Velvet Elvis

You guys, I am reading the coolest book and today I read one of the best chapters I've read out of any book ALL YEAR. I couldn't take the chance that you all might not know this story so I'm going to paraphrase and condense it down but let me just say that there are parts here that are straight from the book - so sue me for plagerism but I have to share this stuff with you and its a bit long to quote the whole thing. For those of you that DO already know the story, well, just be happy for my revelation. Because ladies, it WAS a revelation...

The book is called "Velvet Elvis" and is written by Pastor Rob Bell. (There's a link to it on my MWG blog if you're interested in checking it out.) In Chapter five, Mr. Bell talks about what it was like to grow up a Jewish boy in Jesus' time. The entire chapter is background information that, although I knew little pieces of, never knew the whole story. Here goes...

The Jewish people of Galilee believed the God Himself had talked to one of their people, Moses, back in the time after He had freed them from slavery in Egypt and were traveling in the wilderness south of Israel. From God, Moses received the first five books of what is now the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These are the 5 books that make up the Torah.

The central passion of the people of Jesus' world was teaching, living and obeying the Torah. At that time, the rabbis decided that the youngest one could teach a child the Torah was six. From six upwards they agreed to take all children into their tutelage and stuff him like an ox (with the Torah.)

The first level of education was called Bet Sefer (which means "House of the Book") and lasted until a child was 10 years old. They not only learned the Torah, they memorized it. (Remember, back then, there might only have been one copy of the Torah per area so you couldn't take your copy home and read it.)

So, Jews, by the age of ten, had memorized Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy - an incredible feat by our standards, wouldn't you say?

Rabbis were the best of the best - they taught the Torah to the next generation because they were the smartest students of their generation. By age 10, students had begun to sort themselves out. Some would demonstrate natural abilities towards the Scriptures and they would go on to the next level of education called Bet Talumed ("House of Learning) where they would study until around age 14. Students that didn't continue to learn the Torah went back to work for their parents learning the family business. For the ones that stayed, they went on to memorize the entire Bible - Genesis through Malachi. (Can you IMAGINE???)

It was at this level that they also learned the art of questioning and the oral tradition of the text. Since people had been discussing the text for years, you had the verses that you'd memorized but then you'd also have memorized everything everyone had ever said about each verse. The rabbis would ask the student a question and not expect an answer but another question - to prove that not only did the child understand but that he could take it to the next level.

Now, let's go the part in the Bible where Mary and Joseph find Jesus sitting in the temple - he was around the age of 12. The text says, "They found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers." (See, they were already realizing Jesus was going to be one of the special students because of the questions He was asking.)

Now, at the age of 14-15, only the best of the best were still studying. Those still studying would now begin to choose a rabbi to work with - to be their disciple (talmadim) - and it wasn't just to learn what the rabbi knew but to learn how to be what the rabbi was. This part of the education was called Bet Midrash ("House of Study").

When a student approached a rabbi to ask to study with him he was asking to take on that rabbis yoke. His "yoke" was what that rabbi allowed and disallowed (binding and loosing) ao it was how he, personally, interpreted the Bible. Basically, a student was saying, "I believe yours is the correct version of God's laws and I want to follow and learn from you."

The rabbi would then question the student about many things and either accept the child as a talmidim or tell him to return to his family and learn their business. The rabbis did not have time to train a child that could not make it through the rest of this process. The student would then probably leave their family and take up with the rabbi, traveling wherever he did. He literally followed the rabbi everywhere, learning how and why he applied the laws of God the way he did.

The disciples were told to "cover their feet with the dust of their rabbi" meaning follow so closely that his dust from his walking landed on your shoes.

Now, at the age of 30, the age that a rabbi would generally take on students to begin doing their own training, we find Jesus walking along the sea of Galilee. He sees two brothers, Simon and Peter, fishermen. Why are they fishermen? Because they've already been sent back to their parents to learn the business. They weren't good enough to be the other rabbis disciples. (I LOVE THIS PART!) Jesus, as we know, took the not-good-enoughs. Then it says, "At once, they left their nets and followed him."

Ever wonder why they did that? (I always did. I assumed it was because they saw something in his eyes that led them to believe he was the real Messiah.) They left everything because this was their big chance to be vindicated for being turned down by the other rabbis!!! When Jesus said, "Come follow me" that was the exact phrase a rabbi would tell a student who had passed his exams and was being allowed to come and study with him. No WONDER they all dropped their nets! A rabbi had just told them "You can be like me" after all others had turned them down.

And on Jesus went, collecting the ones that had not been "good enough" to learn from the other rabbis. As disciples, they would follow their rabbi everywhere, no matter what. This was their second and last chance to be one of the highest thought of men in their communities - of course they jumped at it! This also explains why these men that we often think of as not being exactly "cream of the crop" hung in there throughout this entire ministry - there was not going to be a third chance...this was IT.

Okay, now comes the story of walking on water...

If you are a disciple, you have committed your entire life to being like your rabbi. If you see him walk on water, then that's what you want to learn to do. Peter sees Jesus walking out to the boat and jumps at the chance to learn what Jesus knows how to do and asks if he can also walk on the water. Of course, as we know, he starts to sink. Jesus yells, "Oh ye of little faith." But its not faith in Jesus, his rabbi, he's doubting - it's himself. Peter loses faith that he is good enough to do what his rabbi is doing.

Now, when a rabbi calls you to be his disciple, he believes you can actually be like him. (Remember how the others didn't want to waste the time training students who couldn't make it to the bitter end?) And what is it that frustrates Jesus to no end? It's when His disciples fail themselves. At one point he even tells them, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." This is because it was backwards from how it was normally done. The entire rabbinical system was based on the rabbi having faith in his disciples.

And why does Jesus keep getting mad at them? Is it because he chose the wrong ones and now realizes the mistake? No...it is because he KNOWS they can do this but they (having already been turned down once before) are not sure THEY are really capable.

(The rest of this I am quoting straight from the book because you have to read it word for word...)
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So at the end of his time with his disciples, Jesus has some final words for them. He tells them to go to the ends of the earth and make more disciples. And then he leaves. He promises to send his Spirit to guide them and give them power, but Jesus himself leaves the future of the movement in their hands. And he doesn't stick around to make sure they don't screw it up. He's gone. He trusts that they can actually do it.

God has an incredibly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things.

I have been told that I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that Jesus believes in me.

I have been told that I need to have faith in God. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that God has faith in me.

The rabbi thinks we can be like him.

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Now how's THAT for a little Sunday afternoon reading? So totally cool!!!