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Monday, March 31, 2008

Rabbi, in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’, or more literally, ‘my great one’, when addressing any master. The word Rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’, used in many senses, including the sense of a ‘master’ and apprentice, whence someone who is a distinguished ‘teacher’.--Wikipedia

In the new testament one of the names that Jesus is called more than any other is Rabbi. His disciples and those he came into contact with often referred to him by this traditional Hebrew name. Why? Because Jesus was the great teacher. Not a great teacher, but the greatest teacher. Jesus brought to man knowledge of who God is, he brought understanding of what God wanted, and he introduced us to what it meant to truly follow God's commands.

Jesus took complex ideas and placed them into stories that made them understandable to those who really came seeking God. Yet, these same stories were often cryptic enough that those who sought their own glory could not understand. To them that have ears, let them hear.

Jesus was able to teach crowds in the thousands, yet make his message real, genuine, and personal to everyone that gathered around. He was able to meet one on one with the scholars and religious leaders of the day and never once was he stumped or left at a loss for words. Jesus was the fount of knowledge.

Yet even before Jesus came to Earth, God was already proving to be a teacher. Look to his contact with Moses: Exodus 4:12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." On Mount Sinai, when Moses found God in the form of a burning bush, God met Moses' attempts to say that he was unworthy and ill prepared to represent the Lord by telling him that he would teach Moses what he needed to know and say.

David wrote in Psalm 25:4-5, 9
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long....He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Now in this period where Jesus is absent in the body we are left with his Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. Luke 12: 11-13 11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In Mark 10:14 we are told, "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." God wants us to make ourselves like little children. Why does he wish for us to be like children? Perhaps one reason is that little children don't have as many preconceived ideas about how things are. They are teachable and when we tell them a truth they take it for what it is and believe it.

God has provided our teacher, he has given us a text book, the only thing that he requires of us is out time and attention. God is not a truancy officer, he will not hunt us down and force us to spend time with him in his word, but we benefit greatly in all aspects of our lives when we do.