Discipleship Then and Now

In recent years I have discovered an affinity with the Jewish way of engaging with scripture, or Midrash. The work of scholars and writers such as Amy-Jill Levine and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, alongside explorations of Christian faith through Jewish practices, such as those conducted by Rachel Held Evans and Rev. Will Gaffney, have brought richness of colour into the tapestry of my own faith. I find much in their approach which directly soothes the spiritual wounds of evangelicalism, which is based on the foundation of one absolute truth and questioning is B.A.D. In my understanding (and apologies if my explanations are crude), Midrash presents multiple possible interpretations or ways of engaging with a text. Doing midrash is to bounce these ideas and possibilities off each other, testing theories and exegesis before agreeing (or not!) the most likely outcome. I yearn for more of this in my own cradle faith.

I was struck this week by a concept which arose in 'The Difficult Words of Jesus: Wrestling with the hard sayings and perplexing teaching' by Amy-Jill Levine (2022). Talking about the role of a teacher, or Rabbi, in the context of biblical practices, Amy-Jill explains a disciple was to place their teacher where their father had once been. To turn from their family, or 'hate' them (Luke 14:26) and turn towards their new guide. No longer learning from their father, but their Rabbi. No longer taking instruction from their father, but their Rabbi. Their Rabbi, who did not deal in absolute truth, but who engaged in textual exploration (it would be anachronistic to call this midrash, but I believe it is safe to suggest those type of textual practices were used well before the term was developed). Jews in biblical times, and indeed Jesus himself, would have known scripture as something to be wrestled with and mystery maintained, rather than definitive history to be guarded and unchanged.

So what of the role of the disciple?

This is the bit that excites me the most. Amy-Jill writes:

‘Disciples were expected to take what they learned from their teacher and then become teachers themselves. But they were not supposed to repeat only what they had been told. They were to continue to question, to advance the discussion, and to expect their students would advance the discussion even more.’ (p50.)

We were never meant to be spoon fed a gospel message, regurgitate it to anyone who would listen and police the community for any sign of dissent. No, we were meant to listen, question, bring our own life experiences, interpret, discuss, disagree, develop and dare I even say evolve. The image of the all-knowing priest whose word cannot be challenged becomes and idol, and the non-churchgoing seekers I commune with every day becomes the expectation. If only we could seek within our faith communities. If only all parish churches were centres of loving debate rather than the scornful derision common to some.

I have sat in rooms with other Christians and held lively debates over tea and biscuits, while holding respect and love at the centre. It was joyful and life giving every time. Yet those times were mournfully rare. We have so many resources at our fingertips these days, so many books from different theological perspectives, so many people to learn from on social media. Discernment is key, but goodness the world has really opened up for us to enjoy questioning!

Let us hear the challenge today. Let us learn from those who came before us, yet leave better for those who come after. Let us respect the journey we have taken, yet embrace the journey yet to come. After all, Jesus questioned, Jesus challenged, and Jesus changed everything that came after.

A prayer for changemakers.

Jesus, leader of changemaking and champion of questioning.

May we learn from your example today.

Let us prayerfully consider what we know and look beyond tradition.

Let us test what we think against the Spirit in our hearts.

Let us be open to change as God moves us towards a more just world.

Cast all our anxieties onto God, for we are called to do this work in Jesus’ name.

Amen.