Whether we emphasis discipleship or not has a lot to do with how we define a living faith in God. Is faith static or dynamic? A set of beliefs or a life based on those beliefs? In both cases I think the latter is true.
While hosting the Academy Awards, Steve Martin admired one of the especially fit presenters. As she left the stage, he quipped, "I would do anything to look like that--except eat well and exercise." That was an insightful comment. We can admire all kinds of examples of virtue, success, and happiness, but if we don't invest ourselves, we will never experience what we admire.
Jesus makes a large numbers of pretty spectacular promises, but if we don't invest ourselves, if we don't follow him, we shouldn't expect to see those promises fulfilled in our lives. But wait! I thought everything from Jesus was a free gift. Doesn't that mean it's all up to him? What does Jesus actually say?
"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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:15
This is just a small sampling. Yes, salvation is a free gift from God. You can't earn it. You can only receive it. But Jesus does call us to follow him, to become his disciple. His Spirit gives us the power to change, but we still need to choose to follow. Jesus did not merely call us to a new belief. He called us to a new way of life, a new pathway that is to be walked with him. He is our guide, our strength, our power, and the one who transforms us, but he doesn't do this for the unwilling. We must walk the way to receive the blessings that Jesus brings into our lives.
Faith is trusting and living our theology. In the ancient world belief was never simply intellectual assent. They understood that we can say anything, but we act on what we actually believe. Show me someone's life, and I'll show you what they really believe.
I am not implying that my life is a perfect embodiment of obedience. Only Jesus pulled that off. The mark of a disciple is active learning and application of truth. It is a life dedicated to following Jesus as closely as possible. This is reflected in growth, grace, and a dedication to Jesus' work in the world. The operative word here is "active."
If our students don't define the Christian life in terms of discipleship they will be frustrated because Jesus doesn't seem to work in their lives. Jesus rescues us from a futile life by teaching us how to live as we were intended to live. If we choose to remain in the old futile life, then that life's fruit is what we will experience rather than God's blessings.
There is an intellectual side to our faith, and it should not be ignored. Theology informs us about God and the life he has set before us. Discipleship is the act of trusting that information and letting it inform and shape our lives.
The added gift of discipleship is that it is not something we do alone. Ultimately, we are disciples of Christ, but it is never just me and Jesus. We are baptized into the body of Christ when we are baptized into Jesus. Our life with Christ is to be communal. We are not expected to walk alone without assistance. In fact to do so is to be a poor disciple. As an American, I might be enamored by the ideal of the rugged individual, the strong, silent stranger, but make no mistake, those are not ideals that Jesus values. Our walk with Christ is not be a solitary one.
If discipleship is not a central component of youth and young adult education, then don't expect them to make a smooth transition to adulthood with their faith intact. But that's only natural. Our approaches seldom works as well as Jesus'.
No comments:
Post a Comment