Lesson 42
What is Discipleship Anyway?
Luke 25-35
The question that arises every time I see the word disciple is does that describe who I am. Several years ago a video was given to me as I prepared to lead a small group. It was produced by Focus on the Family. The title was “In the dust of the rabbi.” Ray Vander Laan, a historian and teacher hosted the series. He led a guided tour through a number of sites where many of the events of the Bible took place. The question that haunts me from that video is, do I have what it takes to be a disciple. Many of us have attended church from a young age and have been even been baptized. That however does not make a person a disciple in the truest form of its meaning. I will leave the explanation as we get into the text itself. Sadly for me I did not understand discipleship beyond being a good church member. I certainly did not grow as I should have for many years and still am working out my salvation with fear and trembling.
Churches all over the country are full of people who have no clue what it means to truly follow Christ. All we have to do look at the biblical illiteracy that is so pervasive throughout the church. It is difficult to know what it means to be a disciple if we do not even have the discipline to study His word. Any organization that does not know what they are to be doing or how to produce the product that they are selling will soon fail. Churches no longer impact society because we have compromised with the world and watered down the basic doctrine of the faith. Peter called us to be able to give the reason we are Christians. It is obvious by the small number of people who are being drawn to Christ that we are falling short even in this area. One other thing that stands out is our inability to disciple and help to maturity those who are new believers.
In the following verses Jesus gave a clear picture of the beginning of the process toward becoming a true disciple. What He has to say should shake every one of us to the core of our being.
Luke 14:25
At this point in His ministry Jesus was still very popular with the people. As the possession moved toward Jerusalem many probably believed that He was on His way to claim His kingdom and dispose of the hated Romans. Like citizens of today there was not such loyalty to Him as to a hope to be freed to live their lives in peace. As He was going along He paused and turned them as He had so many times before to share some teaching with them. In what follows He was not speaking to the religious leaders in particular or His disciples who had already committed their lives to Him but to everyone who was present.
- Why was Jesus still popular with the people? (He was still doing what He had been doing, healing and teaching.)
- What was the hope that each of them had?
- What did they hope would happen when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem?
- In what ways were they like us? (We look to religious and political leaders to make the world a better place in which to live. This means being able to live in peace and happiness with no one to bother us.)
- Why did Jesus need to deal with this misconception? (He needed to head off the chaos that might occur once the caravan reached Jerusalem which could lead to open conflict with and defeat at the hands of the Romans.
Luke 14:26
His words to crowd must have startled them. Many of the things He had said were about others like the religious leaders, tax collectors etc. Now He brought close to home what it meant to be a disciple. He said that anything or anyone, including members of one’s own family came before Him would disqualify a person from being a disciple.
Ray Vander Laan, mentioned before, gives an insightful description of a disciple. The Hebrew word is talmid. In the Jewish religion a talmid who was one who had been to the synagogue school but had a desire to go further in his study of the Scriptures. He would approach a rabbi who he admired and asked for the privilege of learning from him. He wanted to be exactly his rabbi. For the next several years he would devote his entire life to the rabbi until he had learned all that the man could teach at that point he himself would become a rabbi.
The difference between the Jews and the process Jesus used to achieve the same goal was the method by which a man became a disciple. Where the a young man asked the rabbi if he would allow him to be his talmid, Jesus was the One who chose those He believed had the potential to be entrusted with His work after He was resurrection. Jesus saw them a passion of men that would be men who would be willing to spend every hour of every day with Him to learn from Him.
- Why would the crowd be startled by what Jesus said?
- What was the challenge presented to the people?
- What is the challenge that His words would have for us today?
- What is meant by the word talmid?
- What are the things in your life that would indicate that you either are or are not a talmid?
- How do you want to be just like Jesus?
Luke 14:27
The next challenge Jesus placed before the people called for identification with His most difficult event of His life. The cross was the most humiliating thing that could happen to anyone. It meant public disgrace and the most horrific death imaginable. The events of Passion Week will be covered in more detail when we study those chapters in Luke. Jesus was calling the people to be willing to identify with Him even it meant they must face the same things that He did. Many would be martyred for His sake. If one was not willing to identify with His death on the cross then they could not be His disciple. This verse has been abused by many. It does not mean suffering because of sickness or problems brought on by living in this world. It is all about Christ and man’s willingness to suffer alongside Him.
- What did Jesus mean by a person taking up his own cross?
- What does it mean to identify with the cross of Jesus?
- In what ways do you believe that you have identified with this idea?
- How have we sometimes misinterpreted this verse?
- Why do illnesses or problems not have anything to do with the cross?
Luke 14:28-30
Jesus followed with two examples that would point out using the mind in one’s approach to discipleship. The first is a picture of a man who needed to make sure he could complete a tower that would sit in his vineyard. To fail would bring disgrace to him as others would see that he had not planned well.
- What is Jesus saying with this example? (Discipleship is not just an emotional exercise but must be thought though carefully.)
- What can bring failure to a person who does not approach a commitment carefully?
- Why is the decision to follow Jesus more than emotional?
- What are examples that we today have not counted the cost of what a commitment to Jesus mans?
- In is the damage that can come from failing to following through on a decision?
Luke 14:31-32
The second instance points out the fact that one should understand the cost of doing battle for the Lord. One who is not strong enough to remain committed is better off not claiming that he is a disciple. The world is going to be a difficult place for a true disciple. To pretend to be what one is not will bring shame to the church.
- In what way is this like the first example? (It is all about commitment.)
- Why is it important for a man to weigh the odds before getting involved in the fray?
- How does this second example also hurt the church?
- How have you weighed the decision to enter into God’s service?
Luke 14:33
Jesus summarizes what He said and emphasized how He had be first place in each person’s life. He had just spoken of that what was most dear to a person, his family. Finally He said if there is anything that a person is not willing to give up for the sake of following Him cannot be His disciple.
- Why does He leave this admonishment to the end? (Ultimately, it usually what we possess that trips us up. Jobs, position, things can become our gods.)
- What are the things that you may not be willing to give up?
- How can we make sure that things do not take the place of Jesus?
- How can we use what we have to glorify God?
Luke 14:34-35a
Salt was a very important ingredient in the days of Jesus. With no refrigeration it was the one way that a family could preserve foods over a period of time. The other thing that salt does is to provide flavor to what is eaten. Salt cannot really lose the ability to do either. Jesus used it as a metaphor for the life of those who might follow Him. If man loses the commitment to influence the world and point out those things that are in opposition to God it is no longer carrying out the purpose for which it was established. Each man is to bring a quality to his environment that displays the love of God for all people. To become self-centered defeats what God is trying to accomplish. If a church fails in either of these attributes it may as well close its doors.
- What does salt do?
- How is it a picture of what the church is called to be?
- What is the danger of losing these qualities?
- In what ways have you seen this happen?
- How can we become self-centered?
- What does it imply? (We are not truly disciples.)
Luke 14:35b
There would be those there that day who would be willing truly become His talmid. They were those who listened with a discerning mind. John MacArthur in his book “The Truth War” spoke of those individuals as having the skills of spiritual discernment. Those skills are “careful thought, keen interest, thorough analysis, close observation, alertness, attentiveness, thoughtfulness and above all a love of truth.” (pg. 213) Others would hear and realize that kind of life was not for them. There would have also been those who would totally reject the words of Jesus and turn away from Him. They may have been some who would a short time later call for His crucifixion.
- What did Jesus mean by having ears to hear? (An openness to what He called them to be.)
- Which of the people mentioned are found in churches today?
- What would be the characteristics of each of them?
- What is the danger to the church of those who may even be members who are willing to become disciples?
- What are the qualities are those who had ears to hear?
- Think about the place Christ has in your heart.
- Consider all the things that may be in the way of your love for Christ and decide if you are willing to put them aside.
- Decide if your heart is passionate enough to be a true disciple of Christ.
- Count the cost of what it takes to be a disciple.
- Open your heart and mind to what Christ has said in His word.
- Look at the qualities mentioned by John MacArthur as to one who has spiritual discernment.
- Ask yourself if you are willing to put forth the effort to truly follow Christ in the manner of a Jewish talmid.
In order for the church to begin to change the lives it must head the words of Christ concerning the characteristics of a true disciple. We have for too long allowed ourselves to drift away from an earnest search for the truth and commit ourselves to following it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of easy Christianity in his book “Cost of Discipleship.” Recently Christian leaders have become concerned with our lack of understanding of the gospel narrative. We are now facing a crucial time in which we need to no longer do church as usual but commit ourselves to serving Him with our total being. Let us listen to the call He has issued to us to put Him first in every area of our lives.