Explain how this teaching about discipleship might affect the life of a Christian today?

Belief in sacrifice and service is also very important in a modern day Christian’s life because Jesus serviced 5000 people by feeding them with bread, if he didn’t do this they would have died of hunger. Jesus sacrifice is also shown when he is up on the cross, because he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his beliefs. He says ‘Forget self and carry cross’. This is an inspirational quote for many modern day Christians today, which means accepting hardships and always putting others first. This could involve fasting for charity or doing a sponsored run. It could involve training as a nurse or a counselor, despite the poor pay

All these beliefs affect how disciples live their lives. The Disciples practice their beliefs in a number of different ways. Jesus shows that discipleship is about belief and practice when the woman in the temple puts all she has into offertory chest without any fuss unlike the rich men who made sure everyone knew that he was going to make a donation. The lesson Jesus taught is that it is not how much is given but the spirit in which it is given that matters most. This is another inspirational quote that modern day Christians follow. Most Christians do not feel called to give up all there money but try hard not to be controlled by it or let it influence their lives negatively.

A Christian whose beliefs affected his life and eventually brought about his death, was Martin Luther King, who fought for the blacks’ right to vote. Martin Luther King used his religion, beliefs and non – violent protest to get the vote for American blacks. Martin Luther King was very dedicated to his religion and this affected how he lived his life. Martin Luther King’s beliefs helped him a lot in life, especially when he was protesting.  When he was protesting the police often reacted with violence, but he told his followers not to react, but to turn the other cheek and offer them to hit that one. This is just like what Jesus said. Many of Martin Luther King’s speeches had relevance to his religion and beliefs. His most famous speech was ‘I have a dream’   which he used his beliefs to write.  In 1968 he was shot by James Earl Ray who was a white racist. His was murdered because of his beliefs. This is just one person who died for their beliefs. There are many more. Another who died was Maximilan Kolbe who died a horrible death in Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Mother Theresa life was also affected by her beliefs and religion to the extent the extent that she owned no possessions at all

Modern day disciples should also respect authority just as Jesus’ disciples did. Jesus disciples did respect and believe that Jesus had authority over them, just as God had authority over everyone including Jesus and his disciples. Lots of modern day Christian churches have different beliefs in who has authority over the church. Catholics believe that the Pope has the authority that St Peter was given by Jesus, whereas the Church of England recognizes the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the monarch. The Quaker Protestant’s do not recognize the authority of vicars or priests or bishops, they need only the Bible and the authority of Jesus’ light inside them – Quaker Protestant’s do not even have a church or a holy place of worship, all they need is the bible. They see the original twelve as having no hierarchy so they don’t have either. This is there interpretation of the bible. All these affect how a modern day Christian lives their life because which church they belong to affects their lives in different ways.

As you can see the different ways a modern day Christian interprets the bible, influences the way it affects his life. His beliefs also play a big part in affecting his life, just like the disciples, whose beliefs affected their lives almost to the extent that they became new people.