"When Jesus walked among humankind there was a certain simplicity to being a disciple. Primarily it meant to go with him, in an attitude of study, obedience, and imitation. There were no correspondence courses. One know what to do and what it would cost. Simon Peter exclaimed: "Look, we've left everything for long periods to go with Jesus as he walked from one place to place announcing, showing and explaining the governance of God. Disciples had to be with him to learn how to do what he did....
Discipleship Now... We cannot literally be with him inthe same way as his first disciples could. But the priorities and intentions-the heart or inner attitudes- of disciples are forever the same. In the heart of a disciple there is a desire, and there is a decision or settled intent. The disciple of Christ desires above all else to be like him...
Given the desire, usually produced by the lives and words of those already in The Way, there is yet a decision to be make: the decision to devote oneself to becoming like Christ. The disciple is one who, intent upon becoming Christlike and so dwelling in his "faith and practice," systematically and progressively rearranges his affairs to that end. By these actions, even today, one who enrolls in Christ's training, becomes his pupil or disciple.
Discipleship can be made concrete by loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us, walking the second mile with an oppressor-in general, living out the gracious inward transformations of faith, hope, and love. Such acts-carried out by the disciplined person with manifest grace, peace and joy-make discipleship no less tangible and shocking today than were those desertions of long ago.
Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul...The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest possibilities and as life on the highest plan."
No comments:
Post a Comment