Tag Archives: discipleship

“Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves?  The one who sits at the table, of course.  But not here!  For I am among you as one who serves.”  (Luke 22:27, New Living Translation)

The disciple of Jesus is a servant.

He or she is not a “servant-leader.”  He or she is not an “apprentice-leader.”  He or she is not “doing time” as a servant until something opens up at the top of the hierarchy.  The pinnacle of a disciple’s aspiration is to be like his or her Lord; and the Lord Jesus is “among you as one who serves.”

This is so not like us.  We desire the perquisites that come with leadership; or we see leadership as a reward for being a “good foot soldier.”  But even leadership, in the estimation of our Lord, is nothing more than a greater opportunity for servitude; and “servitude” is to “service” as “being” is to “doing.”

Make servitude for the sake of being like Jesus your sole ambition as a disciple.  Even in the kingdom of God, good help is hard to find!  – Luther

Tagged , , ,

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even their own life — such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14:25-27, NIV)

There is a difference between the “crowd” and the “committed.” Crowds are self-interested and fickle.  The company of the committed is in to the finish.

Jesus’ words to the crowd were necessarily pointed: There is no room for competing loyalties; there is no room for followers who are not willing to keep to the path — even to humiliation and suffering (represented by the cross).

As all conditional or contingent statements, these words of our Lord give us a choice.  How have we chosen?  – Luther

Tagged , , ,

Tagged , ,