Back in the early sixties I used to watch a lot of cartoon shows. There was ‘The Flintstones’, ‘Quick Draw McGraw’, ‘Rocky the flying squirrel’, and one I remember just now in particular was ‘The Jetsons.’
The Jetsons was set in the future and the opening always began with George Jetson in his flying car dropping off members of his household to school or the shopping mall then arriving at his office in the sky. George would hop out of his glass domed vehicle, push a button on the front of it and magically the car would transform into a carriable attache case. He’d then pick up the case and saunter off to his office.
So what does George Jetson have to do with discipleship, Pastor Steve’s topic this past Sunday? Read on…
A distinction was drawn between a follower and a disciple. To understand these terms better I looked them up.
A follower, it appears, is someone who supports and is guided by another person or group, someone who likes and admires a thing very much. Some followers are followers by nature. Rather than think for themselves they will adopt the beliefs and opinions of others—any others. These are chameleons.
A disciple, however, refers to “one who follows another for the purpose of learning.” A disciple is a pupil–a student of his instructor. The word is also related to the idea of discernment, which is to distinguish a thing by the senses: to perceive, make out, pick out, detect, recognize. Jesus often taught the deeper truths by using parables which required discernment to comprehend. Parables separated followers from disciples.
If we are to call ourselves disciples of Jesus we must be hearing from Him and learning from Him on a regular basis — and being changed by what we hear and learn…. transformed bit by bit into His likeness.
Paul wrote about this process in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That word “transformed” is the Greek word μεταμορφόω (metamorphoō) from which we get the English word “metamorphosis.” A disciple is not a chameleon, but a worm being transformed into a stunning butterfly!
What a privilege! Just think, before you go to bed tonight you can become just a little bit more like Jesus! (And that’s way better than a dome topped car or a briefcase!) So go now… open your Bible… pray… listen… learn… obey…
How will you be transformed today?
More tomorrow.
thebrokenrunner 