Tag Archives: discipleship

June 3
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17, NIV)

Another thought on this passage of scripture from yesterday: “The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him.”

We sometimes think it strange when our view of a particular matter seems so at odds with the point of view of those who do not know Jesus. Try the view of forgiveness: The Christian disciple is always ready to forgive and reconcile; the secular person maintains a line past which forgiveness and reconciliation is impossible.

Do not think it strange that the world neither sees the value of forgiveness, nor understands why anyone else would: The world neither sees Him, nor knows Him.  But you, faithful disciple of Jesus, do see Him; you do know Him; and while the world may not see Jesus, the world does see you.

Let your light shine!  – Luther

Tagged , , ,
May 26
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

“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 , , , ,
May 21
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

“’Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luke 18: 29-20, NIV)

While some may classify these words of Jesus as a “hard saying”; in reality these words are some of the most gracious in all of the bible.

There is a worthy tale that illustrates what Jesus is saying: A rich man had a son who painted a self-portrait.  Though no one would ever mistake the painting as the work of a skilled artist, the father treasured this painting above all else, because the son — who was his sole heir — had been killed in war and the painting was a reminder of his beloved son. In his will, the rich man required that the painting be sold at auction with all of his other possessions.  On the day of the auction, estate agents and bargain hunters from far and wide converged at the rich man’s estate for the sale.  The first item up for bid was the son’s self-portrait.  The crowd grumbled.  They had not traveled to the sale to bid on the work of a third-rate artist.  They were there there to buy houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture!

At first, no one wanted to bid on the painting, but the auctioneer made it clear that in accordance with the rich man’s will, the painting must be sold ahead of all other property. So, to move along the process, one person made a small bid for the portrait.  Hearing no other bids, the auctioneer  said, “Sold!” to the lone bidder, then added, “You’ve just purchased the entire estate: Houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture. The lot is yours.”

The crowd was stunned.

The executor of the rich man’s estate appeared at the podium to address the unhappy gathering of would-be buyers, and said, “In accordance with the desires of the father, the person who gets the son, gets it all.”

We can make our lives “a la carte” and risk missing the One; or we can take the One above all others and ahead of all else — and having gotten the Son, get it all.  As Jesus taught us: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these [other] things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)  – Luther

Tagged , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →