The meaning of Discipleship, For the first Disciples.
The meaning of Discipleship,
For the first Disciples.
In this essay, I am to define the meaning of discipleship for the first disciples. The word disciple is derived from the Latin discipulus meaning pupil or learner. In Mark's gospel there is reference to the disciples of the Pharisees 2:19 and the followers of John the Baptist were known as disciples. Although Jesus was not officially recognized as a teacher he was popularly known as teacher or rabbi 8:5, 11:21 and his associates were known as disciples. The word could be used to describe all those who responded to his message but it generally refers to a select twelve named in 3:16-19, who were all called personally by Jesus. To be a disciple then meant an exclusive loyalty to Jesus and readiness to put Jesus first whatever the cost. He chose the disciples in order to train them to share in his work of preaching and healing, and to eventually carry on his mission after he had departed. In a sense he was to live on in them. Such an attitude goes well beyond a normal pupil-teacher relationship, giving the word disciple a whole new meaning.
Teachers around the time when Jesus lived thought that learning was such that the people who wanted to learn should come to them to be taught. Jesus felt differently and rather than waiting for people to come to him, he went out to find them and then chose them to be his followers. He called them disciples. At the start of Jesus' vocation, he chose 12 disciples. This is very significant, because the 12 represents the 12 tribes of Israel and it is also the Jewish number of perfection. These 12 were not, as one may expect, "model citizens", or even senior men of the church, (Pharisees and Sadducees). Among their number, were Matthew, who was Levi, a corrupt tax collector, Simon the Zealot, a terrorist who had killed many Romans, James and John, sons of Zebedee, nicknamed Boanerges (Sons of thunder) directly implying that they were short tempered and impatient, and last but not least, Judas, the man who betrayed Jesus to the Romans.
The very first disciples were Simon, Andrew, James and John. The four were two sets of brothers and both sets were fishermen. Jesus said to them:
"Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
(Mark 1:17)
Immediately, they left their things and followed a man they hardly knew. This shows that they were willing to give up everything for someone who they hardly knew or could trust. In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls up the fifth disciple, Levi who was a tax collector, and Jesus later renamed him Matthew. But Levi was not called in the same way as the other four disciples. Jesus was with him at the tax collector's booth and Jesus simply said,
"Follow ...
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"Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
(Mark 1:17)
Immediately, they left their things and followed a man they hardly knew. This shows that they were willing to give up everything for someone who they hardly knew or could trust. In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls up the fifth disciple, Levi who was a tax collector, and Jesus later renamed him Matthew. But Levi was not called in the same way as the other four disciples. Jesus was with him at the tax collector's booth and Jesus simply said,
"Follow me" (Mark 2:14)
and he rose and followed Jesus.
When Jesus chose his apostles, there were two unusual choices: Levi and Simon the Zealot. Levi was a strange choice because he was a tax collector who had managed to get more money out of people than they needed to pay and so many people hated him. Simon the Zealot was an unusual choice as he was a Zealot and although they had a strong belief in god, they hated the Romans, and being ruled by foreigners.
Peter was probably the disciple who Jesus felt most strongly for. Peter was the first disciple that Jesus chose and his name was changed from Simon to Peter, a name meaning 'rock'. Peter is not really an important character in Mark's gospel until we reach Mark 8:27-30. In this passage, Jesus takes his disciples around various villages and whilst they are traveling, he asks them:
"Who do you say I am?"
(Mark 8:29)
Many disciples replied with names such as the Messiah, Elijah. Jesus then asked them again and Peter said,
"You are the Christ."
(Mark 8:29)
This shows us that Peter had a strong faith in Jesus for him to say, Jesus was the Christ. Peter was very devoted and committed to Jesus and he always had a strong devotion to God.
The choice of his disciples shows that the kingdom of God is open to everybody, not just "modern day saints" or the violently devout. It showed people of the time that you didn't have to be perfect, blameless, and sinless to inherit the kingdom of God. It also showed that God forgives everyone, unconditionally, if you repent.
To be a disciple, required making personal sacrafices, as shown in Marks' gospel:
"...Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven, then come, follow me."
Jesus was a suffering servant, the Son of Man. For a disciple to be a good Christian, they must be like Christ. Therefore, they must suffer, and serve, and sacrifice.
To be considered a true disciple, you still have to live by the rules set by Jesus, 2000 years ago. Many modern day disciples are said to have vocations, (a vocation is a calling, often a religious one, to a certain type of job, or lifestyle), such as priests, or others in the religious orders.
The challenge of discipleship is to strive to act like Jesus, when he was on Earth. Jesus strived to live up to his values, at times he failed, at times he felt like giving up, but he didn't. He carried on, regardless of the danger to his own life around every corner. The disciples, again, fail many times during Marks' gospel; most notably in the garden of Gethsemane, when they all fell asleep several times, despite Jesus' request that they stand guard, and after the crucifixion, when Peter, one of the first, denied that he even knew Jesus.
The disciples called by Jesus had the faults of ordinary men..."
(Witness in a Pagan World by Eric Johns and David Major)
In the mission of the twelve, Jesus calls them to him and sends them out in two's saying that they have the authority over evil spirits. (Mk 6:7-13) They were sent out in two's for their own safety but also so that they had a companion. He then said,
"Take nothing for the journey except staff - no bread, no bag
and no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra
tunic. Whenever you enter a house stay there until you leave
that town, and if any place will not welcome you, shake the dust
off your feet" (Mk 6:8-11).
They were told these things, because they had to rely on other people and God if they were to need something, they should be humble and go to someone for help. They were to have faith that their needs would be provided for them. They were told that when they were not welcome in a house they had to shake the dust off their feet. This was an old tradition as the Jews would do as they crossed the border into their own country, so that the Holy Land would not be contaminated by Gentile dust from their feet. By saying this, he was reminding them that this persecution might set them free.
The mission means that the disciples must face either rejection or acceptance and we can see many qualities displayed by the twelve disciples. They have to rely on other people for they set out with nothing but the word of God in their hearts.
When Jesus tells the disciples about the cost of discipleship (Mark 8:27-33) he means that they should be prepared to put God and his commandments first before anything else, and they must be prepared to suffer for their beliefs. Jesus told them that the most important commandment is
"Love God and your neighbour as yourself," (Exodus 20: 3-17)
and many disciples throughout the ages have made many sacrifices to try and put this teaching into practice.
When Jesus says:
"If anyone would come after me, they must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me,"
(Mk 8:27-33)
he means that by denying oneself they must put themselves last in everything, have no care about their own life, and have no desire for rights or privileges, except that of belonging to God. When Jesus said to take up the cross, we can assume that because we all have a cross to bear, we should take up our vocation, and that means for us to follow Jesus regardless of the sacrifices we have to make.
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
(Mk 10: 24-25.)
Jesus tells the disciples this because they feel that they have given everything up to be with Jesus, but really, what they have given up is nothing in comparison to the harder things that some people who want to in the kingdom of God have to give up. In the story of the Widow's Offering, the rich man puts a large amount of money into the collection box but the widow puts in all she has. It is clear that the widow is offering more because she is giving up all she has. But it is not the money that is the most important; it is the selfless giving that is of much more significance.
On many occasions the disciples misunderstood the path they are supposed to follow and they misunderstand their role as disciples, and on many occasions, Jesus has had to correct them. Their role was very difficult and they were not always able to deal with a situation in the correct state of mind. In Mark 9:33-37, the disciples are arguing about whom is the greatest disciple and Jesus has to tell them,
"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last,
and the servant of all."
(Mark 9:35)
It was here that Jesus taught his disciples the difference between greatness and humility, and that they were here on earth to serve others. Another example of the disciples misunderstanding their role is when James and John ask that Jesus reserve a place for them in heaven, at his left and right hand. Jesus has to correct them and tell them these places are not granted by him, but
"These places belong to those whom they have been
prepared."
(Mark 10:40)
It is here that Jesus tells them there is a clear difference between his suffering and others and he tells them this after he predicts his death for the second time. Jesus then had to begin to teach the meaning of discipleship to them again, after they misunderstood.
He has shown his disciples the way of his word through his own example. True disciples are true followers of Jesus Christ.