Willard's World 8 - The Joy of Discipleship
In an earlier chapter when discussing the Gospel on the right and left, Willard lamented the fact that very few people take Jesus seriously as teacher. He expands on Jesus role as teacher and ours as apprentices now. "Aristotle remarked that that we owe more to our teachers than to our parents, for though our parents gave us life, our teachers taught us the good life." As we spend time under Jesus tutorage, "our inner life will be transformed, and we will become teh kind of people for whom his course of action is the, natural (and supernatural) course of action.
What is a Disciple?
Willard notes, "First of all, being a disciple, or apprentice, of Jesus is quite a definite and obvious kind of thing.... There is no good reason why people should ever doubt as to whether they themselves are students or not." He likens it to any course of study. As of July I will be a disciple of the orthopedic surgeons in Calgary. Likewise others have apprenticed themselves to artists, trades people, scientists or any host of other courses of study. There is question whether one is a disciple and the next question, whether one is a good disciple or not does not really matter. "To be a disciple in any area or relationship is not to be perfect. One can be a very raw and imperfect beginner and still be a disciple." A disciple quite simply then is, "someone who has decided to with another person, under appropriate conditions in order to become capable of doing what that person does or to become what that person is." Jesus is expert in, "[living] in the kingdom of God, and [applying] that kingdom for the good of others and even [making] it possible for them to enter it themselves." If anyone would like to do likewise they should apprentice themselves to Jesus. Willard puts it this way, "I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would life my life if he were I." Emphasis is made on it being ones own life. Willard quotes Brother Lawrence, "Our situation does not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God's sake what we would commonly do for our own." This applies to our entire life but Willard especially stresses our job. He suggests that our stance at work should not be the "office prude" but rather how Christ would behave if he were there. "A gentle but firm non-cooperation with things that everyone knows to be wrong, together with a sensitive, non officious, non intrusive, non obsequious service to others, should be our usual overt manner."
How Do We Become Disciples?
If we look at the church today, "there is, apparently, no real connection between being a Christian and being a disciple of Jesus." To become a disciple one must become convinced that Jesus is big, powerful and glorious enough to be apprenticed to. Willard cites Jesus parable of teh pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46) and the field with buried treasure (Matthew 13:44) to illustrate how one will enter into discipleship under Jesus. "The sense of the goodness to be achieves by that choice, of the opportunity that may be missed, the love for the value discovered, the excitement and joy over it all...."
The idea of counting the cost that Jesus also talkes about is not bemoaning the choice of discipleship but rather helps bring us to clarity and decisiveness. I think that few people stumble on the pearl with out first looking for it so Willard lays out some suggestions which will help us find the pearl that is discipleship in the kingdom. First Ask- "Emphatically and repeatedly express to Jesus our desire to see him more fully as he really is." Second Dwell- "If you dwell in my word you are really my apprentices. And you will know the truth, and the truth will liberate you."(John 8:31-32) Willard suggests, "if over a period of several days or weeks we were to read the Gospels through as many times as we can, consistent with sensible rest and relaxation, that alone would enable us to see Jesus with a clarity that can make the full transition into discipleship possible." Third Decide- "We must actually intend and choose to become apprentices to Jesus. We don't fall into it by default.".
How Do We Make Disciples?
The directive to do this is obviously among Jesus instructions to the people of God. Willard calls non-discipleship the "elephant in the church" and lists as the causes, among others, "the amazing general similarity between Christians and non-Christians." He continues, "It is now understood to be part of the 'good news' that one does not have to be a life student of Jesus in order to be a Christian and receive forgiveness of sins. This [is]...'cheap grace,' though it would be better described as 'costly faithlessness,'" Churches do use the word discipleship with varying regularity but in my experience it most often describes a knowledge transfer rather than the apprenticeship that Willard had described.
In order to remedy this Willard describes what he calls, "discipleship evangelism," in which, "our understanding of what it is really to trust Jesus Christ, the whole person, with our whole life, would make the call to become his whole-life apprentice the natural next step." This will not be done, "by nagging them with pearls, (as before pigs)," but rather, "by ravishing them with a vision of life in the kingdom of the heavens in the fellowship of Jesus." This is done by "proclaiming , manifesting, and teaching the kingdom to them in the manner learned from Jesus himself." This of course is always through to pasture of asking as described in chapter 7.
Willard concludes his thoughts on discipleship with this. "If we cannot break through to a new vision of faith and discipleship, the real significance and power of the gospel of the kingdom of God can never come into its own. It will be constantly defeated by the idea that it is somehow not a real part of faith in Jesus Christ, and the church will remain in the dead embrace of consumer Christianity." May we see the attractiveness of the "pearl" and the "treasure".
What is a Disciple?
Willard notes, "First of all, being a disciple, or apprentice, of Jesus is quite a definite and obvious kind of thing.... There is no good reason why people should ever doubt as to whether they themselves are students or not." He likens it to any course of study. As of July I will be a disciple of the orthopedic surgeons in Calgary. Likewise others have apprenticed themselves to artists, trades people, scientists or any host of other courses of study. There is question whether one is a disciple and the next question, whether one is a good disciple or not does not really matter. "To be a disciple in any area or relationship is not to be perfect. One can be a very raw and imperfect beginner and still be a disciple." A disciple quite simply then is, "someone who has decided to with another person, under appropriate conditions in order to become capable of doing what that person does or to become what that person is." Jesus is expert in, "[living] in the kingdom of God, and [applying] that kingdom for the good of others and even [making] it possible for them to enter it themselves." If anyone would like to do likewise they should apprentice themselves to Jesus. Willard puts it this way, "I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would life my life if he were I." Emphasis is made on it being ones own life. Willard quotes Brother Lawrence, "Our situation does not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God's sake what we would commonly do for our own." This applies to our entire life but Willard especially stresses our job. He suggests that our stance at work should not be the "office prude" but rather how Christ would behave if he were there. "A gentle but firm non-cooperation with things that everyone knows to be wrong, together with a sensitive, non officious, non intrusive, non obsequious service to others, should be our usual overt manner."
How Do We Become Disciples?
If we look at the church today, "there is, apparently, no real connection between being a Christian and being a disciple of Jesus." To become a disciple one must become convinced that Jesus is big, powerful and glorious enough to be apprenticed to. Willard cites Jesus parable of teh pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46) and the field with buried treasure (Matthew 13:44) to illustrate how one will enter into discipleship under Jesus. "The sense of the goodness to be achieves by that choice, of the opportunity that may be missed, the love for the value discovered, the excitement and joy over it all...."
The idea of counting the cost that Jesus also talkes about is not bemoaning the choice of discipleship but rather helps bring us to clarity and decisiveness. I think that few people stumble on the pearl with out first looking for it so Willard lays out some suggestions which will help us find the pearl that is discipleship in the kingdom. First Ask- "Emphatically and repeatedly express to Jesus our desire to see him more fully as he really is." Second Dwell- "If you dwell in my word you are really my apprentices. And you will know the truth, and the truth will liberate you."(John 8:31-32) Willard suggests, "if over a period of several days or weeks we were to read the Gospels through as many times as we can, consistent with sensible rest and relaxation, that alone would enable us to see Jesus with a clarity that can make the full transition into discipleship possible." Third Decide- "We must actually intend and choose to become apprentices to Jesus. We don't fall into it by default.".
How Do We Make Disciples?
The directive to do this is obviously among Jesus instructions to the people of God. Willard calls non-discipleship the "elephant in the church" and lists as the causes, among others, "the amazing general similarity between Christians and non-Christians." He continues, "It is now understood to be part of the 'good news' that one does not have to be a life student of Jesus in order to be a Christian and receive forgiveness of sins. This [is]...'cheap grace,' though it would be better described as 'costly faithlessness,'" Churches do use the word discipleship with varying regularity but in my experience it most often describes a knowledge transfer rather than the apprenticeship that Willard had described.
In order to remedy this Willard describes what he calls, "discipleship evangelism," in which, "our understanding of what it is really to trust Jesus Christ, the whole person, with our whole life, would make the call to become his whole-life apprentice the natural next step." This will not be done, "by nagging them with pearls, (as before pigs)," but rather, "by ravishing them with a vision of life in the kingdom of the heavens in the fellowship of Jesus." This is done by "proclaiming , manifesting, and teaching the kingdom to them in the manner learned from Jesus himself." This of course is always through to pasture of asking as described in chapter 7.
Willard concludes his thoughts on discipleship with this. "If we cannot break through to a new vision of faith and discipleship, the real significance and power of the gospel of the kingdom of God can never come into its own. It will be constantly defeated by the idea that it is somehow not a real part of faith in Jesus Christ, and the church will remain in the dead embrace of consumer Christianity." May we see the attractiveness of the "pearl" and the "treasure".
posted by Luke at
7:59 AM
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