Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His public ministry and started gathering disciples. This fits with the cultural norm of when a rabbi would begin his work. It would also be the tradition to pick young men around the age of fifteen to join him. He would train them for fifteen years after which they would be told to go and make their own disciples.
It seems likely that the disciples Jesus chose were young men, maybe even teenagers. Not only does it fit the pattern, but think of their writing that occurred decades after Jesus’ death. John’s letter of Revelation is estimated to be written around the year 95 which, if John is the correct author, would mean he was quite young when with Jesus and quite old when he wrote the letter. There are other historical and traditional events that similarly make a case for young disciples.
Jesus invested deeply in these young adults and we need to be similarly invested in the young adults in our world.
Be an example. Point them to God in the way we live our lives. Jesus was the ultimate example but we too have a responsibility to live transparently, sharing with them our spiritual walk.
Guide. Youthful exuberance in pursuing a goal can sometimes be misdirected. Jesus had to reign in1 His disciples at times, redirecting them onto the right path. Teaching truth and modeling the disciplines, even while fanning their flame, can fuel their passion for following Him.
Empower and Encourage. Jesus sent them out to minister.2 He trusted them and had given them tools for the work. They returned with passion and joy. Let’s open doors and inspire these budding adults to be about God’s work.
Be a safe place. Provide a place of security for them to return to and land, recognizing they are a tangled combo of fearless and afraid. Let them process3 – heal, regroup, rest – celebrate successes and learn from setbacks.
Hold loosely. Recognize that God is calling them to a new thing. They will do life differently – that’s not only okay, it is how they are designed. They are interacting with a different world than we did. Their walk toward and with God may look very different, but if they are headed in the right direction, encourage them. Jesus’ band of disciples entered a world greatly changed. And they were ready.
Pray. They are united with us in Christ. We are one body. What they do is a reflection of us together and we can praise God together for their work while also joining with them in their pain. For those that are still searching, pray that God would draw them, even as He drew Paul, to His kingdom.
We need these young disciples of today. Their walk brings all of us closer to Him as a body as they challenge us in new directions, prodding us in ideas we may have left behind for “practical reasons.” And they need us – for examples, for encouragement, for stability. This is how God made us together – as a family – and one I’m so grateful to be a part of.
- Luke 9:54-55 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ↩︎
- Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ↩︎
- Luke 9:10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. ↩︎
