Teaching of Discipleship on a Christian of Today

AO2: Explain how this teaching about discipleship might affect the life of a Christian today.

Christian discipleship involves faith and commitment to God, self sacrifice, service to others, using your time, money and energy, as God wants you to not as the world tempts you to. It also involves belonging to God’s own family, the church, and daily commitments with God. Modern day disciples like Ghandi, (even though he was non-Christian) acted as true modern day disciple with his total commitment, self-sacrifice and energy he put into leading India to independence by inspiring movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. We can see that they acted as modern day disciples because of the work they have done.

Jesus’ commission to those who wish to follow him, to be his disciples, is based on two principles. Christians should,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind, and with all your strength,” and, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” (12: 28-34) There have been many individuals throughout the history of Christianity who have based their lives on these commandments. Some have done as much as they can in a quiet way, while the extraordinary actions of others have made them household names throughout the world.

For instance Mother Teresa of Calcutta dedicated her life to the service of God and of people in need. She saw all people as children of God and treated them as such. For Mother Teresa, the Christian emphasis on love was all-important. It was the foundation of her life and work. Mother Teresa died in 1997, but her work continues around the world. By setting up various agencies in different places, Mother Teresa has made it possible for other people to be disciples.

Many Christians (under the mat) dedicate their lives to helping others. Some are nuns and monks belonging to religious orders, yet others are lay people. They care for the sick, run hospices for the dying, look after geriatrics and assist those who are mentally or physically handicapped or unable to care for themselves. But you should not imagine that they are some sort of religious health care service: there is more to their activities than that. They see themselves continuing the work started by Jesus.

Just as Mark saw Jesus’ actions as a demonstration of God’s power in the world, fighting the power of Satan and indicating the nearness of the Kingdom of God, so today caring for others should be a continuation of the same activity.

Mark saw suffering as the result of demonic activity. Some Christians still do today. The majority, however, do not think in the same way as the people of the first century AD. Their understanding of Jesus’ work and how they can contribute to it is a twentieth-century understanding, yet they get it from first century stories.

There are people who learn from these stories such as the,

Rich young man, in this story a man asks how he can enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus said he must give up all his riches, the man was not too happy. Jesus then said, “How hard it must be for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” (10:28-31). Jesus was not saying that they will not enter the Kingdom of God, rather that to act in the way of god you must