The Disciples

Summary: Jesus’ followers enjoyed a deep connection rooted in their commitment to follow Jesus. They shared their lives but did not try to “disciple” each other. The Teacher dealt with each person uniquely, allowing freedom. 

Most people today are lonely. Over the course of their life, the average person changes jobs twelve times and will move eleven times. We live in gated communities with fenced yards. Even in apartment complexes people tend to run from their cars to their doors like scared rabbits returning to their burrows. Families are not as large or stable as they were. We smile at each other as we pass by but we do not know each other.

We assume things were better in Jesus’ day, but if anything, things were worse. Wars disrupted everyones’ lives and destroyed entire cultures. As many as 30-40% of people were slaves whose lives could be disrupted at the whim of their masters. Divorce was common. Just as today, people felt alone in a world of chaos.

One of the greatest attractions of Christianity was a place to belong. This was so deep that they called each other “brother” and “sister.” What gave them this bond? They had something in common. They were followers of Jesus. This was a shared experience but it was not scripted. 

My friend Jim described his experience in church as like being put through a Play-Doh extruder. Remember those? You put the Play-Doh in one end, turn the crank, and out come stars or circles or whatever you set the dial to. One thing that most certainly will not come out the other end is you. There is no setting for “you.”

The first followers of Jesus were not bound by a common way to behave or believe but by a living Lord who personally guided each person. Just look at how different John was from Peter or Barnabas was from Paul. 

In the New Testament no one was ever “discipled.” “Disciple” is not used as a verb. As a noun, “disciple” is one of the most common designations for followers of Jesus. A disciple is a student, a learner, an apprentice. A disciple studies with a Master to learn a skill. But no one is ever “discipled.”  A disciple is what you are, not a method you follow. To say that the early believers were “discipled” is like saying they were “Christianed.” Christian is something you are, not what you do.

The problem with using “disciple” as a verb is that it puts the focus on a mechanical process. Many times people have complained to me that nobody “discipled them.” This, they explain, is why they are such terrible followers of Jesus. This is why their Christian life is pathetic. 

I tell them if they have never been discipled they should thank God. What we mean by “discipled” is a program you go through. I have been through several of these, some better and some worse; but more often than not they crank out clones with pharisaic tendencies. You are put in a  straitjacket and told that God is pleased with the result.

God is not pleased with the result. Christ is a living Teacher. You don't need a method; you have a Teacher. Jesus does not put you through a Play-Doh extruder. He deals with you as an individual and molds you into the unique person you were meant to be.

The focus must not be on “being discipled” but on being disciples. Here are four facts about disciples. 

Fact #1. Disciples follow their Master

Disciples are committed to learn. Their job is to listen and follow their teacher. The teacher’s job is to teach. Christ will teach if you let him. Unfortunately, many people come to Christ with a personal agenda and their own ideas about how the lessons should go. This never works. It would be as if a student showed up on the first day of school and passed out the syllabus to the teacher.  Your job is to trust Jesus. He will teach if you will listen. It's not your school. It's his.