Graced Disciples
I share with you some reflections upon one of my recent interesting reads:(1)
When we look at the relationship between Jesus and his disciples, we see clear parallels to a typical relationship between a rabbi and his students. Jesus calls young men to follow in his way. (Indeed, women also followed him, but the Bible only depicts the call narratives of the 12.) He teaches people about the kingdom of God. He interprets scripture and guides his disciples in doing the same.
But Jesus' relationship to his disciples may be more akin to prophets and their protege. Prophets had a particular gift from God, and when they called a disciple they communicated their gift to the new prophet of equal status. We see this in Elijah's relationship to Elisha.
Likewise, Jesus' disciples participate in his grace. They receive the authority to heal, to forgive sin, to exorcise demons, and to perform the actions only possible in the kingdom of God. Participating in Jesus' mission and authority means sharing in his acceptance of an 'outsider stigma', in devotion to seeking God's kingdom above all else. In a very real and plain sense, his disciples share his homelessness (Matt. 8:19), his redefining family by the bonds of his mission (Matt. 8:21, Mark 3:35). His followers are to take no staff to ward off attackers and no bag for provisions, but rely solely on their trust in God to provide for those who seek first the kingdom. In doing so, Jesus' disciples participate now in the promise of his future. That is, the messiah shares his authority and mission by making his followers into the messianic community. We are raised to the status of family.
Yet, how often and how drastically do we, Jesus' disciples, compromise our kingdom mission for fear of the accompanying stigma? In our consumeristic culture, our compromise often takes the form of material possessions. I'm entitled to treat myself to an i-pod for all the hard work I do. I've been holding off, but it's time I caught up with technology and buy an HD flat screen. What's that, Jesus? Take no bag of provisions, you say?
Trusting fully upon God is both the most difficult and simultaneously the easiest thing we could do. It's like falling off a log. The roundness of the log and the force of gravity do all the work for us, yet we still struggle to maintain our balance rather than gliding to the ground gracefully. So it is with trusting God. We're both created and called to do so, yet we cling to our bag of provisions.
Worse still, we are quick to wield our staff for self-protection. I can't serve on that ministry team, because I need to get that promotion. I can't come to Bible study, because I gotta get into a good college. I can't worship on Sunday mornings, because I have to drive my kid to the game if he's going to have a chance at making it big. These examples illustrate how Jesus' followers today often resist being his gathered messianic community.
However, the biggest staff we take with us in mission is that of self-deception by becoming so consumed with our participation in the gathered community, that we fear being the church in the world 24/7/365. I go to worship every week, but don't expect me to speak of Jesus in my workplace lest I get fired. I do stuff with the youth at church, but if I share my faith at school my friends would laugh at me. I'll introduce myself to visitors who come to our church, but I won't make friends in town with alcoholics, drug dealers -- and definitely not sex offenders.
The most subtle form of not trusting God is our attempt to stay 'pure' by walling ourselves off in our congregations. We seek God's kingdom, so we stay clear of 'impurity' and 'unclean' people. This posture, which is prevalent in Christianity today, is the same approach the Pharisees took to restore Israel so the messiah would come.
Well, they never did purify Israel, and guess what...the messiah did come -- in the midst of the impurity to eat with tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus has a much different understanding of purity. It's infectious. Purity, not impurity, is contagious.
Jesus' purity plays offense and charges down the field as impurity's defense back peddles. His disciples follow him, passing the ball back and forth, shredding holes through impurity. Sharing in Jesus' messianic mission in the world 24/7/365 may give us a dirty stigma by society's standards, but our participation transforms the unclean into the kingdom of God.
(1) Gerd Theissen and Annette Merz, The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996) 215-217, 229.
1 comment:
I wish I could say this more clearly, but I'll let "the man" speak: (the man = D. Bonhoeffer)
The cross is laid on every Christian. It begins with the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death -- we give over our lives to death. Since this happens at the beginning of the Christian life, the cross can never be merely a tragic ending to an otherwise happy religious life. When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, or it may be a death like Luther's, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time -- death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at His call. That is why the rich young man was so loath to follow Jesus, for the cost of his following was the death of his will. In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die, and therefore Jesus Christ and His call are necessarily our death and our life.
BTW-I put up a new post on the 1:16 spot. Link on Kevan's page. P/O
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