Aristotle's students have been called Peripatetics from the Greek peripatetikos ("to walk about"). They were so called because they walked about with him while discussing his philosophy. They were perhaps the first ones to "walk the talk." There's a modern saying, "if you're going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk"--this reminds us of old sayings like "actions speak louder than words" and "practice what you preach." Another way of expressing this is "walk it like you talk it."

       Jesus has been described as a peripatetic rabbi, "a rabbi whose school was not in some building, but out-of-doors. He walked around, and his disciples literally followed Him." (Now, That's a Good Question! by R. C. Sproul, 2010, p. 134.)

       The students of Jesus are called "disciples" (Greek mathetesas^G3101: "learner; pupil," Strong's Dictionaries). Jesus defines discipleship as doing. Doing what Jesus says. Immediately following Luke 6:46 Jesus tells of the wise man. He took the words of Jesus and did them. He obeyed. He changed. Jesus likes him to a man who built his house upon a foundation of rock. The storms came. The house stands. Again, Jesus tells of a man who heard Jesus but did not obey. He went his way. He followed his own wants. He built his life, or house, not upon solid foundation of Jesus. The storms came. His life, house, collapsed.

       Saying that Jesus is Lord does little if He is not the Lord of your heart and life. The designation of lord means "ruler, the one in authority, the rightful king". If you confess Jesus as being Lord but you disobey Him, you are not walking the talk. You say one thing but you are doing something else.

       Jesus called the Pharisees "Hypocrites" (Matthew 23). They presented themselves as good, but it actually was a show. They pretended to be obedient, godly and righteous. But on the inside they were really selfish, worldly and ungodly.

       We can be hypocritical too. We can claim that we believe Jesus is Lord by attending church services. We can sing just as loud as our neighbor. We can give as much or more. We can carry our Bible. Meanwhile, our hearts and minds are worldly, corrupt and have selfish desires. This is not right.

       Jesus indeed is the Lord of Heaven and Earth (Matthew 28:18-20). He reigns. He wants ro reign in the most important place; i.e., our hearts. We have to let Christ in to our hearts. We do this by not just saying, "Lord", but by fully believing Him and obeying Him. We must crown Jesus in our hearts. The Bible says that means to deny self. This is more than denying ourselves an object. It is denying ourselves as a person. There may be times that I may not want to serve, but I will because Jesus is my Lord. Should I be compassionate? Forgiving? Helpful? Is that what Jesus wants of me? Does He want me to an angel of mercy to another? Does He teach such? If so, then my answer is a given.

       To share our hearts with both ourselves and Jesus is like serving two masters. Jesus says it cannot be. Paul writes, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." What does this mean? Paul is saying that he moved out and Jesus took possession of his life. Paul was doing everthing that Jesus wanted him to do. Often it meant being chased, persecuted, stoned, arrested, railed at. Making Jesus Lord in our life is not always easy but it is the right thing. It is the way that leads to Heaven.

       Being a servant of Jesus is more than putting a bumper sticker on one's car. It is doing what He wants me to do. It is "walking the talk." Most importantly, it is what pleases our loving Father in Heaven.


Gaylon West