Explain the meaning of discipleship for the first disciples and for the disciples of today.

Mark 6:7-13 states the job of the disciples was generally helping Jesus to preach, teach and drive out demons, as well as learn from their master. They had to leave their families and homes, and take nothing but a staff in order to follow and learn from Jesus. This would make them totally dependent on God, and they would have to learn to rely on and trust Him, forgetting their material possessions. The disciples would also have to set a good example because if people want to join the religion, they would want a good impression of what it was like, and look at them as role models. Jesus also told them that they were to leave a place if they were not welcome at an inn and 'shake the dust from their feet' as they left, ridding them of the thought of the place. The disciples were not exactly pressured to convert people to Christianity, most people converted of their own accord. In other words they were sent on a mission of preaching and teaching and not necessarily to convert. Modern Christians embark on their own missions, becoming missionaries, monks or nuns all over the world, and like the first disciples, do not make money or possessions control their life. Others have more local but just as equally important goals in Christian life such as serving the community, teaching the Gospel in this way.

Even though the followers Jesus chose were quite good, they did not always fully understand what it was to be a disciple. They were only human after all, and had been used to traditions handed down over generations. In Mark 9:33-37 some of the disciples ask Jesus who is the greatest among them. Jesus replies with two points, first saying "Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all." Then showing them a child, He said "Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me." Jesus wanted the disciples to have child-like qualities: trust and willingness to accept an order without question. In Mark 10:35-45 James and John come to Jesus and ask Him if they may sit on either side of Him in heaven. They completely misunderstood the meaning of what Jesus was trying to tell them, so Jesus explains that in order to be great you have to be a servant and suffer. All that James and John were thinking of was themselves looking good. This is an important message to modern Christians - you need to serve to be served.

In Mark 10:17-31, there is another lesson to be learnt. A rich young man asks Jesus "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" The reply was that he must give away all his money, committing himself to God. This shocked the young man, and he went away upset, because he thought it was his right to go to heaven because he was rich. This does not mean that no rich people can enter the Kingdom of God, simply that God would have to be the centre of your life, not money or earthly possessions. There are, however, other views. A fundamentalist would say that in order to inherit eternal life, a rich person would first have to give all their money away and become a nun or monk. A liberalist may argue that the money would have to be given to good causes, even though not directly. For example, the money could be used to set up jobs that help the public. Other people may think that if you are giving something as a sacrifice such as a gift or talent, it is as good as giving all your money to charity because you are helping someone.

Jesus said that the people who are first will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven, and those who are last will be first. This should be first and foremost in a modern disciple's mind.

"Is it not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world? Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought of more than one point of view."

There are many different opinions on what it takes to become a modern disciple. There are also many different ways in which you can become a modern disciple. Some take the word of the Gospel literally, the fundamentalists, and give up their possessions to become missionaries in order to spread the word of God. Others may not take the Gospel as literally, and spread the word in different ways such as serving other people.

One of the most important parts of discipleship is being faithful to your master, just as the disciples were to Jesus. This is easily possible for those who are committed enough to their cause.

People may think that another important part of discipleship is sacrifice, that is, sharing gifts and talents with others. Some people may be rich, so put their money to good use. Others may not be so wealthy, so may give their time to people in need. Even though making sacrifices is hard, it would be made easier by being committed to the cause, even for just a short period, such as Lent.

Jesus taught His disciples to put others before themselves. I think that this is another important quality in a disciple. Some people may make caring for others the centre of their lives by becoming a doctor or nurse, but everyone can care for their families and friends.

Another important point Jesus taught His disciples was 'love thy neighbour'. This would mean treating others as they would like to be treated themselves, with kindness. By loving enemies, a disciple would show that they are forgiving enough to live with them. There are lots of examples of people doing this, for example the race relations in South Africa.

In Mark 9:36-37, Jesus tells his disciples that He would like them to adopt child-like qualities such as being able to willingly follow orders and trust. This is another important quality of a disciple in my opinion because you need to be able to accept new things.

It is not easy to be a disciple in the modern world, the main distraction being money. People today generally regard money and material possessions as more important than God. They also may find it challenging to give money to charity because they may need to support their families first. Time is also a major factor - in today's busy world, many people need to work and often will not find the time to go to church or pray.

It would be impractical to think that modern disciples should be like the disciples of Jesus because we live in a world that has changed dramatically since the time of Jesus. However, the qualities of the first disciples should be the ones modern disciples should have.

Daniel Farrimond 11L