Abraham A True Disciple

Discipleship is a way of life.

Our Hindu brethren have guru’s, people they take inspiration/instructions to live their day to day life. Discipleships in Jesus’ time, on the other hand entailed the disciple to leave his home, and take up residence with the Teacher. St. Paul was from Tarsus, and had come all the way to Jerusalem to take residence with Gamaliel his Teacher, and wait on him and serve him. The teacher imparted his teaching to his students and invited them to a close relationship with him, to understand the essence of the teaching by the way he lived. The waiting and serving was part of this, so they could at close proximity see and understand the message which was being taught to them, not only in words, but inspire them through a practical living of this message. The Apostles/Disciples when sent by Jesus could bring themselves to confront all situations and in Gods name overcome them, because they at close quarters had seen Jesus do these things himself.

The mantra here is a desire that wells up inside us, ‘unless someone show us how to actually understand and live God’s life…, I will always be guessing, and making decisions in the dark.’ Jesus then invites us, ‘Come and See…,” take up residence with him (Make our Home in His Word), and experience for ourselves, God’s goodness and love.

Abraham was not a superhuman, who lived by faith overnight. he had numerous fallings in his discipleship of Yahweh. Yet he persevered and he learnt his lessons, and God favoured him with a descendant who would bring blessing to the nations in Abraham’s name (Gen 12:3), by paving the path for all humanity to come back to God. Abraham was a man of faith, but riddled with failings. Genesis 15 speaks of Abraham’s faith. God is with him in his tent, and they are generally talking about things. Abraham reminds God, about that promise He gave him of having a child,. He tells God that he personally has to be reasonable, he and Sarah have gone past the age of childbearing. Yes he still loved Yahweh and trusted Him, but they need not fool themselves. There may be other ways of getting children; possibly adoption. God to explain the promise he made to Abraham, takes him out of the tent and tells him to see up to the sky, He would give Abraham descendants like the multitude of stars in the sky. He is saying this in broad daylight. Abraham understands. He knows the reality of the stars is there, but he could not see them while the sun was still there, but even as the sun would set, the reality of the stars would be there for all to see. This is the faith of Abraham – because he believed and put his trust in Yahweh, this act of a reasoned faith based in experience is attributed as Abraham’s Righteousness. Another name for this is, ‘Abraham had a working relationship with God‘.

Those who were debating with Jesus in today’s gospel missed this understanding of what God desires of them. They had a faith, but it was based on rules and regulations, and therefore they missed the heart of God. I invite you all today to discard the thought of worthiness and unworthiness, and sit at Jesus’ feet and speak with Him. Patiently wait for Him to speak back, direct your life, and  let him speak to you sweet comforting/consoling/uplifting words. Be changed and bring Him to the world.

Come Holy Spirit, lead us into all righteousness.