What is meant by the term 'discipleship'?

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Carly Smart

Re theology

Discipleship essay

1a) what is meant by the term ‘discipleship’?

A disciple is someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another. A Disciple is a follower of John the Baptist, but principally a follower of Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who believes his doctrine, rests on his sacrifice, imbibes his spirit, and imitates his example. In taking on these actions a person is showing discipleship. There are many demands of discipleship, Jesus asks his ‘disciples to take up his cross’ If a disciple does this they are agreeing to lead the same life as Jesus did and to suffer as he did. A Disciple should be prepared to give up everything to follow the lord. This does not mean literally give them up but to put everything second to the Lord. Disciples must be willing to do these things in order to gain the rewards of discipleship. To gain the rewards will not be easy for any disciple as just as Jesus warned them that they will be dragged before kings and governors for his sake. Which mean all disciples will be faced with persecution.

The rewards of discipleship are as Jesus promised. If a disciple looses their life for Jesus or acknowledges Jesus despite danger they will be acknowledged in Heaven. Jesus passes on his authority to the disciples. Jesus promises the disciples that all believers will ‘cast out demons…speak in new tongues…pick up serpents…lay their hand on the sick and they will recover’ Jesus gives disciples the holy spirit and offers a quality of peace that is only possible through faith. All those who believe will have their prayers answered and no one is excluded from gaining these rewards as everyone is welcome to be a disciple of Christ.

b) Outline and examine the teaching of Jesus concerning the nature of discipleship in Luke’s Gospel.

Jesus not only taught the disciples through speech but also in his actions. Throughout Luke’s Gospels Jesus has preformed many miracles these were examples through actions that delivered messages to the disciples. In Luke we see the calling of the first disciples Peter, James and John. Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, he saw two boats by the lake but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He told the fishermen to “put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” Simon answered “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought the Jesus wanted to use this occasion to teach his disciples an important lesson. Although Simon was wearied from a fruitless night, he nonetheless pressed upon Jesus for his word of command: At your word I will let down the nets (Lk 5:1-11)

. This incident tells us an important truth about how God works in and through us for his glory. God expects of us greater things than we can do by ourselves. When we cooperate in his works, we accomplish far beyond what we can do on our own. When people respond to God's word with faith and obedience they are changed and made "a new creation" in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Jesus speaks message to his disciples: we will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to ...

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. This incident tells us an important truth about how God works in and through us for his glory. God expects of us greater things than we can do by ourselves. When we cooperate in his works, we accomplish far beyond what we can do on our own. When people respond to God's word with faith and obedience they are changed and made "a new creation" in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Jesus speaks message to his disciples: we will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. Jesus was teaching that God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live and speak.

Luke’s Gospel has been called the universal salvation because it indicates that anyone is welcome in the eyes of God. Jesus Tried to show this in many ways, he was constantly communicating with people that society did not like. This was another important lesson disciples must learn. The calling of Levis shows this. (Lk 5:27-32) After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he left everything, and rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." People in Palestine were divided into roughly two groups: the orthodox Jews who rigidly kept the law and all its petty regulations, and the rest who didn't keep all the minute regulations. The orthodox treated the latter like second class citizens. They scrupulously avoided their company, refused to do business with them, refused to give or receive anything from them, refused to intermarry, and avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship. Jesus' association with the latter, especially with tax collectors and sinners, shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews. Jesus wanted to show that all were welcome to become disciples and that his disciples should treat everyone the same whether or not there are seen to be outcasts in society. One of the main demands of discipleship is that God comes before riches, friends and family. In Lk 9:21-27 Jesus poses some probing questions to challenge the disciple’s assumptions about what is most profitable and worthwhile. In every decision of life we are making ourselves a certain kind of person.

But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Jesus asks the question: “what will a person give in exchange for his life”? Everything we have is a gift from God. We owe him everything including our very own lives. It is possible to give God our money. But not ourselves. A true disciple gladly gives up everything he has for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. Jesus teaches that the cross of Christ leads to victory and freedom from sin and death. In (Lk 9:57:62) Jesus was honest in telling people what it would cost to be a disciple. When a would- be disciple approached Jesus and said he was ready to follow, Jesus told him it would require sacrifice -- the sacrifice of certain creaturely comforts. Jesus appealed to this man's heart and told him to detach himself from whatever might hold him back. Another would-be disciple said he would follow as soon as he had buried his father. What he meant by this expression was that he felt the need to return to his home to take care of his father through old age until he died. The third had no obligation to return home, but simply wanted to go back and say good- bye. Jesus surprised these would-be disciples with the stark truth that nothing should hinder us from following the Lord. We are free to decide whether we will take the path which Jesus offers. But if we choose to go, then the Lord wants us to count the cost and choose for it freely.

C) Consider the significance of this teaching for the original readers of the Gospel?

When Luke’s Gospel was written in 70 AD there was trouble for the people of Israel. People started lacking in hope and faith those times could get better. The fall of Jerusalem together with the destruction of most of the people and of the temple in AD 70 is a limited although dreadful judgement upon the people of Jerusalem. It is limited in time to the generation of Jesus day and it was limited to the area of Judea. It came because of the Jews consistent rejection of the prophets who died in Jerusalem and in particular their rejection of Jesus who was crucified just outside Jerusalem. Not only the leaders but also the people themselves called for the crucifixion of Jesus, preferring to have Caesar as their king and the murderer Barabbas released instead of Jesus. In fact both Jews and Gentiles were implicated in the death of Christ. The Jews represented by the high priest and the Gentiles represented by the Roman governor Pilate, who ordered the execution, and the Roman soldiers who carried it out. After the resurrection and Pentecost the Jews continued to persecute Christians and to reject the gospel and so in the end the gospel was preached to the Gentiles who accepted it and inherited all the benefits promised to Abraham's offspring. And God fulfilled his promise to Abraham that 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' Gen 22:18, Acts 3:25 A great persecutions of Christians by Jews arose in Jerusalem so that Christians fled Jerusalem. Luke’s Gospel gave all people hope, as said before it gave universal salvation. All people were welcome whether they had been seen as outcasts before. The Gospel gave the people something to have faith in and gave great comfort to them knowing God would help them through the bad times. The teachings of discipleship showed the people how to change and live in order to seek the rewards. Jesus taught that by listening to the good news and following the way they would always be protected from evil as the good news is Gods light that both exposes darkness and evil and overcomes hatred with love, pride with humility and pretence with integrity and truthfulness. At the troubled times Jesus taught his disciples to not be afraid “ I tell you , my friends , do not fear those who kill the body and after have no more that they can do”

He teaches the disciples to trust in God when faced with problems. (Lk 22-31) And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Jesus commands his disciples not be anxious about anything. Jesus uses the illustration of nature — the birds and the flowers — to show how God provides for them in the natural order of his creation. How much more can we, as his children, rely upon God's providential care. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. These messages would have helped the original readers to see hard times as times where God would be with them and would help them no matter what they were facing and what their needs were. For as long as they believed in him and followed him they would gain the rewards.