What is Discipleship?

In many churches and Christian circles today, discipleship is a popular topic. In my opinion, much of what passes for discipleship falls woefully short of what Jesus and scripture had to say about discipleship. I did a Google search to see what others said about this term and found a number of articles and lists that attempt to define discipleship. “Six (eight, ten, the number varies) characteristics of discipleship.” Not being satisfied, I looked at what Jesus said. In Luke 9:23 Jesus laid out three requirements to be His disciple: “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”

My first observation was that Jesus was NOT talking to the twelve, He was addressing all of His followers. He had just finished the feeding of the five thousand. It is reasonable to assume that “them all” included more than just the twelve. He laid out three requirements for a disciple. The lists I previously alluded to probably contain these three, but elaborate on them as supplemental material. I like to keep things simple, so we will elaborate on the three components Jesus mentioned:

• • • • • • • Deny self
            • Take up YOUR cross 
            • Follow Him

Deny Self  I see these three as a progression toward discipleship. In denying self, Jesus is telling us that, if we are to be His disciple, we must love Him more than we love our family. In Luke 14:26 we read “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” God is a god of love, how can He speak hate? My first observation is that God’s hatred could be more a matter of priorities rather than a despising of another individual or object. Think of a continuum. At one end is God. Everything else is less than the love we have for God. So we are not being told to hate, or despise others. We are being told that God should be number one, by far, in everything. Second place is not even close. Thus we place God as the most important thing in our lives and deny ourselves whatever not according to His plan.

Luke 26 goes on to say in verses 28-30 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘this person began to build, and was not able to finish!’”

We must be careful that, in denying ourselves, we do not ignore ourselves. We may take the attitude that any desire we have is sinful, we ignore the fact that God provides good things for us here on earth.

Discipleship carries a cost and we are being told to determine if we are willing to pay the cost. When I see this scripture, I am often reminded of the “Eyesore on I-4.” If you’ve traveled on that highway in the Altamonte Springs area, you’ve probably noticed it. The building has been under construction since 2001 and remains incomplete. It is known as the Majesty Building and was designed to house the not-for-profit Christian TV station WACX and was funded with contributions from viewers. For any number of reasons, it remains incomplete. But comparing the Majesty Building to Christ’s statement is a glaring example of what He was referring to. The cost of the building was not fully considered. In making the commitment to follow Jesus, we need to count the cost. Is there anything in our lives that hinders us from putting Christ first in everything?

Take Up Your Cross This command of Jesus is often misunderstood. We often use it in reference to a burdensome task. If, for example, you have a loved one who needs you to be their caretaker, that task may be referred to as the cross you have to bear. In this regard all of humanity, a follower of Jesus or not, will experience difficulties in this life. That is not what Jesus was referring to. 

Also, taking up our cross is not a symbol for us figuratively bearing Christ’s cross. He bore His cross. Here, he is telling us to take up OUR cross.

What is the cross? Although we may use a cross as a Christian symbol, the actual cross is an instrument of death. When Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily he was telling us that we need to die to self each and every day. We are sinful, fallen human beings. We will stumble. By dying to self daily, we help maintain our discipleship. In Luke 9:24 Jesus elaborates on taking up the cross by saying “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.” 

Follow Me Jesus is calling us to discipleship. The definition of disciple varies depending on one’s perspective. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a disciple as “one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers.” This is entirely too narrow, as Jesus calls us all to discipleship. A second definition from the same source defines ‘disciple’ generically as “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” We can be disciples of someone other than Christ. We might think of ourselves as a disciple of a strong, charismatic leader. But this can be a misplaced allegiance. Jim Jones had disciples who followed him, and drank the Kool Aid, killing over 900 souls.

Following Jesus means that we do what He bids us to do. Jesus does not have a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all discipleship. Jesus has a task for us and there will be consequences when we follow Him. Whatever He calls us to do we should do our best. A Christian not working hard is a poor example. Colossians 3:17 tells us “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Do it well, as you are doing it in the name of Jesus. Be thankful for the task God has given you.

I would add that a task or assignment from God is not necessarily for life. As we go through this life, the tasks that God has for us may change. There are seasons in our human lives, there are also seasons in our Christian life.

Never forget that discipleship is a task we don’t face alone. When Jesus ascended, he promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be with them. In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells us “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.. There may be difficulties but ultimately we can’t lose.

Cross picture by Freepix. All scripture is from the NASB unless othewise stated.