WHAT IS THE ILLUMINATIVE WAY?

Summary:  The illuminative way emphasizes intentional spiritual formation and becoming an apprentice of Jesus. It involves cultivating daily practices and habits that lead to transformation, moving beyond mere belief into a life shaped by Jesus’ way.

In today’s social media culture, it’s easier than ever to follow someone whose teaching we appreciate and value. With the click of a button, we can like, comment on, or share with others what information or understanding we have received.

But there is an enormous chasm between the ease of following someone on social media and following Christ. Following Jesus presents several challenges, including personal sacrifices, external opposition, and the need for constant spiritual growth and self-reflection. Following Jesus can lead to misunderstandings, criticism, or even persecution from those who don’t share the same faith or values. Life as a follower of Christ is not always easy. There can be periods of difficulty, hardship, and suffering that require faith and resilience.

Following Jesus is a commitment to live in alignment with His teachings, values, and example, ultimately seeking to embody His character and mission. It’s a lifelong journey of learning, growing, and transforming into someone more like Him. It starts with illumination. It begins with understanding.

Today, when someone is talking about being a “learner,” they are typically referring to a student. Students, by definition, take instruction, internalize information, and use it for a test or in conversation. But the Bible has a different take on being a “learner,” or disciple. When the Bible speaks of learning or being a disciple, it refers to something closer to apprenticeship. In Jesus’ day, being a disciple of a rabbi was the pinnacle of achievement. It’s what every young boy growing up would want to be. From a young age, they would start memorizing the entire Torah, or what we think of as the Old Testament, in hopes that they would one day be qualified to become a disciple. If they made it through the process and were picked to be discipled by one of the rabbis, they would follow them everywhere they went.

If you were a disciple, the goal was to spend as much time with your rabbi as possible to learn as much of their teaching as possible, and become as much like them as possible. They had to walk where they walked, do what they did, and teach like they taught. They were being equipped to be a rabbi on their own one day. They were in training as an apprentice. That’s much different than classroom learning as we think of it today.

So when Jesus called someone to be His disciple, He was calling them in that context, with that cultural understanding. Following Jesus does not mean sitting in a classroom and memorizing information. Following Jesus means walking where He walks, doing what He did, and teaching what He taught. Disciples of Jesus are not supposed to learn information simply; they are supposed to apply information to their lives in a way that leads to understanding and transformation.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does following Jesus require a personal cost, and how do we calculate that cost? 
2. In what ways does following Jesus require a total commitment, similar to how we commit to other important things in life? 
3. How does the idea that Jesus came for everyone, including those we find difficult to love, affect our understanding of following Him?