Day 23 - Reimagine Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) - And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Take a moment and think about the many teachers you have had over the years. Now think about a teacher who was your favorite. Someone you can easily picture in your mind’s eye, whose voice you can still hear, whose personality made an impression on you.

Our favorite teachers are not people who were merely skilled at communicating their subjects or who were entertaining in the classroom. They are people who made a difference in our lives—largely because they taught us something about life, and they taught it through the quality of their own lives.

At the very end of Jesus’ time with his disciples, on some mountain in Galilee, he gave them a most serious command: “Make disciples.” The command was focused, powerful, authoritative, unambiguous. In Greek it is a single word—if we had the word in English it would be discipleize.
Today we need to be crystal clear on this ultimate command. “Disciple” means “learner.” In the ancient world that meant entering in a learning relationship with a master teacher. The kind of teacher who gives knowledge, but so much more. A master teacher who talks about how to live—and who shows how to live. The “disciple” is someone who listens and watches and inquires, listens again, scratches their head, discusses with others, looks at the teacher again, prods and ponders and practices. Along the way the disciple becomes like the teacher. Amazing.

In the “Great Commission” as it is called, Jesus is calling us to help other people get into a learning relationship with Jesus. Why? Because this is God’s chosen plan for humanity’s recovery and rescue. It is how we go from being forgiven by God into a lifelong relationship with God. It is the way—over a long period of time—the image of God is restored in us.

Discipleship is not a “to do” list. We need to reimagine discipleship as a living, dynamic, daily interaction with Jesus.

PONDER:  Think of one person you know who might be open to the idea of becoming a learner of Jesus. How can you help that person with the next step?

REFLECTION or DISCUSSION
This passage comes just after Jesus has risen from the grave. People were confused. Some believed, but many doubted. It is during his final days that Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission. This commission, to go and make disciples of all nations, is still in effect for us today. Imagine what our lives, families, churches, would look like if we took Jesus’ command seriously.

Read Matthew 28:16-20. What is Jesus asking his disciples to do in this passage? Who are people in your life who do not know about Jesus? As a family, pray for the people in your lives who do not have a relationship with God.