The Discipleship Model

Somehow in the life and lessons of Jesus the model that he portrays gets lost. I am not saying all Christians have missed this concept. I am just saying that; myself and many others could have greatly benefited from a genuine discipleship. Not only is this modeled by Jesus Christ, but it is fairly common throughout society where the passing of knowledge is needed. The protege, apprentice, trainee, learner, cadet, pupil, or disciple is nothing new. In this modern information age people have stopped teaching each other in informal settings. Humans believe in the search for self awareness. The kind that you can find without being forced to have a meaningful relationship with others. What good could happen in this world if we could not just share our goods; but our knowledge, time, and emotional support? The first thing Jesus did upon finishing the Father’s training was to seek a specific group of men to train as well. (Matthew 4:17-22) The exact circumstances of the first calling of disciples varies from source to source, however all agree that upon Jesus return from the desert he began preaching and gathering disciples. Jesus did not announce his greatness and then tell everyone what was right according to him. This is unfortunately what happened to the Medieval Church. When the Roman Empire fell the public centers of learning it funded fell as well. Literacy was only for the wealthy and devout clergyman. The Church saw the power they held and it took many years and much bloodshed before Martin Luther was able to present a printed Bible in a common language. While the knowledge is accessible for self examination it does not mean the model Jesus gave us is no longer needed. He did not just give knowledge; He gave an example to follow. Any mature Christian watching a young Christian floundering in despair should be ashamed of themselves. Where is your example? Jesus didn’t pick twelve men and hope they noticed how he dealt with things. He said, “follow me.” Of course then you have to decide who to disciple. Our instinct would lead us to the easy ones to disciple. “I could be friends with that person,” is what we say to ourselves. (Matthew 9:9-13) The Priests were puzzled by Jesus choice of disciples. From their viewpoint it would make more sense for him to be hanging around them. Jesus chose his disciples by need not want or comfort. In his own words, “the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. I came here for the sinners not the righteous.” Some will say, “ I’m not against this discipleship thing. Anyone who wants to be discipled is welcome to come to me.” Well, here is the truth as I see it in the Word of God. In the parable of the sower Jesus spoke of the man who grasped the message and the harvest from his one seed brought forth a multitude of fruit. How do you think that happens? (Matthew 13:23) In Jesus’ ministry he allowed anyone who wanted to learn from him to follow him. They came to be disciples and Jesus was more than happy to share what he knew. (John 6:66-70) He spoke openly with the Twelve He chose and when the lessons he taught got too hard for the others he turned to the Twelve and said, “Don’t you want to leave?”  When they said no, Jesus replied, “That’s why I chose you twelve.....” It’s time for more guidance from our elders. With the exception of God’s own hand I have had a pilgrimage devoid of guidance. How many have we lost because we didn’t follow them through maturity as a follower of Christ?