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“Go . . . and Make Disciples”“Come Be My Follower”
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12 Jesus also taught his disciples to avoid unnecessary distractions. He said: “Do not greet anyone along the road.” (Luke 10:4) Was Jesus telling them to be cool or aloof? Not at all. In Bible times, greetings often involved much more than a simple hello. Customary greetings included various formalities and lengthy conversation. One Bible scholar states: “Salutations among the Orientals did not consist, as among us, of a slight bow, or extension of the hand, but [were] performed by many embraces, and inclinations, and even prostrations of the body on the ground. All this required much time.” By telling his disciples not to engage in the customary greetings, Jesus was, in a sense, saying: “You must make the most of your time, for the message you bear is urgent.”b
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“Go . . . and Make Disciples”“Come Be My Follower”
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b The prophet Elisha once gave similar instructions. When sending his servant Gehazi to the home of a woman whose son had died, Elisha said: “If you encounter anyone, do not greet him.” (2 Kings 4:29) The mission was urgent, so there was no time for needless delay.
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