We already mentioned five principles from Jesus:
* Principle #1 - Jesus Invited Others to Talk
* Principle #2 - Jesus' Teaching Connected with Life
* Principle #3 - Jesus Engaged His Listeners.
* Principle #4 - Jesus took Advantage of Teachable Moments.
* Principle #5 - Jesus told stories.
Today we will look at another principle from Jesus:
Principle #6 - Jesus Spent Time with his Students
Jesus spent time with His students. He called 12 people to be His closest disciples (Mark 1:17-20). He talked with them (Mark 11:20-25), rested with them (Mark 6:30-31), and shared the Last Supper with them (Mark 14:12-26).
His call to his students was very simple - "Follow me." It wasn't a call to "Study God's Word" though that will be foundational. His initial call wasn't to "serve my people" though he would demonstrate a heart of a humble servant in everything he did. His focus was a relationship in which his students would learn by spending time with him. They would Learn God's Word as applied in his life and his words. They would learn to serve as they saw him serve. They would experience not only his teaching, but his heart of compassion for the world!
Jesus instructed His students both in group settings and one-on-one. He taught them by example as well as by precept, and His teaching was incidental rather than formal. He called them to be with him, to follow him. He told them to "come and see." "Jesus made disciples by His life. One does not teach faith and love with words alone. Disciples' hearts cannot be set on fire by theories. Fire kindles fire; iron sharpens iron; faith calls forth faith; life begets life." (Roger Fleming in the book: SIDE BY SIDE - Navpress, 2000, p188) Learning was deeply relational and involved not only instruction, but guidance, counsel, imitation, affirmation, rebuke, correction, encouragement, and even friendship. And all these were in the context of a relationship where he spent time together with his students.
He also spent time teaching others who were interested in Him (Mark 6:34-44). He respected people by taking time for children and by talking with the very people others often chose to ignore (Matthew 19:14; John 4:9). He spent time listening to and understanding people, regardless of their background. He accepted Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, when no one else would. Rather than judging him, Jesus spent time with him and let God’s love transform Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2-10).
Jesus arranged retreats for special instruction, but the disciples' characters were mainly developed in the highways of life rather than in isolation. They learned from their failures as well as their successes. Their experiences in daily life provided the opportunity for developing spiritual principles and values.
In today's church we do almost everything in group settings. Our spiritual instruction is confined to classrooms, workshops, and videos. Learning about the Christian faith was never intended to be an academic pursuit, disconnected from family and life, taught conceptually and in abstraction to the masses.
Jesus knew that "more is caught than taught". When we spend time with students they learn from our lives and we discover a little bit more about their needs and concerns. Then we are a little closer to Teaching as Jesus Taught.
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