The Adventure of Discipleship

The word disciple occurs some 239 times in the Gospels; 30 times in the book of Acts.  The Gospels end with the “Great Commission” to make disciples, yet the word is never used in the Epistles.  Why?  What happened to discipleship as the church moved into a Greek and Roman culture?  Was it replaced, forgotten, or was it restated in language that a non-Jewish audience would understand?  What was a Roman concept that would capture the allegiance, submission, and total surrender that was so core to the Hebrew concept of a disciple/apprentice to his rabbi?

Jesus, speaking of life in his kingdom, used three metaphors to capture the relationship between himself and his followers:  disciple to teacher/rabbi, slave to master/lord, and member of a household to head of household (Matt. 10-24-25). In each case, conformity and a shared destiny are expected.

However, the New Testament Epistle writers drop the concept of disciple/teacher in favor of the concept of slave/master.  They did this possibly because the word disciple in the Roman culture (pupil to teacher) didn’t carry the idea of total commitment, ownership, and serving that it did in the Hebrew culture.

In the Greek language, there are a variety of words that get translated as servant in English.  One of the most common in Scripture is the word doulos, which is properly translated as “slave.”  The other Greek expressions range in meaning from minister or deacon (diakonos) to household servant to attendant.  The word doulos (slave) appears 124 times in the New Testament.  Unfortunately, it is most often translated into English as “servant.”  The NASB version is the most accurate translating doulos as slave 65 times and as bondservant 24 times when referring to a relationship with Christ and his kingdom. 

In the first century culture, every slave was a servant, but not every servant was a slave.  Although both served someone, there was a significant difference.  A slave was owned; a servant was hired.  A slave was totally committed to its owner; a servant could have divided loyalties and serve more than one person.  A servant was temporary, but a slave was permanent.  A doulos could be either involuntary or voluntary, although most slaves were captured from military conquests.

At the time of the first-century church, about 20% of the Roman world population were slaves.  They were slaves mainly by conquest, some by birth, and a few by choice.  Walking down the streets of Rome, you would not immediately detect who was a slave and who was free.  The lifestyle of a slave depended entirely upon the character of the master or owner.  Some slaves, who were eventually given their freedom, chose to remain as slaves since their living conditions were better than many of the free poor. 

English translators of Scripture avoided the term slave probably due to the connotation of plantation slavery in the past few centuries.  The NASB translators use the term bondservant where doulos is used in the spiritual rather than the physical context.

The core ideas in doulos as bondservant are:

• Voluntary submission
• The whole person
• The absolute authority over another
• Without pay
• For a lifetime.

Slave and master are different sides of the same coin.  The Greek word kyrio, used over 750 times in the New Testament, is translated lord, master, or owner. Jesus used the slave/master terminology in many parables to describe life in his kingdom (Example: Matt. 18:23-35; Luke 12:35-40). 

Scripture claims we are all slaves to someone or something.  In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were liberated from slavery to the Egyptians to become slaves of God (Lev. 25:55).  Peter said that we are a slave to whatever controls us (2 Peter 2:19).  Paul said we have been freed from slavery to sin to become slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:19).  Furthermore, we have been bought with a price, so we are now owned by Christ (1 Cor. 9:19-20).

It is interesting to observe that the New Testament leaders’ common self-identity was that of a slave (doulos) of Christ.  Paul identifies himself as a slave before an apostle (Rom. 1:1).  He claimed to be a slave who served.  John, Peter, Jude, even Mary self-identified as Christ’s slave (doulos).  In the book of Revelation, John and Moses are identified as slaves of Christ and in the final chapters, believers around the throne are called “His bondservants/doulos” (Rev. 22:3). Paul refers to men he mentored, like Timothy, Epaphras, and Tychicus, as bond-servants/doulos in the Lord (Phil 1:1; Col 1:7; 4:7).

Substituting servant for slave implies that allegiance is temporary, even optional.  If we are only hired, then we can choose when, how much, and how long we obey, treating Christ’s words as suggestions, his values optional, and his mission as elective.  Translating slave as servant has the same effect as translating disciple as student rather than an apprentice.  In both cases, we rob the words of their core meaning, making us comfortable rather than committed.

The reason that being a doulos was so central to the early church was that it was central to the life of Christ. Paul writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant (doulos)” (Phil 2:5-7).  If we are to emulate Christ and he is a doulos, well…the implications are obvious.

The term disciple dominates the Gospels as the word bondslave dominates the Epistles.  Both describe a relationship of total and perpetual alignment through obedience.  The welfare of a slave depended totally on the character of the master.  So the way to understand our relationship as slaves to our Master Christ, is not by diminishing the concept of doulos, but by raising our understanding of the character of the One who bought us and promises to provide all that we need…forever. 

We often list our identity in Christ with terms like saint, child of God, citizen of the kingdom, follower, disciple, etc.  How often do we include the term doulos/bondservant?

For Reflection

1.  What is your reaction to being called a slave/doulos of Christ?

2.  What are some consequences of thinking of a slave as only a servant?

So who was the first disciple?  The term disciple comes into focus in the Gospels and centers around Jesus’ ministry to a band of men who became apostles plus many others who became believers.  The term gains new importance when, just before the ascension, Jesus commissions the now band of eleven disciples to go and make disciples.

The usual narrative for identifying the first disciple would be the Gospel of John when John the Baptist introduces Jesus as the Lamb of God.  Several of John’s disciples then peel off and begin to follow this new rabbi, Jesus.  The initial ones were Andrew, the brother of Peter, and John.  So it looks like the answer to our question, “Who was the first disciple?” is a pair:  John and Andrew.  But not so fast.

The term disciple is primarily a New Testament term.  In the Old Testament, we have a few examples of one person mentoring another, such as Elijah with Elisha or Moses with Joshua but the term disciple turns up only in the book of Isaiah: primarily Isaiah 50:4.  Maybe it provides a clue to answer our question.

Isaiah is a book of prophecy regarding Israel’s future and the expected coming of the Messiah.  Isaiah’s prophesy of the Messiah takes two forms: a Servant and a King.  Scholars have identified four short passages in Isaiah that portray the Messiah as the suffering Servant and refer to them as the servant psalms.  They are:  Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-7; and 52:13-53:12.

The most familiar is the passage from Isaiah 53, in which the description of the suffering servant fits the gospel narratives of Jesus.  Less familiar is the passage in Isaiah 50, in which we get a prophecy regarding the first disciple.

“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.  The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient nor did I turn back” (Isaiah 50:4-5 NASB).

The Servant Messiah found in Isaiah was, first of all, a disciple.  The picture of discipleship from this description parallels what we see unfold in the gospel narratives. Daily, the disciple not only hears but listens to the voice of God.

1. Daily, the disciple not only hears but listens to the voice of God.
2. He gains understanding and is faithful to do all that he hears.
3. He takes what he learns and passes it on to others.

The picture we get of Jesus in the gospels is an obedient servant, who had a “discipleship” relationship with his Father.  Jesus was a disciple as well as a disciplemaker.  He is the model for both. 

We see the transition from disciple to a disciple who makes disciples in Matthew 3:17 when at Jesus’ baptism, the Father announces, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Jesus’ ministry had not yet begun, so what was it that pleased the Father?  Luke gives us a clue, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).  Those “hidden years,” of which we have little record, were a period of his apprenticeship to the Father–a time of mental, physical, social as well as spiritual growth. 

The only glimpse we have into this period of Jesus’ life is at age twelve when he was discovered in the temple in Jerusalem “sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).  People observed his discipleship.  Luke records, “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47).  It is hard for us to think of the Creator of the world learning anything, but being fully man and fully God, he did.  Hebrews verifies this:  “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8).  Jesus was the model of a supreme disciple.

When discovered by his parents and questioned about his behavior, his response was, “Why were you looking for me?  Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father” (Luke 2:49 MSG)?  We can safely assume that the next 18 years were not insignificant.  Jesus was not just marking time until his grand baptismal entrance.  He lived as a disciple of the Father, preparing for those three short years of ministry when he would be the superlative disciplemaker. 

Parenthetically, maybe we should learn from the example of Jesus when we are eager to launch people into ministry without the adequate preparation of discipleship.  It seems like our current mantra is:  “Get saved, get baptized, and get busy.”  And then we wonder why there is poor spiritual hearing, insufficient understanding, and very little spiritual fruit–something for thought.

In earlier blogs, I identified traits that Jesus said would be the marks of his disciples:

1. Wholehearted Allegiance (Luke 9:23)
2. Faithful Obedience (John 8:31-32)
3. Servant Love (John 13:34-35)
4. Spiritual Fruitfulness (John 15:8)

It should come as no surprise to find that Jesus demonstrated each of these traits giving us not only the instruction but the model to follow.  We see his wholehearted allegiance to and reliance on the Father in John 5.  “The Son can do nothing of Himself but only what He sees the Father doing.”  Then as his earthly ministry is about to end, he prayed, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).   Another evidence is his commitment to prayer.   

He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Lk 5:16).  Slipping away from the crowd’s pressing needs, he would pray about significant decisions: choosing the twelve and the crucifixion.  

Jesus’ life also demonstrated his love for the Father by his faithful obedience.  “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me” (John 14:31).  Teaching faithful obedience continues to be part of disciple-making.  The Great Commission states that we are to make disciples and teach them to obey the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ just as Jesus obeyed his Father.   

Regarding servant love, when Jesus said that He was giving us a “new” command to love others (John 13:34-35), he replaced the self-love model of the Old Testament law with his servant-love model.  The standard for loving others is no longer how we love ourselves but how Jesus the disciple loved.

The trait of bearing spiritual fruitfulness is evident throughout the gospel narratives as Jesus went about doing good, healing, encouraging, serving, and lifting the burdens of others.  His mission to establish and expand God’s kingdom was initiated and then passed on to the future generations of disciples.  “As the Father has sent Me, so send I you” (John 20:21).

It still takes disciples to make disciples.  They are not made by programs or institutions but by men and women who pursue knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ, intentionally helping others do the same.

For Reflection

1.  How would you describe a disciple from Isaiah 50:4-5?

2.  What other illustrations can you think of where Jesus demonstrated the marks of a disciple?

He who has ears to hear, let him hear

Hearing occurs when sound is funneled through the external ear and piped into the auditory canal.  When the sound waves reach the eardrum, they cause it to vibrate.  These vibrations travel to the middle ear triggering three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) to vibrate, causing the “oval window” to vibrate while tiny hair cells translate the vibrations into electrical impulses that then travel to the brain via sensory nerves.  Whew!  That’s what it takes to hear, but what does it take to listen?

Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures are filled with warnings about hearing without listening.  Hearing, save for disease or old age, is pretty much automatic.  We can dull our hearing by abuse but also increase our hearing with practice.  With effort we can tune into frequencies that are lost in the cacophony of everyday noise.  Most of us have experienced sitting quietly in the woods and being amazed at how many different sounds are present that we would normally miss.

Hearing is the front end to a more complex process called listening.  As parents we know too well that at times our kids are hearing us but not listening.  Feeling ignored we shout, “Are you listening to me?!”  We want more than hearing, we want attention, comprehension, and understanding … even action.

Through the prophet Jeremiah we can sense God’s frustration as He addresses His children, ‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear” (Jer. 5:21). 

Scripture constantly appeals for us to tune in with our spiritual hearing.  Jesus said, “… blessed are those who hear (listen to) the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28).  As new creations in Christ we are blessed with a spiritual hearing capability that can be either developed or ignored. 

In the familiar passage where Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd He says, “… the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).

Here in lies the critical question of discipleship.  Out of the myriads of voices calling out for our attention, do we discern His voice?  I have no question that God can shout, but He rarely does.  It seems He is more likely to whisper.  For example, Elijah is worn out and discouraged following his skirmish with the prophets of Baal.  After some rest and food, he seeks to hear from God.  The text tells us that there was a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire but no voice from God.  After all the loud noise there came a “gentile blowing” and that is when Elijah heard God speak.  Perhaps a reason for this is that God’s desire is not to force us to hear but rather that we would choose to hear and intentionally tune into His frequency. 

In the 70s the CB (Citizen Band) radio became a traveling craze.  Truckers had used them for years but ordinary travelers began to horn in on their territory.  In its heydays the CB radio developed its own movie genre and cultural lingo:  “10-4 good buddy”, “catch you on the flip flop”, and “spy in the sky”. 

The CB radio normally had a line of sight range of 3-20 miles and 40 channels/frequencies to pick from. This bi-directional personal communication system, allowed for only one person to talk at a time.  In order for two (or more) travelers to use their CB radios to communicate, they had to be close enough, tuned into the same frequency, and take turns speaking.  When caravanning on a trip we would establish an agreed upon channel and our personal call signs:  “Luck Duck this is Red Rider, how do you read me?  Over”.  The “over” was important since it gave the other person the chance to speak.

How often do we say “Over” when we communicate with God?  Do we let Him speak?  Do we know His channel … His frequency?  Along our journey we can spend our time listening to the banter on the trucker’s channel (usually #19), roam the other channels listening to fellow travelers, or we can tune into where He is speaking.  He rarely competes.   A disciple will set up an agreed upon primary channel so he can communicate with God with a frequent “over”.

God speaks primarily through Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  His promise to the disciples in the upper room before the crucifixion was to send His Spirit who would guide them into truth (John 16:13).

However, just reading the Bible is not the same as “tuning in” to His frequency.  Tuning in requires thoughtful reflection and intentional meditation.  Tuning in requires tuning out other frequencies to reduce the static and clutter.

The spiritual habit of a daily appointment with God in the Scripture has been a historically foundational practice of disciples for centuries.  It has been my practice for over 50 years ever since I was introduced to a little booklet called “7 Minutes with God”.  I started with developing a 7 minute daily habit which has now expanded and modified over the seasons of my life.  I know of no other spiritual discipline that is more effective for tuning into the voice of the Shepherd.

Larry, a good friend and fellow disciplemaker of over 50 years in both the marketplace and in churches, recently said to me, “I think I could summarize what I do in mentoring men as simply equipping them to hear and respond to the voice of God.”  What a great summation of being a disciplemaker!

That said, it is not always easy to discern whose voice I am hearing:  My voice?  God’s voice? Voices from my past? Satan’s voice?  Listening and discerning is a skill that takes practice and patience.  One thing is for certain, God never speaks to us contrary to Scripture.  That is why to keep from being deceived, we need to be students of His Word.  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately (correctly) handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  Even Satan uses Scripture!

An apprentice of Christ is a serious student of the Bible.  In Deuteronomy Moses gave this instruction to those who would be kings of Israel.  “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests” (Deut. 17:18).  The king was to have his own personalized copy written by himself under the mentorship of the priests.  Can you imagine how the history of Israel would have been different had this instruction been followed?

When my father died, one of the priceless heirlooms passed down to the family was his Bible.  It was a small version that he took with him everywhere.  Flexible enough that he would often roll it up as he carried it.  But what was amazing is that there were very few pages that were not marked up with his annotations.  They didn’t make sense to us, but they did to him.  He didn’t write his own copy, but he took a copy and made it his own. 

For Reflection:

1.  How have you personalized the Scripture and made it your own?

2.  What is your process for clarifying the voice of the Good Shepherd from other voices?

The iconic lighthouse has long been a fascination for this Midwesterner.  Whenever our family traveled to the coasts, we made it a practice to visit lighthouses in the area.  We have even collected some high-quality lighthouse replicas to display in our home.

Before GPS, the purpose of a lighthouse was to warn ships of danger in inclement weather and orient them to their location in good weather.  It works by providing a light source combined with reflective lenses to concentrate the light rays into a single beam of light.  Over the years, lighthouses have undergone improvements regarding the source of light and the development of more efficient lenses.  But the principle has always been the same.

The lighthouse example aptly captures the message of Matt. 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; … Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Continuing the discussion of our spiritual senses, each one has a corresponding missional component.  Our spiritual vision allows us to see the truth/light of Jesus and His Word and then reflect it to our world.  If the light is restricted and our lens defective, bringing illumination to our sphere of influence is compromised.

“We cannot reflect what we do not see.”  The location and relationship of the sun, moon, and earth illustrate this principle.  The sun is the source of light.  The moon, having no light source within it, is designed to reflect that light.  But the reflection will only happen if there is a clear, unobstructed view.  Ironically, the sun’s light can be blocked by the earth as it occurs with a lunar eclipse.  If our mission is to illuminate the glory of our Light Source to our world, we need to position ourselves with an unobstructed view so we can see Him most clearly and reflect Him most accurately. 

Getting back to our lighthouse metaphor, the brightness and consistency of the light source (originally a flame) need constant management by the lighthouse keeper for the life-saving beacon to be reliable.  That required the lighthouse keeper to carry fuel up a winding staircase, usually twice a day.   When he was not refueling the light, the keeper was polishing the lens, which tended to accumulate dust and debris from the surrounding air. 

We could learn from the lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper.  As we heighten our ability to see with our spiritual eyes, we increase our capacity to reflect to others what we see.  It is not enough to “absorb” the light; we need to keep our lens clean to reflect the light.

Paul’s tribute to the church at Thessalonica is an excellent example of reflected light.

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.  For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (Thess. 1:6-9).

The believers in this early church had not only absorbed the light of the gospel, but their lens was clean enough to effectively reflect it into their neighborhood, making Paul’s job easier.

Another example from the Gospels is when Jesus first went into the region of the Decapolis (Mark 5), where He encountered a demon-possessed man and resistant people.  Confronted with the miracle of this wild and uncontrolled man now clothed and in his right mind, the people demanded Jesus get out of their country and leave them alone.  They valued their pigs more than this man’s freedom from demons.

Jesus did not argue or put up any resistance.  He quietly left…but not without first establishing a light.  When the cured man asked to join the traveling team, Jesus implied the man could wear the uniform but not ride the bus.  Instead, he was to return to his village and play ball on his home court, testifying of what God had done.  In other words, be a light. 

The Gospel of Mark gives us the best account of the confrontation, initially recorded in Mark 5.  But one chapter and several months later, Mark records the return of Jesus to this predominantly Gentile area on the southeast corner of the Sea of Galilee.  This time the people welcomed Him, not with skepticism or resistance, but with enthusiasm.  Why?  Could it have been the “lighthouse” that had been living in their community?  The redeemed man, who didn’t know much about the Light source that he had encountered, reflected what he did know.  And like the woman of Sychar, it was just enough light to motivate his social network to see for themselves. 

As keepers of our individual, mobile lighthouses, we need to keep the light bright and the lens clean.  Only then can we stand as beacons of light and truth to a world caught in the darkness and storms of today’s culture. 

For Reflection:

1.  In the Old Testament, Israel was to be a beacon of light to their surrounding world.  What happened?

2.  What are the spiritual practices for keeping our lens clean?

3.  Reflect on the difference between a dirty lens and a cracked lens?

One of the unique contributions of sight is our ability to discern between light and dark.  Light, or more accurately light rays, is a substance, but darkness is not.  Darkness is merely the absence of light.  We can go to Lowes and buy a light bulb but not a “dark” bulb.

To see, we need four things:  light source, light, reflective object, and light receiver/sensor

The theme of light and darkness permeates Scripture.  The Bible claims that God not only gives light, but He is the source of light.   The Old Testament Scripture portrays God as light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).  But with the incarnation, we have both a new light and a new light source. John’s gospel introduces Jesus as the light of the world and in his epistle as the source of light. 

Light is needed because man’s natural condition is darkness.  We have been born into Satan’s kingdom of darkness, and without redemption, that is where we will die.  The gospel claims that a transfer can take place, a transfer from the kingdom of darkness controlled by Satan to the kingdom of light controlled by Christ.

Paul describes his whole mission in the context of light.  On the road to Damascus, God said to him, “I am sending you to the Gentiles…to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts26:18).  So it should not be surprising that later Paul wrote to the new believers in Colossae, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13). 

Man’s superficial problem is the rejection of God’s light.  The root problem is the rejection of God as the light source.  In the Garden of Eden, God’s only prohibition was to not eat of the tree of “knowledge of good and evil.”  This tree represents more than just a moral code of good vs. evil.  The terms “good and evil” are broad. “Good” can mean gracious, pleasant, prosperous, benefit, welfare. “Evil” can mean harm, adversity, ruin, trouble, unpleasant, calamity, wicked, as well as disaster.  God used the same word “good” when he comments on creation, saying that it was “good.”  It was not just a moral evaluation, but a statement of beauty, benevolence, perfection, and delight.

We get a clearer picture of the phrase “good and evil” from the prayer of Solomon as he assumes the kingship of Israel from his father, David.  “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil (emphasis mine). For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”  (1 Kings 3:9)?  At this point, Solomon recognized that God is the ultimate source for discernment to judge, guide, and govern wisely.  His humility caused him to depend on a light source outside of his abilities, and God was pleased.

Returning to Adam and the tree of “knowledge of good and evil,” we must not assume it merely represents obedience vs. disobedience or good vs. evil.  Adam did choose to disobey God, but he did much more than that.  The knowledge of “good” represents discernment, judgment, and perspective of not only what is righteous, but what is beautiful, proper, and beneficial. Satan’s temptation was for Adam and Eve to have the final say in what is good and evil and thus become their own source of light and “be like God.”  Herein lies the significance. Adam’s decision (and ours) is to replace God as our light source and become our own light source.  It was not just a rebellion against the light but the light source. 

God designed man to depend on God for knowing what is right, real, righteous, and useful.  To have the final say as to what is good and what is evil is God’s role.  When humanity took on that role for himself, darkness resulted.  Rejecting the true light, he became trapped in the kingdom of darkness without hope. 

Replacing our light source is rebellion against God and is clearly illustrated throughout history.  European history during the 17^th and 18^th centuries is referred to as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason.  It was a time when leading thinkers reacted to a culture dominated by the authority of God, church, Scripture, and tradition.  They sought to replace religion with a better “light source.”  They claimed that reason alone could discern what was true, good, and beneficial without the encumbrance of the superstitions and narrowness of the European form of Christianity and the church.

The intent was not to plunge the world into moral decay and decadence but to replace the light source with reason.  Most historians would say that the Enlightenment period ended at the time of the French Revolution.  The Age of Reason had not produced the light that it promised, leading to embracing a new light source historians call the Romantic Age, based on imagination, emotions, and passion.  History is a constant testimony to the various sources of light that man has experimented with to overcome his darkness:  wisdom, religion, tradition, reason, emotion, public opinion, etc.

In the Old Testament, God chose the nation of Israel to demonstrate that He was both light and the light source.  But history reveals that Israel went through cycles of first rejecting the light (disobeying the laws of God) and eventually rejecting the light source (God Himself).  When Israel asked Samuel for a physical king, God tells Samuel, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

If we are to see with our spiritual eyes, we need the right light source.  As the sun is the source of the light waves giving us the ability to see our natural world, so God is our source of light for the spiritual dimension – our source for truth, goodness, perspective, wisdom, as well as morality.

For Reflection

1.  Where in our culture have you seen not only the rejection of the light but of the light source?

2.  In what ways can we reject God as our light source?

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (Eph. 1:18) 

Each of our five senses adds a unique contribution to our ability to gain knowledge.  Sight’s contribution includes:  color, shape, size, dimension, light, and distance.  Obviously, without sight our perception of reality would be greatly diminished.  The same is true with our spiritual sight.  That is why a reoccurring theme in the Old Testament is “Lift up your eyes and see”.  

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name” (Isa. 40:26). 

Jesus refers to this Old Testament theme when He said that He came to heal the disease of spiritual blindness caused by our rebellion.  We are all born into the kingdom of darkness resulting in spiritual eyes that need the healing touch of the Great Physician. 

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free” (Luke 4:18).

Paul continues the theme:

“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4 NIV).

In our last blog we looked at the spiritual harvest in the city of Sychar in Samaria.  When Jesus explained the significance of that encounter, He said to His disciples:   

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35).

Using spiritual eyes Jesus wanted them to see more than a disreputable woman and a group of ethnic Samaritans.  He wanted them to see what He saw … a spiritual harvest.  In other words, Jesus chose to go through Samaria not just for the sake of the woman at the well but for the spiritual harvest in Sycar.  He wanted the disciples to see what He saw: reality beyond the obvious.  They needed their spiritual eyes to see what was true but not obvious with natural eyes.

Paul prayed for the Ephesians, “… that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…” your hope, the rich inheritance, and His great power working in you (Eph. 1:18).  We cannot understand or experience those three concepts unless the eyes of our hearts have been refocused.  Notice, Paul didn’t assume spiritual sight was automatic. It is something that needs divine assistance.

Our spiritual sight is not the same as dreams and visions as recorded in Scripture.  God used them at times, but they were not normative.  What is normative is the need for us to “fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” which is the only way we can see what He sees (Heb. 12: 1-2).  The need for spiritual vision, the lifting up of our eyes to see, is imperative for every Christian if we are to live as apprentices of Jesus.

Elisha gives us an Old Testament example of the power of seeing what was real though invisible.  Elisha is staying in the city of Dotham when it is surrounded by the armies of the King of Aram seeking Elisha’s life.  Elisha’s servant, in panic mode, warns Elisha about this threat.  When Elisha appears unconcerned, the servant wonders if his master is losing his (natural) eye sight.  But Elisha’s calmness was not the result of what he didn’t see but of what he did see.

Then Elisha prays, “’O Lord, open his eyes that he may see.’  Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).  

Too often like the servant of Elisha, we fail to grasp spiritual reality, limiting our understanding to our physical senses, basing our view of reality on what we are told by the media, others, and even our own experiences.  Sometimes we fail to see the spiritual warfare that is opposing us and neglect the armor needed to stand firm.  At other times we fail to see all the spiritual resources God has made available to us and choose to live as impoverished sons and daughters of the King.  That is why Paul gave the Corinthians this reminder, “So we fix our minds not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen (invisible but real, …known only with spiritual eyes) is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).    

When Samuel was sent to the household of Jesse to identify God’s choice of a new king to replace Saul, he was reminded of the limitations of natural eyes.  Samuel saw the older sons and was impressed.  As he worked his way down from the oldest to the youngest, Samuel would have selected any one of them.  They all had good resumes. 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1Sam. 16:7). 

King Saul was the result of looking at the outward appearance.  Now God selected a king based on the heart.  Eventually as Samuel listened with his spiritual ears to the voice of God, he selected David.   

So how do we lift up the eyes of our hearts to see more?  As disciplemakers, how do we help others increase the scope of their vision?  The following questions give us possibilities.

Lift up our eyes

• Where has God been?  Remember His works.

We need to remember God’s story line.  Scripture gives us examples of the visible meeting the invisible in biblical history.  History also tells the stories of men and women who through faith saw what others failed to see. 

• Where is God going?  Review His promises.

Reviewing God’s promises in Scripture can lift our eyes to the real but not yet.  It is like reading the final chapters of the story before we get there.  Knowing how the story ends helps us see more clearly in the present.

• Where is God now?  Reflect on Christ’s current role as ascended mediator, High Priest, and crowned King.  The book of Hebrews is a good place to start.

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. (St Augustine)

How is it that we can know anything?  Everything in our physical world is discovered via our sensory systems.

We are in a series called “Making Sense of Our Senses”.  In the last blog we discussed the five sensory systems used to experience reality both physically and spiritually.  When any one of them is underdeveloped or impaired, we lose our capacity to experience reality.  As with our physical senses, our spiritual senses need training and use if we are to live the Spirit controlled life God designed for us.

All of our five senses are linked together through our nervous system which is a complex structure that coordinates sensory information with our actions.  The nervous system permeates the entire body; it is hidden but essential. 

Faith in the life of a disciple functions much like the nervous system.  It is hidden, working behind the scenes to coordinate sensory input and actions.  Our spiritual life cannot function without it.  It is the part of our spiritual anatomy that links everything together.

The writer of Hebrews summarized its importance when he said, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). 

Notice he is not saying that it is our faith that pleases God (although that would be true), he is saying that without faith we have no chance of pleasing God or even coming to Him.  Faith is a prerequisite for the spiritual senses to function in real life.  The examples of the men and women of faith written about in Hebrews 11, illustrates making decisions based on belief in something real but intangible.

Because faith functions like a spiritual nervous system in the life of a disciple, it merits some focused attention before exploring each of the spiritual senses individually. 

•   At its basic level, faith is believing in something we have not personally observed but still accept as true on the bases of the testimony of a trusted authority.  For example:

• We have faith in the records of historians regarding a past event or person.
• We have faith in the doctor’s assessment of our medical condition.
• We have faith in the scientist who claims the cosmos is expanding.
• We have faith in the teaching of a pastor or theologian regarding Christian doctrine.
• We have faith in the teaching of biblical authors who say that Jesus is the revelation of God.

When you think about it, much of what we believe can be attributed to faith.  In reality, we have very little firsthand knowledge of even the simple things in life … ones we take for granted.

Everyone lives by faith…even scientists

Faith is not just for religious people.  Everyone lives by the principle of faith.  Frequently secular voices try to demean and discredit religious people of faith by implying that Christians live in a fantasy world of faith whereas they live in a factual world.

However, no scientist has observed a black hole, yet it is almost a given in the scientific world that they exist.  Albert Einstein first predicted their existence back in 1916 with his general theory of relativity.  The term “black hole” was coined years later (1967) by the American astronomer John Wheeler. So how do we know that black holes exist?

Scientists can’t directly observe black holes with telescopes that detect x-rays, light, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. We can, however, infer the presence of black holes and study them by detecting their effect on other matter nearby (science.nasa.gov).

Both black holes and dark matter are known by “inference” not direct observation.  The same is true for the spiritual dimension of faith.  Our faith is not based on fantasy or optimism but on inference from reliable documents. 

What we see depends on the lens we use.

The Hubble telescope just celebrated its 30^th year of service.  Pictures during that time have greatly expanded our knowledge of our expanding universe.  However, Hubble is primarily a visible light telescope which limits its ability to see into deep space through the clouds and gases present in the cosmos.  Currently scientists are super excited about the Webb telescope (scheduled to launch in 2021) that will be able to penetrate through this material by using a large infrared lens, revealing what has been there all along but hidden. 

Faith does not create reality but reveals it.  Though physically unseen the spiritual dimension is real.  Exploring the spiritual world by faith is like looking at the cosmos through an infrared telescope.  We see what has always been there but unknown when using only our physical sensory system. 

Spiritual faith “believes in order to see” verses “sees in order to believe”.

The apostle Thomas said he refused to believe in the resurrection unless he could actually see and touch the scars on Jesus’ body.  In other words, he insisted that he must “see in order to believe”.  A few days later Jesus accommodates him with a personal appearance in which Thomas physically touches Him and then declares his belief.  However, Jesus then identifies another pathway to knowing reality:  “Blessed are those who believe without (physically) seeing Me” (John 20:21).

An earlier example of belief leading to sight is the story of the people at Sychar in Samaria.  Jesus has an encounter with a woman from that village near a well (John 4).  When the woman returned to her village and reported her experience with Jesus, many of the Samaritans believed because of her testimony (faith).  Fueled by their initial faith, they went out to see Jesus personally.  Then they said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).  Their initial faith led to their own encounter with Jesus and increased clarity.

Faith is our means for perceiving spiritual reality; it is the nervous system that allows our spiritual senses to discern what is real though invisible.  Our faith must be implemented and our spiritual senses developed if we are to discover life in the dimension of the kingdom of God. 

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

For Reflection

1.  Think of examples of when your belief has led to greater sight.

2.  Why are we so resistant to living by faith?

Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people (Jeremiah 5:12)

Every day we experience our physical world through our five senses.  What we know of our natural world is dependent on how well these senses function.  Although they usually function automatically from birth, our senses go through a process of development as we mature.  They also complement each other, by detecting a unique part of our natural world. 

Our senses don’t create reality; they simply perceive it.  They perform like a window through which we can experience our world in different dimensions.  Amazing as they are, our sensory system is limited.  There is more in our physical world than our five senses can perceive without assistance.  

Throughout history men and women have imagined the reality of this invisible world and then proceeded to develop different aids by which to “see” it.  On the micro level, for example, viruses were suspected even in the 19th Century, but it wasn’t until the invention of the electron microscope (1930s) that viruses were made visible. 

At the macro level, until fairly recently, the only lens we used to look at the cosmos was some form of a visible light telescope.  But with the development of infrared lenses, we can now see what has always been there but hidden. 

The Bible tells us about a spiritual reality that is real but hidden from our natural senses.  Our inability to “see” it doesn’t mean it is not there.  Scripture teaches that there are spiritual realities that require spiritual receivers/sensors to perceive them.  Amazingly, our spiritual sensory system resembles our natural one.

The inner man can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.   This is what Jesus meant when He said of the people: “They seeing see not, and hearing they hear not” (Matt.13:13). The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. The eyes of the heart must be opened by the Spirit of God  (Warren Wiersbe commentary on Ephesians).

Without a spiritual sensory system, there is a part of reality that remains a mystery.  Greek philosophers referred to the non-bodily essence of God, for example, as not just invisible but “nonsensible”: not perceived by our natural five senses.  And although intangible, the essence of God is intelligible through the “eyes of the soul”.

Part of our spiritual birthright is a new sensory system that must be developed if we are to benefit from it. We know that our natural senses can be developed with practice and training.  When we so choose we can develop a greater acuity in any one of the five senses.  In my military infantry training we spent hours practicing detection of hidden things in the landscape.  Initially most of us missed seeing what later became fairly obvious.  We had to learn to pick up subtle clues that enhanced our ability to see.

Likewise, we must learn to use, rely on, and develop our spiritual sensory system.  Scripture refers to spiritually seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and even smelling.  When our spiritual senses are developed, they allow us to perceive what is hidden or unknown but nevertheless real. 

The writer of Hebrews rebukes his audience for their immaturity caused by their defective spiritual sensory system.

Concerning him (ascended Jesus) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant…. (Heb. 5:11-13).

Evidently, the Hebrew audience had digressed in their spiritual capacity to hear, resulting in being spiritually dull or deaf.  They were still spiritual infants needing a liquid diet of milk rather than a solid diet of meat.

He then goes on to say that, “…solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Heb. 514).  There are several reasons we could list for spiritual immaturity, but evidently a defective sensory system is one of them.  Conversely, a developed spiritual sensory system that sees, hears, tastes, and touches, is key to our development and maturity.

It is difficult to imagine physical maturity without a healthy sensory system allowing us to perceive and interact with our environment.  The same is true spiritually.  Discipleship involves the process of developing our spiritual senses so we can experience this real but “nonsensible” reality.  Correspondingly, disciple making is helping others develop their spiritual senses so that they are equipped to grow towards maturity.

Although the prophet Eli in the Old Testament, had become dull of hearing the voice of God, he was able to help young Samuel detect and respond to God’s voice.  Perhaps teaching Samuel to hear the voice of God was Eli’s greatest contribution in preparing Samuel to become a leader of Israel and a mighty man of faith.

In the following series I want to explore our spiritual senses both as disciples and disciplemakers.  Fulfilling the great commission of making disciples is more than passing on biblical truth, it is training others to develop spiritual sensory acuity. 

For Reflection:

1.  How are our senses both unique and complementary?

2.  What are some ways we can develop sensory (spiritual and physical) acuity?

Recently I was sitting on our deck as a thunderstorm passed through Kansas City.  First the sky darkened followed by a gentle rain followed by gusting winds and heavier rain.  As I observed the trees in our backyard that had only recently leafed out, I saw in nature what I see in our culture.  The storms and winds of secularism, materialism, and relativism are blowing into our lives with increasing intensity.

Living as an exile in Babylon requires the wisdom of controlled flexibility.

Like God’s people in the Old Testament we find ourselves living as exiles in a Babylonian culture.  We are no longer living in a Jerusalem culture which is friendly to our values, beliefs, and practices.  The God followers of antiquity whether they were Jews living in a Hellenistic/Roman dominated world or early Gentile Christians living in a religiously pagan Roman Empire, faced a similar conundrum:  how to follow God and live in but not of the dominate culture.

Various groups at the time of Christ took different approaches:

• Sadducees:  Sought accommodation by compromising
• Pharisees:  Sought separation by criticizing
• Zealots:  Sought liberation by confronting
• Essenes:  Sought isolation by cocooning

What was beautiful about the trees in the storm was the way the branches would flex without breaking.  They would give way a little but always return to their original place.  Bend but not break.  In fact flexibility was a sign of health.  It was the dried up, brittle branches that broke and ended up on the ground.  How then do we bend but not capitulate, stand up without breaking, give way without giving in?

To live an effective counter-cultural life there is one thing more important than being right…being right with compassion.  Maybe there are times when we even give up the right of way.  Consider you are driving your car at an intersection when the light turns green.  You now have the right to proceed.  But you notice a car approaching from your left that is not slowing down.  Will it stop or not?  You are not sure, although you do have the right away legally, is this the time to demand your rights?

Paul when modeling for the Corinthians how to live counter-culturally, said that there were times when he gave up his rights for the sake of the gospel.  Paul demonstrated bending in 1 Corinthians 9.

                “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

                …I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”

Daniel and his three friends give us another example of healthy trees growing strong in the storms of life.  They had the wisdom to negotiate regarding the king’s food but were uncompromising regarding the king’s edict to worship the image.  Daniel contributed to his culture but never lost his convictions.  He and his friends had the courage to stand in a fire or in a lion’s den when no other option was available.  They were convinced that God could deliver through or out of danger.  They had the “but if not” spirit which gave them controlled flexibility and an exceptional legacy.

Jesus gives a different model of counter-cultural living.  He didn’t fit into any of the four models listed earlier.  In some ways he was unpredictable.  When his disciples thought He would be inflexible, he would bend.  When they expected Him to isolate, He would embrace.  When they thought He would fight, he surrendered.  When they expected Him to condemn, He would accept.  He was nothing like what they expected, ….confusing at times but always effective. 

The current storms of gender confusion, conspicuous consumption, civil incivility, and selective intolerance will test our controlled flexibility.  The way to bend yet remain strong will demand a vibrant consistent walk with Christ in the power of His Holy Spirit.  As the landscape changes and we face new storms, we will need fresh manna from God and ears to discern the voice of the Shepherd as He says, “This is the way, walk in it.”   To “wait upon the Lord” is not passive or effortless.  It requires focused intentionality to stay daily in communication with the Christ who is never surprised, threatened, or confused by the storms. 

For Reflection

1.  What are some other examples from Scripture of controlled flexibility?

2.  What is a current example in your life where you need to apply the principle of controlled flexibility?

Our new identity in Christ as reconciled, adopted, and naturalized, is a reality that we will not come up with on our own but only by the revelation of Scripture.  It is challenging to understand and embrace that identity and allow it to transform our worldview concerning who we are in Christ and how to live in His kingdom.  In fact, I have discovered that changing my identity to align with Scripture is not easy or a onetime event.  It takes constant reflection and exercising my faith for these truths to change my heartfelt understanding of who I am and the world I live in.

A quick summary before we go on may help keep the big picture in mind.

God’s work                   God’s Role         Result/focus                 Identity  

Reconciliation               Redeemer                          New Relationship            Saint

Adoption                           Father                                 New Family                        Heir

Naturalization                King                                     New Country                     Citizen

The third part of our spiritual spinal column is “naturalization”:  the legal acceptance into a new country and the establishment of citizenship.  Like our new spiritual family, our new spiritual citizenship is exclusive.  When we are issued our new passport, we must relinquish our old one because there is no dual citizenship in God’s kingdom.  Paul tells us that “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).  An aspect of repentance is to change our allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to embracing a new kingdom with a new passport.  The implication is that we are now permanent residents not temporary tourists like those with a visa.    

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household (heirs)” (Eph. 2:19). 

“Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).

There are two aspects to our new citizenship.  One is our relationship to our new country and the second is the changed relationship to our old country.  As citizens of a heavenly kingdom we now live as exiles, strangers and pilgrims in our current “Babylonian world”.   The challenge comes because we are much more comfortable in Babylon than in our new country.  It is what we are accustomed to.  Every generation of believers has faced this challenge since Jesus rose from the grave. 

In this blog I want to explore the implications of our new citizenship and then refer you to previous blogs that discussed the challenge of living as exiles. 

Most of us have not changed our geographic country of residence so our picture of naturalization is limited.  In Paul’s day, citizenship was a major issue.  Rome as the dominant world power had a clear distinction of who was and who was not a citizen of Rome.  Just because a people group was conquered by Rome didn’t automatically mean they became citizens.  Paul was a unique person being both a Jew and a Roman citizen.  His Roman citizenship provided privileges others did not have. 

Consider some of the implications of our new citizenship in the Lord’s kingdom.

• New Government/Authority:  Christ is King of his kingdom.  In our old country He could be disrespected or just ignored but no longer.  He is the honored head of State, the ultimate authority, the benevolent monarch.  Though currently invisible to most, His reign is still very real.  One day it will become visible to all.

• New Covenant/Constitution:   As citizens of His kingdom we have a new and better covenant.  The Old Testament covenant based on law has been replaced by the new covenant based on the completed work of Christ.   He is now our mediator with the Father. 

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises”  (Heb. 8:6; 13)

• New Residency:  We who were once homeless have now been given a permanent new home.  This is difficult to comprehend because this world is the only home we have ever known.  This change of home address is one reason Paul said we should set our minds on things above…”for we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” 

• New Currency:  Merit is the currency of our old country, but in our new country merit is like trying to use Monopoly money.  It is not even a close counterfeit.  When we changed countries, all our merit became piles of “funny money”.  It is worthless.  Faith is the new currency (Heb. 11:6).

• New Freedom:  In our old country we were slaves under a cruel regime.  It just became so natural we didn’t realize the oppression of sin and what freedom could be, but now we experience the freedom a relationship of grace brings.  It will take intentionality to unlearn old habits and ways of thinking in order to adjust to this new freedom (Gal 5:1).

• New legal system:  We still have an accuser, but now we have a new legal defense team.   The One who was in all points tempted as we are is now the one who stands in our defense.  He has never lost a case!

 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).    

• New Portfolio:  In the bank of heaven we have an eternal IRA with our name on it.  It is secure, non-depreciating, always paying dividends.  It doesn’t fluctuate with current events but is based on the outcome that has already been announced.  It is simply being played out according to plan (Matt. 6:19-20).

• New Protection:  No longer do we need to walk in fear or uncertainty.  The armor of God is ours to put on.  It will equip us to walk in victory and enable us to stand against the rulers of the kingdom of darkness (Eph. 6:10+).

• New Role:  As citizens of a new country our relationship with this world has changed.  It is no longer our home, but we still live in it and have been given a mission to be ambassadors representing our new country.  Our role is not to just survive or pass away the time, but to make a distinct difference in our current culture.

You can read more about how to live as an exile in this Babylonian world in TAD Blog #55.

For Reflection:

1.  What are other implications of our citizenship now being in heaven?

2.  How does the term “exile” help us know how to live life now?