Ordinary Time

Pause

“Where you go, I'll go; Where you stay, I'll stay; When you move, I'll move; I will follow you. Who you love, I'll love; How you serve, I'll serve; If this life I lose, I will follow you.”

Chris Tomlin

This is the essence of what it means to be a disciple. Disciples are students; they follow their teacher and their teacher’s teaching.

In a culture where independence is prized above all else, it’s easy to believe that being a follower is a bad thing. Truthfully? It all depends on who you choose to follow.

Listen

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

Matthew 23:1-3

Think

It seems like every week brings news of another fall from grace, someone who messed up big time and got caught, someone whose actions didn’t match up with their words, like a preacher who had an affair, an accountant caught embezzling money, or a police officer who abused their power and broke the law.

Jesus had a lot to say about those kinds of folks. He teaches his disciples to live an authentic life, to practice what they preach. He wants his disciples to seek out teachers who do the same, whose words and actions match up.

We all know those people who say one thing and do another. Don’t spend your time on them, trying to understand what they really are about. Instead, seek out authentic people, and do your best to be authentic as well, following Jesus’ example of letting your actions speak just as loud as your words.

Katie Day

Pray

Jesus, thank you for being honest and open, and for letting me see who you are by your words and your actions. Give me the courage and the strength to be consistent as well, and surround me with people who are trying to do the same. Amen.

Go

An ancient Jewish saying goes like this:

“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

It was meant as encouragement to be a good disciple: follow your rabbi, your teacher, so closely that you get dusty from the dirt he kicks up as he walks. Follow not only what he teaches but also where he goes and what he does.

May you, today, respond to God’s call to follow.

May you be covered in the dust of the Rabbi.