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Discipleship

1)      Explain the meaning of discipleship for,

The first disciples,

Christians today.

Discipleship revolves around following Jesus both physically and spiritually. Both the first disciples and Christians today are followers of Jesus.

            A disciple of Jesus would be expected to respond immediately to Jesus, love his neighbour, be willing to forgive sins, show generosity, accept persecution and live their lives using gospel values in everything they do and say. 

            The first disciples of Jesus were expected to give up everything to be real followers of Jesus as this was illustrated in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus called his first disciples.

            As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. Jesus said to them “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” At once they left their nets and went with him.

            He went a little farther on and saw two other brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat getting their nets ready. As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them; they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went with Jesus. (Mark’s Gospel – 1:16-20)

This extract from the story of Gospel portrays many factors of discipleship the first disciples were to undergo. The main point this story is proving is that to be a disciple you must respond immediately to Jesus’ demands even if that means leaving your friends, family and property behind.

            In chapter two of Mark’s Gospel Jesus was once again back to the shore of Lake Galilee where he started to teach a crowd of people.

            As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up and followed him.

(Mark’s Gospel – 2:14)

This displays the fact that Jesus wasn’t afraid to work with social outcasts and that he treats everyone with equality. Levi demonstrates true discipleship by also responding to Jesus’ request by immediately following him even if he is to leave everything behind.

Jesus was fully aware that his disciples were to find it difficult to give up everything without the thought of a reward and when Peter emphasised the point by telling Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

Jesus replied, “Yes”…”and I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and for the gospel, will receive much more in this present age. He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and persecutions as well; and in the age to come he will receive eternal life. But many now who are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first.” (Mark’s Gospel – 10:29-31)

This shows that Jesus’ disciples will be rewarded eternal life for the good they create in the world.

Jesus displayed more of what is meant to be a true disciple when he chose his twelve disciples.

            “I have chosen you to be with me,” he told them. “I will also send you out to preach, and you will have authority to drive out demons.”

(Mark’s Gospel – 3:14-15)  

            The first disciples needed to have absolute faith in Jesus even though they may be frightened. Although the disciples may have witnessed Jesus healing the sick, another encounter concerning Jesus was to be an experience they would never forget.

One evening the disciples went out with Jesus in a boat to cross Lake Galilee. Suddenly a strong wind blew up and waves began to spill into the boat. Jesus then commanded the wind “Be quiet”, and told the waves to “Be still”(Mark’s Gospel 4: 39), the wind and waves then died down. Jesus then said to his disciples “Why are you frightened? Have you still no faith?” (Mark’s Gospel 4: 40)

Mark uses this in his gospel to show how the disciples learnt to have faith in Jesus.

This story was so important for the first disciples because it showed that you should have faith in Jesus and it also demonstrated the power Jesus had above nature.

Jesus taught his first disciples to stand up for themselves as unlike Christians today people were killed for their beliefs. Jesus wanted his disciples to take pride in their beliefs.

            Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. “If anyone wants to come with me,”he told them, “he must forget self, carry his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Do people gain anything if they win the whole world but lose their life? Of course not! (Mark’s Gospel – 8:34-36)

Jesus needed the disciples so that he could teach them to follow on his work. Jesus, however, needed to trust them. In Chapter Six, in the passage of ‘Jesus sends out the twelve disciples’ Mark writes of the disciples being trusted to follow the work of Jesus. In the text Jesus sends the disciples off to heal the sick, they drove out many demons and preached that people should turn away from their sins. On this occasion Jesus’ trust in his disciples had been well placed.

Jesus was constantly guiding his disciples in order for them to be better followers. The disciples had to learn to realise God’s power, and Jesus taught this to them in quite an extraordinary fashion. Jesus had to feed a large crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fishes. The disciples helped to serve out the food after Jesus had given thanks for it. During this story the disciples asked Jesus,

“Where in this desert can anyone find enough food to feed all these people?” “How much bread have you got?” Jesus asked. “ Seven loaves,” they answered. (Mark’s Gospel – 8:4-5)

…Jesus gave thanks for these and told the disciples to distribute them too. Everybody ate and had enough – there were about 4,000 people. Then the disciples took up seven baskets full of pieces left over. (Mark’s Gospel – 8:7-9) 

After everyone had enjoyed as much as they could eat there was plenty left to spare. The number of men fed was about four thousand. Jesus had taught the disciples of God’s power and to share what they have even if they also required it.

One of the main aspects of Jesus’ life was prayer and the disciples had to learn how to pray like Jesus. Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples “Sit here while I pray”(Mark’s Gospel - 14: 32). He took Peter, James and John with him and said,

“The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch”(Mark’s Gospel - 14: 34).

Jesus went and prayed that God’s wishes will be done. This was to show the disciples that they were to pray that God’s wishes, will be done. The disciples had to learn to pray as their life around Jesus was planned around religion and prayer.

The disciples had to learn that being around Jesus wasn’t going to be an easy ride. In Mark’s gospel in the passage of ‘Jesus is rejected at Nazareth’, the disciples watch Jesus turned away at his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus said to them,

“Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own home town and by their relatives and their family”(Mark’s Gospel - 6: 4)

Sometimes Jesus teaches his disciples through a simple talk rather than through an event. Like when Jesus sat down with his disciples and said,

“Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all”

(Mark’s Gospel - 9: 35).

He then took a child, put his arm around him and said,

“Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me”(Mark’s Gospel - 9: 37).

Jesus’ words taught the disciples what it means not to be powerful and to be servants.

        Jesus always had a way of teaching his disciples how to be better people. He used events to teach them, he also used small talking sessions to teach them. The disciples were taught many valuable lessons from Jesus.

In the modern world some people think that only bishops, priests or vicars are real disciples but every Christian who has been baptised should try to be a follower of Jesus.

     “Christians care for the weak in society for religious reasons. They recognise others as members of God’s family, brothers and sisters of Christ. Worship of God, and care for their neighbour are part of the way they understand the meaning of their lives.” I found this extract in the ‘Dimensions of Christianity’ by Sister Anne Burke. I think it explains Christians today very vividly. As a Christian myself, I have concern for the weak in society for religious reasons. I worship God and I care for my neighbour and as a religious person, life doesn’t mean what I can do for myself it’s what I can do for others. I think that is a big similarity to the way Jesus taught his first disciples as we practise today.

      Christians today work for each other and for the people that they see as the weak in society such as the elderly, alcoholics, drug addicts and one-parent families. There are plenty of schemes run by voluntary Christian organisations for the poor and weak in society. The Salvation Army is well known for its concern of outcasts in society. They practise many different activities including children’s day centres and nurseries and family welfare work and homes for the elderly. The Salvation Army does plenty for the weak of society and other Christian denominations have their charity organisations, which provide similar services.

      There are international Christian organisations that include the Tear fund and Christian Aid, these groups care for the needs of developing nations. They help third world countries to live life as best as they can by providing clean water, health care and education.

      Some Christians today choose to become priests or join a religious order as their way of being disciples of Jesus in the modern world. When considering to be ordained as a priest four conditions must be met. The conditions are the desire to be a priest, a suitable character for the priesthood, the required intelligence for the studies and a recommendation for priesthood.

      A priest is a servant of God’s people; he is also an assistant of the bishop. The Priest’s job is to proclaim and preach the gospel; to consecrate the bread and wine offered at mass. He is to celebrate the sacraments in the parish, to care for the needs of people in the parish, especially by showing his parishioners what they can do for each other and to dedicate himself to God.

      A Christian who isn’t ordained as a priest is called a Lay Christian. The word ‘Lay’ means someone who has been baptised and is a full member of the Roman Catholic Church. Many lay people actively involve themselves in the life of the parish by providing a wide range of services. Some of these services include altar serving, reading during mass, cleaning, ministering the Eucharist and organising social functions. Lay people should use their talents to improve the world, to try and make the world peaceful and loving place. They have a duty to be aware of all the world’s problems such as crime, prejudice and violence.

     Christians who take part in the Eucharist are sent to serve others at the end of mass. The priest says, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord”. We can serve others by donating our clothes to charity shops so that others will benefit. We can visit the lonely, offer shelter, feed the hungry, pray, provide love and comfort, in doing all of these things we are serving the Lord.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”(Mark’s Gospel - 12: 30-31).

This is an extract from Mark’s gospel in the passage of ‘The Great Commandment’; it is what Jesus said to be the greatest commandment of all. Jesus explains this to mean that God is the only Lord we have so therefore we need to love him in the best way that we can. The second greatest commandment of them all is to “Love your neighbour as yourself”(Mark’s Gospel - 12: 31). When Jesus was talking of these two great commandments he wanted us to realise that life does not revolve around ourselves it is about what we can do for others.

Evaluation

It is not possible to be a true disciple in the modern world.

I think it is possible to be a true disciple in the modern world for many reasons. One of the main reasons I believe this is because individuals such as Sylvia Wright and Jackie Pullinger have demonstrated how to be a true disciple in today’s modern world. These two unique, caring and hard working ladies who like the first disciple gave up everything have both followed in the footsteps of the ‘Rich Young Man’ described in Mark’s Gospel. The Rich Young Man came to Jesus asking what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus asked him if he knew and obeyed the Ten Commandments and when the response was YES,

            Jesus looked at him with love and said, “You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you will have riches in heaven; and then come and follow me. (Mark’s Gospel – 10-21)

The reason these two women were compared with the Rich Young Man was because they both gave up everything in order to help the poor whilst these two ladies lived from donations. I feel it is harder to be a true disciple in the modern world because of the way in which the media disrespect religion. The media capitalise and highlight the bad points in religion and don’t concentrate their efforts on things like the causes Christians help and all the other good things connected with the Christian faith. The national newspapers know a headline such as ‘Priest charged with child abuse’ will sell more papers than a headline saying ‘The Catholics once again donate thousands to Cafod’.

There are many other factors that make it harder and harder to become a true disciple in the modern world such as peer pressure. If your friends encourage you to stay away from church and in stead of giving money to the poor they might persuade you to spend it on cigarettes or alcohol. Demands of jobs can decrease the chances of helping the poor as if you have a full time job as well as a family to look after it could become extremely difficult to look after a family and help either looking after or donating money to the poor.

            As well as the two ladies mentioned earlier there are many people whom are not so well known whom could be described as true disciples. Many nuns, monks and priests are true disciples as priests are often in the same position as the first disciples. Father Jerry was the parish priest at a church in West Byfleet for six years before he was put into a position similar to the first disciples Jesus called. The bishop informed Father Jerry that he was to move Parish. Like the first disciples Father Jerry had to respond immediately and leave his property and all of his friends behind in West Byfleet. Although Father Jerry would have preferred to stay in the parish of West Byfleet he went where he was sent. Although he wasn’t following Jesus literally he was following the request of the bishop who would be the equivalent to Jesus in the modern World.

            Each and every student of St John the Baptist School can act as a true disciple in the modern world by following the School’s mission statement,     

“Our mission is to be a catholic School where every individual is highly valued and where care and concern is central to our work. All our students are expected to achieve their full potential and become equipped for adult life. At SJB everything` we do is guided by gospel values.”    (St John the Baptist mission statement)

As if what you do is guided by gospel values then you will be directly acting as a true disciple.

As well as individuals there are also many societies who act as true disciples like the Salvation Army, Oxfam and many more organisations.

The above information suggest it is possible to be a true disciple in the modern world even without literally following Jesus but by following and living the Gospel today.

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