| THURSDAY | January 3 |
The Essence of Discipleship
Implicit in the reality of following the Master was a call to a life of community and fellowship. Jesus and the disciples must have had a close companionship. That such a relationship is at the core of discipleship can be seen from His words in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches", (NIV). The intimate attachment between a vine and a branch that inspired Jesus' illustration is noteworthy.
In John 15:9 Jesus compares their relationship with that between Him and His Father. He calls on His disciples to abide in His love, further strengthening this idea of our need to be closely attached to Him.
From each of the texts below, what else can we learn about discipleship?
What is your understanding of Matthew 10:24, 25 and Luke 6:40? What do they illustrate about discipleship?
If discipleship, as previously seen, involves a clean break with the past, then of necessity it must inspire a vision of the future. The disciple envisions being with the Master, learning from Him, and becoming like Him. Mark 3:14 says that disciples were called "to be with Him" (NKJV). There is no way that a disciple can be with Jesus and not learn from Him and not be inspired to be like Him. Moreover, they would also catch the vision of His kingdom and would desire to be part of it.
| Do you sometimes feel discouraged in your walk with the Lord? Go back over the week's lesson and see what you can find from the texts that can help you draw some encouragement and hope. |
1 comment:
Sometimes it can be quite discouraging, especially the ups and downs, peaks and valleys of victories and defeats. It reminds me of the song that says "We fall down, we get up. The saints are just sinners who fall down, but get up". By looking up to Christ I can take the focus off myself and follow him as a disciple.
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