An ancient Rabbi was noted as saying, “we learn with our feet…and that we should stay in the dust of the Rabbi.” Meshell and I recently returned from a two week study tour of Israel. It was an amazing time of seeing and learning as we followed the Rabbi (Ray Vander Laan, of That The World May Know Ministries) all over Israel similar to how the disciples would have followed Jesus.
The idea of staying dusty really struck me as an important metaphor for discipleship and what following Jesus is all about. One of the things that really struck me while we were following the footsteps of Jesus in Israel was the power and influence of Hellenism in the land. What is Hellenism? In the 4thcentury B.C. Alexander the Great was on his crusade to bring the “good news” of Hellenism to the rest of the world by building amazing Greeks cities with amphitheaters, sports arenas, temples, gyms, hospitals and yes even shopping malls. He thought that if he could control these areas that he could impact all of society. He planted 10 of these cities on the east and south side of the sea of Galilee. Here is a quick description of Hellenism:
The human is the ultimate
Man is the measure of all things
The human is the ultimate in beauty
Intense focus on the individual-self
Intense pursuit of power, pleasure and leisure
Relativistic
Sensual
Does not like quiet
Loves constant stimulation of the eyes
Truth is decided by logical powers alone
Culture assigns value to people according to beauty, fame and wealth
Class based society
I could go on, but I think you get the point. Sound familiar? Well, this is the culture that Jesus stepped into with His disciples and called people to follow Him. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
I have been wrestling with the question of what “good news” is having a greater impact in my church, community and nation. Or even more probing, is my life more conformed to the “good news” of Hellenism or the “good news” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is my life characterized by the dust of following Hellenism or the dust of following in the footsteps of Jesus?
All of this really highlights for me the importance of renewing the mission Jesus gave us and the primary task, “make disciples!” We all need someone in our life who is dustier from following Jesus than we are and to get in their trail to grow. I encourage you to pursue in-depth discipleship in your church community so you can get the dust of our Savior all over you!
Stay Dusty!
