A Disciple Learns From Jesus

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus. 

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

Matthew 11v29: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 7v24-29: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

Going Deeper:

We see in Matthew 11v29 that Jesus extends an invitation to us to come to Him and learn from Him. To walk with Him and alongside Him, being guided and directed by Him in every area of our lives. To be shaped by Him, becoming more and more like Him. And that as we do so, we will find rest and peace in Him.

We, however, live in a time where many people and things are trying to shape us, direct us and inform the way we live by becoming our teachers in place of Jesus. Trying to convince us that their ways are the best, and that we should build our lives upon their words and wisdom to gain for ourselves the life we have always dreamed of and wanted. To find the rest and peace we crave.

We also live in an age where information is readily and speedily available to us and because of this access to discipleship in a variety of different forms, to an array of different people and ideologies, has become increasingly easier for us. 

The internet, Google, social media, influencers, Youtube, politicians, news feeds and many other people and things are all trying to monopolize our attention as they attempt to make us their disciples/students. The aim being to get us to adopt their ways of thinking and of doing things, so that they become our own.

The question before us is: whose voice is the loudest in our lives and the one that we follow? Whose opinion is most important to us, and whose wisdom and truth do we trust above all others? 

Who is our teacher, the one who we are learning from?

If we consider ourselves to be disciples of Jesus, then the answer should be Jesus. 

Dallas Willard says it this way: “As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heaven as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be. That “in him was life and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).”

Being his disciple means that we seek Him and His counsel and wisdom when making decisions because we know that He is profoundly wise and knowledgeable and wants the best for us. (Proverbs 2v6: “For the Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”)

It means orientating our lives around Him, sometimes denying ourselves and forsaking other options in order to follow Him and His ways because of our discipleship to Him. (Matthew 16v24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”)

It means allowing him to speak into our lives, listening to his words as we allow them to lead and direct us because we know that they are a firm foundation for our lives. (Matthew 7v24: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”)

When we look at our own lives, the decisions we make, the things we look to for abundant life and peace, the words we build our lives upon – do they reflect and reveal Jesus, holding Him and His voice and ways in high regard, above all else? 

As I reflect on my own life, I see that sometimes the decisions that I make and the actions that I take reveal a lack of trust in God and confidence in his words and ways. 

I see that I sometimes prefer to be my own teacher, abandoning my role as disciple and student, falsely believing that I know better. 

I see that at times I can be influenced by the ways of the world, building my life on the sinking foundation of sand instead of the rock that is Jesus.

And yet even in the moments that I have chosen to do this, there remains Jesus, a faithful teacher and Saviour, who by His grace and love for me extends the invitation to return to Him, to repent, to come to Him and learn from Him. To be his disciple.

He reminds me that he is the one who can be trusted, whose voice will not lead me astray, whose direction and guidance leads to life in abundance. Whose ways and thoughts are higher than my own and those of the world.

As we spend time with God in prayer and the scriptures this morning, let’s ask Him to speak into our lives, showing us where we perhaps have had a lack of trust and confidence in his authority as teacher in our lives. 

Let’s ask Him to help us in our discipleship to him, to follow him and to learn from him, devoting ourselves to Him and His ways. 

Let’s ask Him to remind us of what a wonderful and wise teacher He is.

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?

Apply:

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?