Student and Teacher

Scripture: Matthew 10:24-27 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

24 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! 26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! (Matthew 10:24–27 NLT)

Buckle up, Girls and Boys! Your Captain has turned on the “Fasten Seat Belts” sign! Much of how we set our expectations for our Christian lives is shaped by how we see our relationships and roles. If we only see God as our loving, caring Father, and ourselves as his beloved children, we would reasonably expect a life of ease and comfort and blessing. If we truly see Jesus as our Master and Teacher and ourselves as his servants and students, we can expect some real challenges!

We are learning on our Journey of Discovery through the Gospels that both these relationships are real and both these expectations are true! These two ways of seeing our relationship with God aren’t in contradiction, but both true and both held in tension with each other. And we’re learning that God’s Gracious Holy Spirit will emphasize one or the other at the appropriate time for our growth and development.

Our Master and Teacher has done what we cannot do. He has walked life’s path to show us the way and given his life to purchase our redemption. He has overcome sin and the grave so we can live with hope for eternity and without fear of death and destruction. Now it’s time for us do what, by grace through faith, we can do: Love one another as he loves us, love our enemies and not only our friends, forgive others as he forgives us, and follow his teachings and instructions as he sends us to build the Kingdom of Heaven on Satan’s doorstep!

Again and again, in our journey of faith, we will hear his challenge and have the opportunity to respond to his upward, onward, inward, outward call! This is one of those times. Are you in?

Prayer:

Father, I’m in! This is me saying with all my heart, “Where he leads me I will follow!” Amen!