[ctt title=”“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” tweet=”“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. – Luke 6:40 from ‘Fully Trained’ serial http://ctt.ec/86L38+” coverup=”86L38″]

The gospel of Luke carefully records truth from eyewitness accounts of numerous historical citizens of the first century.

The following is a fictional representation continued from our previous episodes of eyewitness by one of Jesus’ first disciples.

I have told you of how I became an early disciple of the Messiah Jesus and followed our Lord in the early days. It has been many years ago now; before the good news of our Lord’s crucifixion by the Jews and resurrection and appearance to many witnesses, including me and my family.

We continued in the Way. We worshiped our risen Lord with the Apostles and many others. John Mark, who had been with Saul, and Luke the doctor have shared the increase in the good news with us. In fact, Mark has just returned to us from a time he has spent with Paul, who we knew as Saul.

Acts 13: 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem

John Mark brings us good news that the Roman proconsul of Cypress has witnesses the power of Christ in Paul and has come to believe in the Way.

Now that we have become fully trained just as Jesus had mentioned in those early days I wanted to share some of our Lord’s teaching with you; not as we heard it then as uncertain believers, but as we now consider how our Lord’s teaching has changed us over time – now, years later and after Jesus’ resurrection, many appearances and glorious ascension into heaven.

Thinking back to our Lord’s teaching to the crowds, which we heard consistently many times in those early days… He was teaching on a mountainside one day, as Jesus often did. Jesus would stand with His back toward the highest hillside above the gentle slopes populated with disciples from every locale. Jesus could look around into their faces and most of us could see His probing gentle eyes.

Luke 6:

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

We didn’t understand this then; for we were all poor and all the kingdoms of Judah, Samaria, Rome and all the others were powered by the rich – those who could buy influence or high office, whether Herod or Octavian or other rich men and women who bought their way into leadership.

Other times Jesus had said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:7

It is this poorness of spirit we now understand – a poorness desired we had never sought, before our Lord and Master had lived out its meaning before our very eyes.

Jesus had never had anything by which men might consider him anything but poor. In Nazareth he made a more meager living as a sort of handyman carpenter than most of us town’s people. He never wore fancy clothes. His well-worn shoes were just like mine.

Jesus’ humility showed more than just his lowly station in life, his beleaguered place in our small community isolated from the seats of power. He was in every way as the scriptures say, “a bruised reed”  himself. His gentle sincere smile always encouraged us. His happiness from deep within overflowed into the depths of our own souls. After a time I too sought to show others this same poorness of my spirit, that they might see the richness of the blessings of the Lord.

Yes, during all of the years of Jesus’ teachings and the many years since His resurrection we were poor. We were all poor. We were oppressed by Rome. We were miserable and afflicted by our own rulers in our day to day lives and often our insignificant deaths. Followers of the Way were soon and often persecuted. We suffered financially and physically.

We were poor. Yet in our Messiah Jesus we have inherited the Kingdom of Heaven.

Psalm 40:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry…

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord…

..my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!

17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

To be continued…