The term “Discipleship” is used today without much vigor and has seemingly lost its biblical meaning, seriousness, and true sense of calling in most contexts. In other words, typically when we use the term “discipleship” it’s not how Jesus did. I’ve been studying a passage that has brought this reality out in my own life, and my thoughts about how this applies to me are the basis for this article.
Luke 9:57-62 gives insights into what it took in order for Jesus to disciple someone. A man comes to Jesus and says he will follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus stops, looks at this man and says, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Essentially he told him he had to leave his home, to abandon the comforts he knew, and give up his standard of living.
Immediately after this, Jesus looks at another man and says, “Follow me.” Responding differently this man says, “First permit me to go bury my father.” His father most likely already died when he made this statement. In this culture when someone died they were left out of the grave for a one year period then they were buried. It was at this point the inheritance would’ve been given to him. The issue for this man was finances. He wanted to wait until he had a little financial security, then he would follow Christ (maybe this way he wouldn’t be a burden to anyone?). Jesus harshly replies saying, “Let the dead bury the dead, but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
Still another man said to Jesus, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." In other words, it’s now or never. The reality was if this man decided to follow Jesus there was no turning back to consider the family he left behind.
Let’s be honest, this is a far cry from how we typically define discipleship.
Intellectual Gymnastics
Each of these men had something he either didn’t want to give up or had to do first. Comfortable home, financial security and family: if these don’t exactly describe what we value in America I don’t know what does. Each man had a “but first,” something they held higher than being a true disciple (i.e. follower) of Jesus.
To be discipled by Christ meant you put his values and pursuits above all else. There was no such thing as a “but first.” You were to follow him and trust he knew what he was doing, even if it didn’t make sense to your rationale. If you weren’t willing to do these things you simply couldn’t be discipled by him. He wouldn’t allow anyone to reduce his standard.
Our culture calls this “radical” and typically rationalizes to bring balance to this concept. But Christ didn’t balance it here or anywhere else in Scripture. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Doesn’t it seem like what we refer to as radicals today, Jesus simply called a disciple?
Parents tell kids, “get your education first, then...” Couple’s say, “let me get through the wedding first, then...” Businessmen say, “I’ve been so busy at work, let me get past this season first, then...” We could go on and on with “but first’s” in Christian culture today.
How does Jesus’ thinking of discipleship compare to ours?
Discipleship or Christian Bubble?
Most often when I’ve talked about discipling someone I was referring to a formal meeting with them once a week, giving them more knowledge than they had before, helping them develop a routine of prayer and Bible reading, having them lead somehow in church events or gatherings, and making sure their behavior is appropriate for a “leader.” This thinking is very typical in our churches and youth ministries. Basically, our definition means little more than bringing kids further into Christian culture.
Our hearts aren’t bad nor our motivations, but the truth is we’ve allowed an extremely high calling of true discipleship to be reduced to moving kids into the Christian bubble.
The reality is my definition hasn’t matched Christ’s. Far too many of us have fallen into a comfortable American concept of discipleship and have consequently led students away from (truly) following Christ.
Right now you might be thinking some of the same things that have run through my mind: does this mean I have to sell everything? Where does this process end? Is it right for me to own a home? Is it ok for me to have anything then?
Asking these questions shows we’re thinking, but I would like to encourage you to be very careful. Our tendency is to ask these questions really to justify our current lifestyle. We rationalize so we don’t have to change anything in our lives.
We must take steps of faith, truly seeking to live up to the standard that Christ sets no matter how uncomfortable it may be – regardless of what that may mean. We then must show our students how we live as a (true) disciple and say to them, “follow me as I follow Christ.”
The thought of saying that to someone has always seemed weird and extremely arrogant, but the truth is I have never made that statement because I knew I wasn’t living it. I was afraid of having to live up to that statement. However, I’m beginning to change the way I live and think about what it means to (truly) follow Christ. I think other’s are as well, and saying that to people and backing it up with my life seems more like true discipleship than ever before. It’s way beyond a weekly meeting, class, or developing a religious routine.
Article originally published at: http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/from-the-field-65.html
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