Being A Disciple Of Jesus example essay topic

Discipleship 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. But 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 and this word means one who learns. But Jesus chose his disciples carefully as we are told in Mark 1: 16-20 and also in Mark 3: 13-19. In the first passage, Jesus appoints his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John. Jesus said to them "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men".

(Mark 1: 17) 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. These five men responded immediately to Jesus and this is very surprising as he is a man who they have never met before.

It is quite clear that this idea of discipleship for the first disciples is very important and that Jesus is planning on building his faith in them and he wants them to spread the word around to the people. (Mark 3: 14) Jesus appointed 12 disciples in total and this number was significant because each one represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Mark 3: 13-19) Jesus gave them the authority to cast out demons and preach to his people and they were known as his companions. It seems strange for him to choose those specific people as his twelve because he could have chosen from many of his disciples, but he chose a specific twelve to be his companions and apostles.

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 need pay and so many people hated him and many other tax collectors. Simon the Zealot was an unusual choice because he was a zealot and although they had a strong belief in God, they hated the Romans, and being ruled by foreigners. In the mission of the twelve, Jesus calls them to him and sends them in two's saying that they have the authority over evil spirits.

(Mark 6: 7-13) 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". (Mark 6: 8-11) 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 and as it is said in Morley's passage on discipleship, "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 practise. 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.

When we are told we should follow him, it means that we should travel down the same road as Jesus and suffer the many trials of being a disciple. But, in Mark 10: 29-31 we are told about the rewards of discipleship and the strange reward they receive for their suffering. Jesus says this to the disciples after he tells them the story of the Rich Young Man. In this passage, the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must give up his wealth, but the man is unable to do so. The disciples are amazed at this story and then Jesus tells them, "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". Mark 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. On many occasions the disciples misunderstand the path they are supposed to follow and they misunderstand their role as disciples, and on many occasions, Jesus has had to correct them.

In Mark 9: 33-37, the disciples are arguing about who 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.

Mark 10: 40. Jesus then had to begin to teaching of discipleship to them again after they misunderstood their real role. 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 travelling, he asks them "Who do you say I?" Many disciples replied with names such as the Messiah, Elijah.

Jesus then asked them again and Peter said, "You are the Christ". This shows us that Peter had a strong faith in Jesus for him to say that Jesus was the Christ. Peter was very devoted and committed to Jesus and he always had a strong devotion to God. Peter made some mistakes but he always learnt from them and went back to Jesus to ask for forgiveness. When Jesus is explaining about the rewards of discipleship, Peter misunderstands and because of Peter's dismay, Jesus has to explain the meaning, and the extent of the suffering for a disciple in order for that person to have eternal life. Jesus named the first church, and it was named after Peter because his name means the rock (Matthew 16: 18) and in the end Peter dies for his faith.

The word 'disciple' is used to describe the very first followers of Jesus, those people who left everything they had, to follow Jesus and to learn from him. Christians are modern day disciples and we should try to learn from the example, which has been put down for us. One of the most important teachings of Christ is the passage of the Cost of Discipleship (Mark 8: 34-35). This means that anyone who wants to be a disciple must be prepared to put God and his commandments first, and as a result be prepared to suffer for their beliefs. The modern day discipleship vocation is about us dedicating our lives to others and there are many people who do this, e.g. People in the priesthood, religious orders.

These people are required to turn their backs on their personal wishes and devote themselves to God, regardless of the cost. People who are able to do this must have a great amount of courage and a lot of support from the people around them. Thousands of people have suffered martyrdom for their faith and there are many unknown martyrs who have lost their lives for their faith in previous centuries. Oscar Romero was a Roman Catholic priest from South America and he was shot whilst celebrating mass.

The mission, a passage very important for the disciples still has a place in the Christian religion. It remains as the mission of the church and many modern day disciples still go out to preach repentance. There are Christian organisations, which carry the mission of the twelve disciples in a modern way. Ca fod works all over the world tackling the problem of poverty, regardless of race or religion.

There are some people who make great sacrifices to follow Jesus and one example of someone who did do this is Mother Theresa of Calcutta. I think that it is extremely difficult to be a modern day disciple because many people take the modern lifestyle for granted and the mission now has a different meaning to the one in Jesus' time. I think it is difficult to relate to the Cost of Discipleship (Mark 8: 27-33) in the modern world because so many people are judged by many different aspects of their lifestyle. Today's world is so materialistic and people would not judge someone kindly if abandoned their family responsibilities to become a disciple. Many people suggest that by living in the western world we will not suffer for our beliefs, but many people still suffer great persecution and rejection. Being a modern day disciple has many implications for every area of a person's life and nearly every word or action is as a result of Jesus' influence on modern life.

There are many people who have made great sacrifices to follow Jesus and do his work in our world today. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a strong believer in Christ and she is an example of a disciple in the modern world. Society does appear to hinder a person's path towards discipleship but a true disciple should be able to overcome that difficulty. Being a disciple of Jesus has many implications for every area of a person's life and this is because their every action is influenced by Jesus' example.

In our lifetime today we are charged with a very important mission and that is to serve Jesus during our time on earth and be disciples, and also preach the word of Jesus to the people who do not yet know. The disciples were ordinary people who Jesus ask to follow him it is strange that Jesus did not pick any particular person, he just chose four fishermen to be his most loyal companions who would be prepared to die, suffer, be rejected, and go to prison. The following story (1: 16-20) tells us how Jesus called his first disciples. As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish in a net.

In chapter 2 verses 13-20 Jesus chose a tax collector Levi (who was considered as a sinner) to be one of his disciples and had dinner at his house when some Pharisee's saw this they asked the disciples 'why dose he eat with these outcasts?' ' Jesus heard this and answered 'people who are well do not need a doctor. I have not come for respectable people but outcasts. ' 'There are seven more disciples other than Levi, Simon, Andrew, James and John their names are: Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot. Jesus expected all these men to have certain qualities like putting their self last in all things, being prepared to follow Jesus no matter what, a disciples nature should not be one of privilege or position but a humble service, a disciple should not be arrogant but tolerant to other peoples beliefs, a disciple must be aware of dangers such as wealth and obsessions and must be single minded in discipleship, a disciple should imitate the life of Christ. The disciples were sent out on missionary work. On one task the disciples came across an elliptic boy who they could not heal, they sent for Jesus and he healed the boy.

The word disciple means to learn, but there are many differences between disciples today, and disciples 2000 years ago, in the midst of a hostile Roman Empire. The very first disciples of the resurrection were the holy women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. If Christianity is defined as the belief that Jesus died, and was resurrected, and then to me, these women were the first Christians. Three scared women hunted by the Romans. At the start of JesusAE vocation, he chose 12 disciples. 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 didnAEt have to be perfect, blameless, and sinless to inherit the kingdom of God. It also showed that God forgives everyone, unconditionally, if you repent. Maybe it is because the Christian faith has changed so much since JesusAE time, or maybe we are just lazy, and cur corners, just going through the motions, without actually making any of the sacrifices that this faith demands. (Mark 10: 21-22) (Witness in a Pagan World by Eric Johns and David Major). 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. (Mark 10: 43-44) 'Jesus suffered because he could not go back on the ministry he had been given to do by God. (Dimensions of Christianity by Anne Burke) To be a true disciple, you still have to live by the rules set by Jesus, 2000 years ago. To enter the Kingdom of God, you must make real sacrifices, like the disciples did, not just make the token effort of turning up to church every so often, and giving your spare change into the collection. To enter the Kingdom of God, you must follow the example of the poor widow, who gave in all she had. The 'Satan' aspect of Christianity, I believe, is the times when you are tempted to stray from the good Christian life, or when your faith is tested.

Archbishop Patrick Kelly AEs most difficult time, was when a member of his family was dying, and in great pain. The family member, and Archbishop Kelly, both kept their faith, and Archbishop Kelly believes that this 'test' has only made his faith stronger. The easy parts are not the parts that really make your faith stronger. (Mark 12: 30) (Mark 10: 14-15) (MarksAE Gospel: An interpretation for Today by Robin Cooper) '... discipleship involves a commitment that demands sacrifice... ' Humans are, by their very nature, weak, and all of us fail at some time in our lives.

All this suffering and sacrifice, the nature of discipleship, is an immensely gruel ling way to live, and so humans would not choose to live their lives as disciples unless there was some sort of incentive, or reward, at the end of it. The reward, Christians believe, is eternal life in heaven. (Mark 10: 17) '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. ' (Mark 10: 25) 'There were great joys and great sorrows attached to being a Christian. Their treasure was in heaven, and they could look forward to everlasting life, even if the Romans could destroy them in large numbers. ' (Dimensions of Christianity by Anne Burke) To say that you donAEt make mistakes is to say that you are perfect, and Christians believe that only God is perfect; even Jesus, as a man on Earth, broke down and cried, and begged that he would not to have to die.

This aspect of the bible, coupled with the faults and previous occupations of some of the disciples, gives Christianity a more accessible front. The challenge of discipleship is to strive to act like Jesus was when he was on Earth. Jesus strive d to live up to his values, at times he failed, at times he felt like giving up, but he didnAEt. The disciples, again, fail many times during MarksAE gospel; most notably in the garden of Gethsemane, when they all fell asleep several times, despite JesusAE request that they stand guard, and after the crucifixion, when Peter, one of the first, denied that he even knew Jesus.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. AE ' (Mark 14: 37-38) ' ae You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus, AE... aeI donAEt know or understand what youAEre talking about AE ' (Mark 14: 67-68) 'The disciples called by Jesus had the faults of ordinary men... ' (Witness in a Pagan World by Eric Johns and David Major) 'When Peter saw the suffering of Jesus, his courage and his faith in Jesus failed him, and he denied any knowledge of him. ' (Dimensions of Christianity by Anne Burke) Throughout JesusAE life, from Herod to Pilate, JesusAE main enemy, or trouble, was the Roman Empire.

Their religion was polytheistic; they had, among many others, a god of war, (Mars), a god of wine, (Bacchus), and a goddess of love, (Venus). They also believed that their Emperor, at the time Caesar, was a living God. This included Jesus, one of his titles being 'King of the Jews'. At the time of JesusAE death, this number was sizeable, and as the early church grew, after the resurrection, the followers grew in number too. Literally. All of the people who attended these secret meetings, to tell or listen to the tales of Jesus Christ, were disciples.

They were risking their lives to spread the good news. Stephen was viciously stoned to death after his great speech at the Sanhedrin (Acts 7), and Peter was crucified. There are many examples of modern day disciples around. Oscar Romero was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador. Endangering your own life by fighting oppression, injustice, and going up against bigger powers, or giving your life to helping others. There are still some people today who take the faith as seriously as the first Christians do, but not many.

Today AEs society is too materialistic.