They should not be arrogant, but tolerant to others, they should be aware of such things as temptation, obsession, wealth and power. They were to have no spare money, no extra clothes but simply the faith of good Samaritans who would welcome them into their houses.
A disciple's main job is to imitate the life of Christ. Like him, they were to preach the good news, to drive out evil spirits, and be obedient and faithful. At one point, in the beginning, as he was picking out his disciples,
he said to the four fishermen, "Come, follow me and I'll make you great fishers of men." Here, I believe he meant, how to catch people and point them towards the Kingdom of God, basically help them help themselves.
One of the surprising aspects, was that when he called out to his disciples, the fishermen left all of their possession such as family, friends, property etc…just to follow this stranger. This shows that they're willing instantly; same with Levi, the tax collector who was chosen fifth. When Jesus said to him at the booth "Follow me." Those simple two words seemed to have made a big impact on Levi who according to (Mark 2- 14) "rose and followed Jesus."
These five men responded immediately to Jesus, but it seems that Jesus had some kind of authority, which caused them to act quickly and willingly. This is one of the many tests the disciples encountered. These truly define the purest, deepest nature of discipleship.
The easy parts are not what makes your faith stronger; it's when you prove yourself, and build your character and make your faith that little bit more solid. "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Mark 12, 30) This shows that to enter the Kingdom of God, you must leave self behind and put oneself last in all things. Discipleship is a commitment, not only to God, to Jesus, to the crowd, but to yourself is more important. It shows that you have faith and you'll survive through obedience and willingness. This, I believe is the true beauty of giving yourself away when accepting to be like Jesus.
Being loyal, truthful, giving time and effort as much as possible into helping others less fortunate than ourselves. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven, then come and follow me." (Mark 10- 21-22)
For a disciple to be a true Christian, they must be like Christ; therefore, they must suffer, serve, and sacrifice. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." (Mark 10: 43-44)
Another surprising aspect is that Jesus chose only ordinary people and sinners to be his disciples they don't have to be well-educated or clever, he only chooses those who are willing to follow and who he knows have the qualities of a true Christian disciple.
The choice of his disciples shows that the Kingdom of God is open to anyone ; not just priests, teachers, and doctors. It shows that the people around that time didn't have to be perfect and sinless to inherit the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus sent out his disciples, he always used to send them out in two's. Perhaps, for their own safety but it could also be that they would need a companion on their journeys. In my personal opinions, I do not think the first disciples were prepared nor ready for the many tests laid before them.
As time passed, they made quite a few mistakes; they misunderstood the true path they have to follow and their role as disciples. Jesus had to teach them right from wrong many times and he corrected them.
However, we can relate to this because their role is a difficult one and it is not often easy to deal with a situation the fair and right way. But I believe they learned from their faults and mended them so that they would become better disciples. In the end, they all got there as most of them died for Jesus through their strong faith in him.
The missions of the disciples were to drive out evil spirits and demons, also to heal the sick but most importantly to preach the good news about the Kingdom of God. So basically, most of the main things Jesus was sent to Earth for. They were to copy him and do as he did.
Mostly, the main point of the disciple's mission was that they must face either rejection or acceptance. They have to rely on others to supply them with their needs because everyone was to help each other out so that the Kingdom of God would shine through. " For they set out with nothing but the word of God in their hearts.
When Jesus tells them about the cost of discipleship, he means that they should be prepared and ready to accept anything thrown at them unexpectedly because of their faith and mission. He tells them that the
most important commandment is "Love God and your neighbours as yourself." Many disciples made sacrifices to put their teaching from God into practise.
Denying yourself means to leave yourself and your properties as well as your loved ones, for the sake of God. To leave everything that you own and ask no questions; taking up the cross means, taking up and imitating the life of Jesus.
The reward of discipleship is told in (Mark 10:29-30) "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or their family for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age and in the age to come- eternal life." The meaning of this reward is that, whatever you give up now to be with Jesus and to enter the Kingdom of God; you'll receive a hundred times better at a later stage- eternal life in heaven.
In conclusion, and aspect which has made a big impression on me is at "The calling of the first disciples." The men respond almost immediately, without thinking, without knowing what they were in for, without complaint at the beginning when they learn what a disciple is and what they were to do.
Another aspect is one which hasn't been mentioned above, this aspect will not be explained thoroughly in this coursework but it still has made a personal impact on me. It was the fact that, even though Jesus befriended women, he still didn't choose not even one to be one of his most loyal disciples. Some people say that, although he didn't choose them at first, he chose them later to be witnesses as disciples at his resurrection. Here we're talking about Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. These women were the first even to discover Jesus' resurrection and they were appointed by the angel to go and tell the good news to everyone who would listen and believe them.
This has led me to believe that discipleship was actually equal and balanced in the eyes of Jesus. Both men and women played important parts in Jesus' life and his resurrection.
