Implications for modern day discipleship extend all the way back to the historical fact that Jesus lived among us as a Jewish man in a first century Jewish culture. He lived as a Jew, talked as a Jew, and worshipped as a Jew. Jesus was also an itinerant Jewish rabbi (master). Rabbis were the most respected members of the Jewish community. They were the best of the best, and as a result of extensive training, knew the Old Testament scriptures inside and out, especially the Torah (instruction), the first five books of our Bible. A rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah was considered to be that Rabbi’s “yoke.” If you desired to follow a certain rabbi and accept his yoke, you requested to be one of his disciples (talmidim). Your goal as a disciple was not just to know what the rabbi knew, but to be just like that rabbi in every way. If the rabbi considered you worthy of his calling, he would issue an invitation of, “Come and follow me.”
As a rabbi made his way through various towns and villages, he would be closely followed by his students, doing their best to keep up. By the end of the day, dust from the feet of the rabbi would be all over them. The action of following closely like this became known as “covering yourself with the dust of your rabbi’s feet.” Knowing this makes the way we read and interpret Scripture much more organic and real, and a lot less random and arbitrary. We shall explore much more as we observe the strategy of our Master in establishing His kingdom. Let us come and take His yoke upon us.
