Get Yourself Some Haverim
Chapter five of Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus is called Get Yourself Some Haverim, and that word means “friends,” in particular in the context of learning—kind of fellow students type of thing. In an Orthodox Jewish seminary or yeshiva, you normally won't see everybody sitting in silence studying by themselves. Instead, there'll be conversation. There'll be students talking to each other about the different things that they're learning, and this shared learning experience is what it's all about.
Importance of Community
Jesus probably knew this. In fact, in Matthew 18:20, he said, "Where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." Sounds a lot like the words of some of the early rabbis who said, "When two sit together and exchange words of Torah, then the divine presence dwells among them." Jesus had this great sense that people need to come together in their religious lives, talking to each other and learning in groups.
Shared Learning
And, of course, at the Passover, Jewish families would also gather and celebrate a big meal and then retell the story of the redemption of their Israelite ancestors. And as the authors say on page 70, "Wouldn't it be great if Christian families were also to make a point of sharing these stories once a year of how God has acted on their behalf?"
The Christian tradition of gathering in groups to study the word and pray together is really rooted in the Jewish tradition of doing the same thing. Jesus teaches us this in the way he lived. He had his close friends and the people that he did life with.
Discipleship Journey
Friends, let's not become too individualistic in our faith and view it as such a personal thing, but let's get ourselves some haverim, make friends, and relate to each other in the Christian life. And in fact, these words on page 71 sum it up quite well: "If the goal of discipleship is to become Christlike, it's important that we spend time with others learning how to love and be loved and letting our rough edges be sanded away. We need to learn to tolerate each other's flaws and to admit our own so that Christ's Spirit can refine and reshape us."
Yes, Jesus, a Jewish man, spent much time with his haverim. How about us?
