The rewards of discipleship is eternal life and that they are prepared to be executed. In the story of the widow at the treasury it’s about a women who is exceedly poor and puts in her last two coins and even though, the rich people are giving more money than her but Jesus said to the disciples that she is actually giving more money meaning she didn’t give money for the sack of it she gave the money from the heart and it didn’t matter how much at least she gave the money she had.
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples their mission was to preach, he did this by sending them two by two so that they wouldn’t be alone. He also gave them the authority over the evil spirits. Jesus told them to do these three things these were to preach to the people that they should turn away from their sins, they should drive out demos and heal the sick. Jesus did this to show that the disciple was helping to bring in the kingdom of God by showing in what Jesus does. In chapter6: 8-11here Jesus gives instructions to the twelve about their journey they were to travel in the simplest way they can this was to wear sandals hold a stick but without money, with a beggars bowl, food or extra clothes. They mustn’t stay anywhere too long or waste time on people who willn’t listen to them.
The twelve had to travel very light because they had to be completely dependent on God they also had to be honest. At the time of Jesus, wandering preachers sometimes got money from people dishonestly for that reason Jesus forbidden them to carry a beggars bowl. The journey was very important Jesus tells that if they are not welcomed into a town they must shake it’s dust off their feet when they leave it meaning they shouldn’t leave any trace of their appearance this was also to warn people that they could be left outside it. They were to preach so that the people who wants to listen would spread their preaching’s.
The disciple’s commission was to go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind but whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned eg: Doctors have the commission to perform miracles by giving transplants and heal the sick. In the story of the rich man it basically says if you are willing to give everything to follow God you will receive eternal life. Jesus tells the rich man that it is much harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to go through an eye of a needle. This is very important because if don’t receive anything in this life you will receive something in the next and this will be more than you will imagine. The poor will be the first to enter the kingdom of God and the rich will be the last.
The teaching of discipleship could affect the life of Christian in different ways they could either accept the consequences of discipleship or not. Many Christians decide to choose a different path to life this may because they have been chosen to sacrifices their life for others, just like the twelve disciples they were chosen by Jesus to follow him and spread the word of God. The disciples did agree to follow Jesus but not everyone is like that at first some Christians have to think about if this is the right path for them to show others to follow God.
Dorothy Day was a modern day Christian she was born in 1897. She attended but did not graduate from the university of Illinois, she said that’s really led a shiftless life, doing for the first time exactly what I wanted to do’ meaning she always did what other people thought it was best for her and needed to do something that was best for others. Dorothy Day started to organise meeting for women and she also got involved in women’s rights, free love and birth control.
Dorothy Day had many situations that affected her life in bad ways but she wanted to begin her life as a communist to seek a religious truth and then she ended it as a catholic influence by communist ideas. Dorothy Day was determined to have herself baptized as a catholic this was her own choice not influence by God. In years to come she decided to put out a newspaper, to promote her religious beliefs and hopefully to people more closer to their religious beliefs. In addition to the paper, Dorothy opened a House of Hospitality in the slums of New York. It’s purpose was to carry out those works that sound like such a good idea, this was to help housing the homeless and feeding the hungry. She didn’t need to do all this but as she got closer to her religion she wanted to help others who were less fortunate than her. Dorothy continued to preach that she wished the world for different that everyone had food, clothes and shelter themselves as God intended them to do.
Dorothy ‘s vocation was to bring people closer to God and to please others by using her time to help people who were in poverty .She was a disciple who had a good heart, she did think all her past life God wouldn’t except her but he did. God would accept everyone who would accept others. Her life revolved in volunteering her free time of people who were in poverty.
The teaching of discipleship affected Dorothy Day with out a doubt in a good way she didn’t have to do all the things she did but because of the way she thought of Jesus she wanted to continue to help people but I do think she wished she could did more meaning she wished she could of helped everyone. She didn’t think of if this was the right thing for her just like the disciples they didn’t know who they were going to leave behide, they just expected that they had to do what Jesus wanted them to do. Dorothy suffered a lot throughout her life she went to jail for protesting for what she believed in but she didn’t blame God for all her suffering. She continued to share her religious life with others and also to show if you have faith in God, God will have faith in you.
When Dorothy died she left no money for her funeral all her money was given to the church. Her commitment to the church was still around even though she wasn’t around any longer.
‘Children can’t be disciples so they can’t be Christians ’I don’t agree with this statement because children who are Christians don’t decide to be Christians as their parents or guardians come to a conclusion that they should be baptized at a very young age but later on in their life they are able to accept the needs from God or not, they can either wish to follow God’s teaching and carrying on continuing being part of God’s family. When a child is baptized it’s known that the child is now a Christian and a disciple of God but also they are accepted in God’s family.
Not everyone is a Christian because they haven’t been baptized due to many reasons but you can’t say they aren’t disciples of God. They could decide if whether they would like to get baptized when they are older, this would mean they are disciples of God. Children can’t be disciples if they aren’t baptized but it doesn’t mean they are not part of God’s family. Being part of God’s family can be anyone this doesn’t mean if you aren’t baptized you can’t be a disciple of God. A disciple is someone who follows and spreads the word of God, anyone who wants to be a disciple if they really want to. All they need is to be dedicated to God by worshiping him and being faithful to him.
In Mark’s gospel, the story about Jesus blesses little children, Jesus was
Brought children and placed his hands on them, but the disciples scolded the people, but when Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples ‘let the children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such of these. I assure you that whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it’. Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them.
Children qualities to enter the kingdom of God is stated in this story Jesus suggests that the only way to enter the kingdom of God needs to act like a child whoever does this would be allowed into the kingdom of God, but whoever doesn’t act like a child wouldn’t receive eternal life as this is the only way to get into the kingdom of God. Children had make sacrifices by helping other who less fortunate than you even helping friends or family.
In conclusion I believe the only way to be a disciple of God is to be you but do try not to hurt anyone in the process. To enter the kingdom of God is every Christian dream so if you believe in God and do this in any way possible it won’t affect you getting into the Kingdom of God and on earth you are a true disciple, you just have to believe. Therefore I believe that if you want to enter the kingdom of God you have act on it meaning that you must follow God in any way possible and also to make sure that in times of trouble that you turn to God but not against him as it is very important that you present yourself as a good disciple to others so that hopefully you will be bring them much closer to the kingdom of God.
