I heard Jose Rojas speak this morning about discipleship. He spoke how back in the day Rabbi's would choose from their schools someone that they would teach to be just like them. This school would teach children to memorize the first 5 books of the Bible, SERIOUS YO! The first time the students met the Rabbi he would place a container full of honey in front of the class, he would walk around the class and let the children dip a finger into the honey and pull it out. Now honey was the only real sweet thing around and usually was only possessed by the rich, so when children would start their school with the rabbi it may have been the first time they had tasted/seen honey. After the class would have the honey dripping down their hands the teacher would have them suck it off while he said 'may the word be as sweet to me as this honey'. How amazing?! I remember memorizing verses from the bible when i was young, and many i remember, but as i got older the memorization of the word became less encouraged and prioritized in my education.
These days i'm getting back into it, especially promises that are given to us in the word. They have become a safeguard and encouragement to me. One that has been powerful to me is this short one in James 4:8 "Therefore submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you". This has gotten me out of dwelling on my mistakes and current thoughts, it always helps. I find it ridiculous how much i have put to memory over knowing the word, i know the words to the most obscure songs, songs that i don't even like! As well as lines from favorite movies/and the Office...If i could have the same memory of the scripture as these silly meaningless things i know my life would be transformed and lived more fully, so i'm startin'!
When the Rabbi would choose a studend he would say "Come, Follow Me", and the son would leave his home the next day and go place to place and learn everything from the Rabbi. On his way out the mother would say a blessing "may you be covered in the dust of the Rabbi" The beauty of following Jesus is the same, "Come, Follow Me", you can only be covered in dust if you are walking behind the one making the dust kick up, so in a way, lets get dirty!
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2 comments:
oh man, that's so good for me to hear. memorizing scripture can be such a solidifying thing for one's faith. i just forget to take the time to do it. i feel encouraged to start again.
HURRAH!Especially when you consider the Word being alive, its makes memorizing so much more real, it takes the 'from your heart will flow rivers of life' more vividly as well, drinking the word to live more fully, yummy yum yum!
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