Discipleship I

Luke 6^1-49

Jesus is God’s divine power of love, working as the light to the world, revealing the darkness and then seeks to remove this darkness by the same divine power through – “the Word”,this divine power is Jesus Christ who is both Lord and Savior . So, Jesus Christ as the divine power, establishes the following:

1. The light (The Law)
2. God’s love (The Word)
3. The lordship

1) The Light to the World

Jesus as Lord established his supremacy over and above the ruler of the world of darkness, who kept all humanity under the captivity of sin and death; (for those having rejected the God of Israel).

To the rulers of the world – the Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus said: “Have you not read what David did with those who were with him in the temple?”. He was above the Law even that of Sabbath; and much more so is the Messiah. The Son of God is Lord of all. He is above all authority in the world including the Sabbath which was intended to establish him as Lord of all.

In those days, all Jewish religious activity and normal life revolved around the Temple and Sabbath. On another Sabbath day, Jesus went in a synagogue to reveal the purpose of the Sabbath.Here Jesus established his supremacy as Lord by his great act of removal of sin and death. In their hearts, the Scribes and Pharisees who were the rulers of the world, had already rejected Jesus’ Lordship.

He asked them: “What is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” that is, to destroy life or restore it?” to condemn or to save?

He looked at them, but they could not answer,then He said to the man with a withered arm: “Stretch forth thy hand.” The man’s sin and eternal death were instantly removed and as proof of Jesus’ divine power; the man’s whole arm was instantly restored.

The world leaders of the day were filled with anger because of the authority Jesus demonstrated by making the man whole,God’s divine power was to continue as God’s light shining into the darkness until the end of time; so Jesus appointed a special team of twelve Apostles who would continue to reveal God’s divine power as the light of the world.

As light shining into darkness, the Lordship of Christ would be established as the power into people’s hearts. He is the light chasing away the darkness.

These twelve Apostles would be trained to preach the Law and the Gospel, so that those who believe in Jesus Christ may be saved (become disciples of Christ).  So, Jesus came down from the mountain with his Apostles and disciples amongst the multitudes of people coming out of Judea and Jerusalem; from Tyre and Sidon and healed diseases and spirits and all people wanted to touch him.

Behold God’s power unto the world to reveal sin and to save.

2) The Gospel – Jesus lifted up his eyes to his disciples.

Discipleship is born of God’s son, Jesus Christ as Lord and the disciple’s whole life is subjected under God’s kingdom, the heavenly Kingdom.

The whole purpose of the Law is to convict every human soul of sin, hence the verdict of death to every living person. This is the poverty against which no humanity can rebel. A disciple realizes that death is a result of the sin and Jesus Christ is the only power to save. In this case, a disciple hungers for the spiritual power which heals the soul and removes every sin through faith in Christ.

A disciple is also a sojourner in this earthly world because his spiritual desires are completely different from those of this world. In fact, the world will cast him out as evil for Christ’s name’s sake.

Discipleship does not pursue so much of the riches of this world but those of the spiritual realm; and that is the hungering of the heart for the spiritual life, the Word.

The blessedness of the disciples’ poverty and hungering is indeed great, it is everlasting life and victory in every situation here on earth below.The kingdom of heaven is theirs and only then, their hunger is satisfied,rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for behold, your reward is great in heaven.

For you know yourselves as sojourners on earth.

 Discipleship under grace (God’s Kingdom)

“But I say unto you, love your enemies and do good to them which hate you.” This love can only be fulfilled under discipleship.

The people of the world will always hate you including blood relatives. This is the hatred of the world; and there is only one good thing one can do – bring them to the Law and God’s love (the Gospel) which alone can convert them to discipleship. This is the supreme love of God to the world.

Those that curse you and despises you; bringing the Gospel to them is the greatest prayer which can remove their hatred and curses.Smitten on the one cheek, offer them the other; this is the love of God, the Gospel instead of retaliation.

Spot every opportunity of him who asketh, etc.

Discipleship is the only true love which can be extended to all men without any discrimination. All other love is discriminatory. God’s love is to all those who love you, hate you and your enemies.Be ye therefore merciful as your Father is merciful.

Grace does not judge or condemn but blesses with the Gospel; God’s love to the world.

3) The Lordship (the hearers and doers of the Word)

All disciples are under one Lord Christ; one Master who alone leads all of them by his Word.Any other leadership other than Christ (the Word) brings about division, blindness and the fall into the ditch is great. It is only the Word which leads, personality has no place in discipleship falls.

When  discipleship presents the truth of the Word, it is Christ leading; and under such leadership, he alone is able to spot a mote and a beam as well; both of which would be found in any disciples’ eyes which spell danger of leadership,this renders discipleship dependency entirely on God’s grace for all spiritual needs and his righteousness. It is this knowledge of the mote and the beam in each disciple’s eye that renders unity among brethren, all under God’s grace.

Any such leadership which is not dependent on God’s grace brings forth corrupt fruit and not discipleship. From thorns, men do not gather figs, nor from a bramble bush gather grapes. For a good man, (a disciple) out of the good treasure of his heart (spiritual poverty) bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, his mouth speaketh.

Therefore, it can only be discipleship which fits every believer under the one Lord and these alone, cometh, heareth and doeth the Word.

As such, is the man who built a house, dug deep and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon his house but could not shake it for it was founded upon the rock.But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.