The Power of Small Words

Several weeks have gone by and to my 1 reader, I apologize :)  Each day we are bombarded with words.  So many, busy, moving, pointless words.  Life rambles constantly while wisdom whispers a few small things.  If your not paying attention, you'll miss them.  Its like the quiet kid in the back of the class that never says anything, but one day he mutters a few words and the otherwise noisy class goes stone still.  "Did. . . .did you just say something?!?"  Everyone gathers around in hopes of an encore sentence.  Some interested in what he said, most just wondering what his voice even sounds like.  

I find myself getting easily frustrated with people who like to use 400 words when 12 will do.  (Does that make me a hypocrite if I continue blogging??)  Anyway . . .

Matthew 4:19.  Jesus sees Simon Peter and Andrew casting nets.  He calls out, "Follow me."  Immediately they dropped their nets and followed him.  Let's stop here.  Wouldn't our culture find this reaction abrupt akin to a knee-jerk reaction?  What about they're responsibilities?  They can't just leave their nets there?  What about they're families?  

The Old Testament Jewish education system looked slightly different than ours.  Children began school around 7-8 years old.  Their first 2 years consisted of memorizing the first 5 books of the Law (Genesis thru Deuteronomy).  That's it.  That was their day.  What a fun curriculum for a 2nd grader!  At the end of the 2 years, the top half of the class were promoted to the next level while those who were on the lower half, were sent home to pursue other careers, often plugging right back into the family business (fishing, farm, mill, workshop).  This is why when Jesus spoke He often referred to passages in Deuteronomy - all of the Jewish people hearing him had memorized it through verbal repetition because there weren't many copies of the Torah to go around, thus him saying, "You have heard it said. . .".  

As the advancing students started level 2 more of the Old Testament was now memorized.  Again, the top half would be promoted, while the lower half sent home.  When it came time for the oldest students to "graduate" they would have had several discussions and lessons from the best teachers.  Instead of handing them a diploma, awarding their accomplishments, the teacher (or Rabbi) would extend an invitation of two words to a particular student whom he wanted to have literally go with him everywhere to learn and discuss in a Master-apprentice type relationship.  Those two words were, "Follow me."  This was the greatest honor for any Jewish boy.  It was an all-expense-paid, intense opportunity under a Rabbi that you shared mutual respect and admiration for, to prepare you for your ministry soon to come.

As Jesus approached Peter and Andrew, He approaches two men who were most likely sent fishing a long time before.  They had come to accept that this was the best life would be until their time on earth was over.  Then they hear a voice from the shore.  "Follow Me."  No squinting to see him better.  No looking at each other to clarify or ask if the other heard the same thing.  Immediate response.  

How many times in my walk with the greatest Teacher is my response more like Gideon and his fleece rather than like two smelly, discarded fishermen?