from those who were eyewitnesses.