Revisiting Discipleship Mark 3:13-35 Mark Foreman NC3 Our reading takes us into the Book of Mark. Our OT reading is in Leviticus which is filled w all kinds of laws. The big take home is that God is a God of Justice and we need to be a people of Justice. The Messiah of the Book of Mark comes to bring justice, starting with the heart. The great thing about the Gospel of Mark is that it is fast moving. It is short, probably the first gospel to be written and it is fast moving. I want to pick up the story in ch 3 and focus on discipleship. There is no question that Jesus chose disciples and made disciples. I want to revisit discipleship Problems with d Which methods are to be copied and to what degree Bar better to take the approach that the function is key and not the form. How are you formed and how is your sphere of influence formed? Someone and something is forming you Someone and something is forming those you love and have influence over This is the issue of discipleship. Discipleship choosing the twelve (3:13-19) Jesus, here, formalizes his discipling relationship with the twelve (cf. Mat 5:1). The first appearance of disciples is hazy in the gospels. We know that John the Baptist had disciples (John 1:35, 37; 2:2) We know that some of Jesus disciples were first disciples of John. We know that the disciples were following Jesus before this event (Mark 2:15, 16, 18, 23; 3:7). And we know that there was a larger group called disciples beyond the twelve. There were the twelve, the seventy and hundreds more. The Twelve are divinely chosen by Jesus. He chose twelve for the twelve tribes of Israel. They came from various and humble backgrounds.
2 Simon (Peter) James and John Andrew, Philip Bartholomew, Matthew Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas How does Jesus uniquely define discipleship? Most Rabbis had disciples. For example many Rabbis taught their disciples a prayer that contained the core of their teaching. Jesus gave his disciples The Lord s Prayer. Jesus uses this cultural form and adds to it the weight of the 12 tribes of Israel by choosing the twelve. Jesus approach, however, was unique (14) Mark tells us three things: with him, sent to preach and drive out evil. To be sent ones; not simply gatherers of information or contemplative types. Can t be a holy club. With Jesus in every setting, prepared them to be witnesses. Preach and drive out demons. He was not merely passing on tradition. He called disciples rather than waiting for them to contact him. He demanded followership of himself not tradition Following meant abandoning all. Disciple comes from the Latin discipulus- pupil, learner). Greek is mathetes. The verb, manthano- to learn occurs only 25x in NT. Manthano: 3x in Matthew, once in Mark, 2x in John and none in Luke (with one occurance in Acts. A teacher-learner was common in the ancient world. Disciple meant student. In the NT it signified broadly those who accepted the teachings of someone. E.g. John the Baptist (Mat 9:14; Joh 1:35, of the Pharisees Mar 2:18; Luk 5:33). It denoted the adherents of Jesus in general sense (Mat 10:42; Luk 6:17; Joh 6:66. Disciples, disciples 297x in NT and 265x in gospels. The verb matheteuo, to be discipled or make disciples is only used four times. (Mat 27:57 where Joseph of Arimathea had become a disciple, Mat 13:52; Mat 28:19 and Acts 14:21). The mark of a disciple is to follow (obey) not to simply to learn (mathanein).
3 It involves mathanein too as seen in Mat 11:29, but true manthanein means obeying and keeping his word (Joh 8:31) He doesn t seek to merely impart information but faith/commitment to himself. And then it referred to the Twelve (). Discipleship (training followers) was high on Jesus agenda (7). Make disciples once? 131x in gospels the noun or verb occurs. Matt. 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Luke tells us of the seventy-two. Jesus plan was to deeply deposit Himself into His disciples so that they could do the ministry; giving them as clear an understanding of the nature of God, of true religion, and of Christ s nature and mission, before his death and resurrection. Discipleship AMIDST INCREASED demand and Resistance (3:7-12, 20) People come from everywhere; Jesus withdraws to refocus on discipleship. As responsibility increases so does demand. As demand increases, longterm priorities must be kept, amidst immediate God-opportunities. The balance is never achieved perfectly without a cost of one or the other. The multitudes are part of your calling but popularity, demands and success are not the key; fulfilling the task is. Success is not always a good indicator Pro.19:4 Wealth brings many friends. Gifting, demand, and success are the things we use most to make decisions, but that s only half the equation. What is God saying? You can t just ask what do I love to do, and what am I good at? We must also ask what needs to be done and what has God said and what do wise believers around you affirm? discipleship AMIDST INCREASED RESISTANCE & HOSTILITY (3:6-7, 21-35) Here the gospel points out the mounting resistance to Jesus ministry. Jesus fame has spread to Jerusalem and his family is concerned.
4 The plot is alive. They are looking for evidence. His family is concerned about Jesus behavior and reputation. Success brings its own challenges (Prov. 14:20). We prefer average, normal, mediocre people. Part of it is jealousy and envy, part is fear as to what might happen. Most of it is our own kingdom. We want things unchanged. You can please some of the people some of the time. People shoot at whoever is the most visible target. Success, change, authenticity, genuine ministry attract resistance. Resistance is good for us. It can help us refocus and become stronger. It causes us to pause, to check out our systems: Teachability & humility: Did we hear right? Are our motives right? Is there a better way to do this? Am I going too fast? Obedience: Will you obey only when it s fun and easy? Or will you obey when the friction is high? Motive: Will you follow only for success and popularity or because of obedience and faithfulness? It brings out the true colors of those who would otherwise go along. Important to distinguish between hesitancy because of insufficient knowledge and personal resistance because of what they know. Risk and no fear of man, balanced by humility and teachability. High D person with High I. This warning to the Pharisees must be kept in its context. Questioning, doubting, not understanding is all O.K.. They were selfishly rejecting God s grace in action & attributing it to Satan. Confusing good for evil is dangerously close to the point of no return. There is a new family (disciples) forming around the kingdom of God. Jesus was lovingly faithful to his disciples to the end. Discipleship Uniquely to you and me It is difficult but necessary to strip our preconceived ideas about discipleship and seek to reconstruct biblical and practical application.
5 We are never asked to try to replicate Jesus discipleship method exactly, but the principle is there devout students of Jesus who together carry on the work. Discipleship was specific to the culture and some aspects can t be repeated, but many aspects can to be carried on. Some have overemphasized the methodology used by Jesus, setting up legalistically structured discipleship systems. The danger lies at both ends: emphasizing copied behavior without change of heart. Or emphasizing change of heart without behavior. But mostly we have underemphasized the meaning and cost of discipleship. We must use discipleship to be together 1) with Jesus, 2) train to give out Jesus and 3) to live in power. There are those with a very tight form called discipleship, which wonderfully passes on needed spiritual training but unfortunately robs others of the term who aren t this tight form. There are those who have no discipline, training, or studentship in their lives in following Christ. This threatens the meaning of the term from the other direction. Ultimately we are all disciples of one discipler Jesus (Mat 28). The basic feature is it begins with a call from Jesus. Jesus takes the initiative. He seems to call those who lack qualifications. It is a call to him not merely to religion. It is an absolute call: to walk with, learn from and imitate him. To proclaim the great salvation we have discovered. We are merely assistants to Jesus. He calls and changes lives. He is the one focused upon and loved. The responsibility and wanting is on the disciples part. Discipleship provides for authentic, exponential multiplication and generational preservation which is essential for any living organism. Exponential replication growth. * Cells multiplying. Discipleship is both caught than taught. It involves following, listening, learning, doing, commitment. Discipleship turns sour when it is controlling, legalistic, inward, or neglected. It is impossible to measure or predict substantive change perfectly, but the higher amount of chosen & directional discipleship the greater the chance of substantive and lasting change.
6 But we can be mentors, teachers, or spiritual guides: Paul to Timothy (2 Tim 2:2). We must ask God about our sphere of influence and be faithful. Make space, create opportunities: coffee, golf, walking and sports for relationship. Pray for, be intentionally loving, listening, guiding those in our sphere. Create a team (Paul had a team). Who is a leader you respect and could learn from? Who do you have influence over and could be more attentive to their spiritual nurture? Thinking it through Read the passage again. What observations can you make? What was Jesus called to do and how did he execute this calling? Where do the thousands of needs (the multitudes) fit into the picture? On a scale of 1-10, how high would you rate the opposition Jesus first year of ministry compared to the third year? What are you called to do? What are the multitude of necessary needs and responsibilities you have that must be done, but they aren t your calling? What is in the way of you fulfilling your calling? What regular resistance do you get, and what occasional friction comes? What resistance is most painful? What do you do about it? How do you want to restructure your life based on this study?