When Jesus called Levi people questioned Jesus ‘why does he eat with such people’ (mk2.16). Levi was a tax collector and because of that was seen as an outcast to society. Jews hated tax collectors since they worked for the Romans who were regarded as the enemy. Being an outcast meant you were excluded from society, people would you and life could be lonely. To be chosen as a disciple you needed to be strong as not everyone would welcome their beliefs and teachings; discipleship could be lonely. When Jesus call Levi it explains that Jesus had no favourites, he came for everybody including outcasts. ‘people who are well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts’ (mk .17).
When Jesus chose the 12 he went up a hill; this was a sign to illustrate that the disciples will be close to God. We also learn that Jesus gave the disciples instructions. Jesus chose 12 apostles because in the Old Testament there were 12 tribes of Israel; these were the leaders of the community. The disciples however were going to be the leaders of the new community. Apostle means “a messenger”; Jesus knew that he would be sending the apostles out with the message of ‘Good News’. The first twelve were disciples because they chose to learn from him and carry on his. Jesus’ instructions were straight forward ‘I will send you out to preach and drive out demon’ (mk .14). He also asks the disciples to be his companion and to learn from him. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, in the Old Testament if you were to change someone’s name it meant they had been given a special task.
When Jesus sent out the twelve he sent them out in pairs, ‘and sent them out two by two’ ( mk .7). This meant for protection, safety and also companionship. They were instructed to go out and share the good news; he also told them what to take with them ‘a stick-no bread, no beggars’ bag, no money in your pockets. Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt’. They were told to travel light so they would all be equal and not to slow them down. It also shows how discipleship is about depending on others and having faith in God. These instructions were somewhat harder than the others because they would have to sacrifice.
The instructions Jesus gives to the disciple in Jesus appears to the eleven are different because Jesus has just been killed for doing exactly what he is telling them to do. Also they didn’t have faith in Jesus since they didn’t believe he had come back to life, this shows that discipleship often means suffering and sometimes even death. Jesus’ instructions were difficult; they had to go throughout the whole world and preach. However we do learn that disciples will be protected from harm.
There are many costs in being a disciple, three most essential costs are “Forget self”, “carry cross” and “follow me”. To forget self the disciples needed to put others needs before there own as Jesus says in the request of James and John. The disciples instantly responded to one of the others costs, “follow me” in Jesus calls four fishermen. They were expected to leave everything instantly to follow Jesus and they did. One of the most challenging costs of discipleship is “carry cross”. The disciples must learn to accept suffering even if it leads to death.
The cost that links with all the others is “sacrifice”. In the passage ‘A Rich Young Man’ it teaches us that everybody who follows Jesus gives up all they have. In ‘the widows offering’ Jesus praises the women for giving everything that she possesses to her people and a source of God by giving her money into the collection. Being a disciple means giving it your all.
Discipleship is often thought of as difficult and challenging. The disciples can’t always get everything right for example in the passage ‘who is the greatest?’ it shows us how the disciples misunderstood the fact that one of the costs is to forget self. However Jesus teaches us that discipleship is about putting others before you “whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be servant of all” this explains that if you put others before yourself you will be rewarded for this afterwards.
Another point which reveals that disciples still have their faults is that they misunderstand “forget self” and “carry cross” in the request of James and John. In this passage Jesus shows us that discipleship is about suffering and to forget self; Jesus did this. Disciples are Christ followers and we should follow his example. In this passage ‘Jesus heals a boy with an evil spirit’ the disciples fail to drive the demon out because they under-estimated the power of faith and prayer. Jesus shows that faith in God is significant.
The rewards of Discipleship are more worthwhile than anything they had sacrificed to be a follower of Christ ‘anyone who leaves home or brothers or mother or father or children or fields for me…’ ‘he will receive a hundred times more house, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children and fields (mk10 28-31) this explains that yes, although they left their family and homes…etc, everybody will be their family and everywhere will be their home because people will welcome them into their own homes. Also they ‘will receive eternal life (mk10.31). By following Christ some sacrificed their life, but what this passage says is that they will receive eternal life with God.
