“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” – Luke 6:40

READ
Luke 6:37-49
REFLECT
Who is training you?  Who are you following,  and why?  The kingdom of this world promises success through gathering resources, tools, and knowledge that can help us advance from student to teacher.  We are taught to follow so we can be followed.  Life is found through independence, mastery, and self-determination.  But Jesus shows us a better way.  He teaches us to never stop following.  This is what it means to be His disciple.  He leads.  We follow, and the process never ends.
The beauty of this set-up is how it affects our relationship with others.  As long as we see ourselves as followers, we will have the humility necessary to help others without assuming the seat of judgment.  However, we are not simply called to follow a set of principles, or rules.  If this were true we could potentially master the principles and become the leader.  Additionally, principles wait on our performance prior to receiving acceptance.  When we live this way we have a tendency to live in a state of paralysis, fearful we will never make it.  But, Jesus solves both problems.  He says, “Follow Me.”  We follow a person.  We follow a Man who already lived a perfect life, died for us, and rose to live again.  And, He shares this identity with us when we become His disciples.  We lose our independence, but why would we want it any other way?
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to Him” – Matthew 17:5
RESPOND
1 – How have you mistakenly followed others instead of Jesus?
2 – How have you used others to create a following for yourself?
3 – Who do you tend to judge?
4 – How can following Jesus help you look at others appropriately?