What is Discipleship?

           Jews have strict rules for their holy day. On the Sabbath day Jews were not allowed to work. Healing people was working, so when Jesus healed a person on the Sabbath day, the Apostles would have been confused. When Jesus healed the man with the paralysed hand he said to the disciples and the Jewish authorities.

“What does our law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save a mans life or to destroy it?”

Jesus had to teach the disciples new values. The apostles were given the power to remove demon’s to heal people anoint the sick and to evangelise (to teach people). They travelled in two’s and without money or possessions. They relied on hospitality. This was so they weren’t attacked, robbed and so they would not be compromised by material wealth.

The apostles did not always understand what it meant to be a disciple, they were only human and they made mistakes. Like in the frustration of Peter.

“Look, we have left everything and followed you.”  “Yes, and I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sister or mother or father or children of fields for me and for the Gospel, will receive much more, in this present age. He will receive eternal life.”

These statements mention the costs, the rewards for giving things up and suffering for God’s cause. It say’s the greatest reward is eternal life, but Peter didn’t realise this.

The disciples didn’t understand that they had to make great sacrifices, Jesus tells them in the request of James and John,

 “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I must drink? Can you be baptised in the way that I must be baptised.”

The Apostles misunderstood the main idea of being a disciple; they saw their job as not serving others but being awarded great honours and possessions.

These two Apostles still thought of the Messiah as a conquering King, and themselves as victorious warriors, not a peaceful teacher and servers. “Who ever wants to be first must place himself last of all and must be servant of all.” This quote teaches the Apostles how to behave. Jesus taught that there would be no status attached with being an Apostle. They would have to learn how to suffer like Jesus, to be humble, kind, abandon all selfishness and greed if they were to enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus tries to use children to teach the disciples about how they should act. (Mark 10:13-16) “I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Jesus is trying to tell them that all are welcome in his Kingdom, and that they should all be as open, trusting in God, the simple and natural welcome for the Kingdom of God that a child has.

This is unlike the Rich Man, (Mark 10:17-31) he couldn’t open his heart to God and wouldn’t give up his riches to follow Jesus. Being rich was making it harder for him to follow Jesus. Like in today’s society he didn’t want to live in poverty.

This amazed the Apostles because Jews regarded wealth as a sign of Gods favour. This conflicted with their Jewish beliefs.

Faith and prayer had a major role in a disciple’s life. In the story of the epileptic boy Jesus emphasises two points. When the boys farther asked Jesus to heal him Jesus says

“Everything is possible for the person who has faith.”

He also taught that prayer was the most important factor in a disciple’s life.

“Only prayer can drive this kind out, nothing else can.”

In this Jesus shows that in following him you would need to invest yourself in prayer. Through meditation and prayer a disciple can grow in their faith and commitment.

A disciple is a person who follows and learns. They are people who will face many challenges, will be a servant of others, will have to make sacrifices, must follow the instructions of Jesus, and this is still true today. People today are called to do the work of God by their vocations (things they are suited to do) and baptism.

Today we carry out vocations through the seven sacraments. Sacraments are a religious act with special inner meaning. The seven sacraments are the sacraments of baptism, conformation, communication, reconciliation, marriage, and the sacrament of the sick.

   Some people even make the sacrament of the holy Orders. 

Christians today might give up everything and take the sacrament of Holy Orders and become a monk, priest, or nun. Christians can become Laity’s or Eucharistic ministers, and live like the Apostles but still being able to have a family and live with all the modern comforts of today’s society. However Christians can be disciples by just living by the law’s Jesus taught.

          Christians have a responsibility to live by the Ten Commandments and to love each other. Jesus taught the disciples that they should try to improve the life of others with kindness sharing and compassion. That’s what disciples today should be trying to do.

 Christians also have a responsibility to help not only in their local parish and try to help out the Christian community farther a field.

 Many give money to different organisations. Other people give their time to charities like the S.V.P. and Oxfam.

 Disciples today are given help, if they travel to another parish or perhaps a different country families their will take them inn. This helps them financially. Some people even give up their jobs, just like the apostles, to travel to third world countries or anywhere in the world and help the people there. Disciples today teach and preach by example, if they live a life like the church wants us to people can see how beneficial it could be.

Mother Teresa, Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are all modern-day disciples. They have all made a difference in our world. Martin Luther King Jr is also a modern day disciple who has changed the world in an extraordinary way. Martin Luther King was one of these people.

Martin Luther King was an African American who campaigned for equal rights for blacks in America, he helped end legal segregation of blacks in the southern states and through out the united states, in the 1950‘s and 60’s. Unusually he only used and promoted non-violent protest and tactics. Martin Luther King was a member of the Southern Christian Leader Conference were he rose to national importance. He was faced with terrible prejudice. He and his follower’s were up against a very violent opposition. He was assassinated on April 4th 1968 by a snipers bullet when standing on a balcony of a motel by a man called James Earl Ray. He was only 39 years old.

Martin Luther King battled racism prejudice and hatred so that black people could have equal opportunities and a better standard of life, he and his followers fought for dignity and freedom from oppression, that they had suffered for hundreds of years.