Most often, spiritual and Scriptural truth is discovered and learned through the Biblical principle of seeking and finding. There is a search for truth, there is a diligence required in the searching, then, with the Lord’s necessary help, comes discovery and understanding. The Lord Himself gave us this principle: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
But in the case of discovering what it means to be a disciple, we do not have to do much seeking. This issue is so vital that Jesus made it exceedingly obvious for us. Jesus wanted His disciples to plainly know what was expected of them. He wanted to clearly define discipleship so that anyone who would seek to be His disciple might know the objective of His focus. Jesus is seeking just one thing in His disciples and He expressed His objective in straightforward language. The answer to the question of what it means to be a disciple is found in Jesus’ own words to His disciples in Matthew’s inspired gospel: “A student (often also translated “disciple” because they are synonymous) is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be (just) like his teacher, and the servant (just) like his master.”(Matthew 10:24-25a; inserted words capture the true essence of the translation.) According to Jesus, the definition, and objective, of being a disciple is that the disciple would be just like his teacher. In our vernacular, the disciple would become a carbon copy of the teacher. Wherever the disciple would go, it would be just as if the teacher was there, fully embodied in and through that disciple. Whenever the disciple would speak, it would be just as if the teacher were speaking. Whenever the disciple would act it would be just as if the teacher were doing the action. This is what it is to be a true disciple. It is not primarily about attending church or doing religious rituals or learning about God or even becoming people of great moral character. Being a disciple is primarily about being just like Jesus, and living our lives just as He would live. This becomes the primary goal and function of The Church. She is meant to be “embodied” by a diverse group of many different individuals all living, thinking, acting and speaking just as Her Teacher and Master.
This understanding is so simple, yet wonderfully profound and absolutely essential. The Church cannot be what She is meant to be, nor do what She is meant to do, without being embodied by true disciples of Jesus. God’s goal for The Church has never been to recruit and gather a group of people who acknowledge the facts about Jesus, or simply believe in Jesus, but the goal is to call and possess a group of individuals who live, act and speak just like Jesus. Being like Jesus is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The very essence of true Christianity is found in this understanding of, and commitment to, being a true disciple…
To be continued…
(Excerpt from “The Great Missed Understanding” Chapter One)
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