Devoted Words

Matthew 28:17-20 –

‘When they saw him [Jesus], they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

Have you ever thought what your parents would have said if some guy walked past your work-place and said ‘Hi, come follow me…’ and you dropped what you were doing and left?! Back in the first century, the first followers knew Jesus as a Rabbi and wanted to be his disciples. Being a Rabbi was like the ultimate job - everyone wanted to be one, but only a few were good enough to pass the tests at school which involved memorizing the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament). Everyone who couldn’t make it, dropped out and went home to work with their family, learn their trade.

So when this Rabbi walks past and asks you to be his follower - that would be mind-blowing and world changing for you. No wonder they left everything. 

Everything.

They walked away from their lives, their families, their jobs (that doesn’t always sound like such a bad idea!), their communities and went to learn from this Rabbi who taught not just in words but with miracles and in stories that had hidden depths.

This is Devotion number one – ‘devoted to the apostles’ teaching’. In Matthew 28 Jesus said: ‘Therefore go and makes disciples of all nations…teaching them everything I have commanded you.’ 

The apostles weren’t teaching their own thoughts; they were teaching what they had received from Jesus, passing on his teaching to the church - and the church were in it 100%. They knew that these words brought them life and were the only reliable guide for their lives. It wasn’t some head knowledge that they could spout to sound holy - this was real life, the ‘how do I cope when life gets tough’, ‘how do I approach my relationships,’ ‘how should I order my finances…’ the real stuff of living.

So how much are we devoted to what Jesus taught? Are we fully sold out on following Jesus and giving up our way of doing things to do it his way?

It’s not easy. 

But it does bring life the more you do it.

The teaching of Jesus changes us to our core, it awakens the truth of who we are in him.

Prayer – Jesus – it’s you I need. It’s you and you only who have the words of life. I’m sorry for where I’ve not lived out that truth. This week, from right now, I want to devote myself to your teaching, I’m fully in.