The Disciple

The first thought that comes to the mind of any lexicographer on hearing the words ‘disciple’ and ‘discipleship’ is Christ and Christianity. They have become so much an inalienable part of the religion.

A disciple is by definition a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or another figure. Jesus chose His disciples to be with him to receive his instructions, to learn the nature of his teachings, be witnesses to his resurrection, and then to bear his gospel around the globe.  It is notable that Jesus chose His disciples quite early during His ministry so that they would receive maximum exposure to Him. At the time of His first miracle performed at the Cana wedding, which is generally considered the ‘launching’ of His ministry, He already had recruited five of them, “fishers of men”. John 2:11 says “This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in Him”. It can be assumed that the number of His disciples started growing after that.

As his days on earth were drawing closer, Jesus decided to move to Jerusalem. (Is that were prophets die?). He had planned to travel via Samaria, but people of the village who hated Jews laid obstacles on His way. When the disciples James and John saw this, they were so much incensed they wanted us to call down fire from heaven to consume them. Jesus rebuked them and explained that he came to save lives, not to destroy. It is easy to judge the disciples as arrogant and self-righteous, but we must remember these were the people Jesus had chosen and trained. These were the very people who witnessed Jesus on the mount of transfiguration where Jesus dropped His human garb for a short while and revealed Himself as God’s Son in His original glory, a privilege no other human being enjoyed at any time.

Jesus made it clear that those who aspired to become His followers must be ready to reject the world and all it had to offer (carry their crosse) and follow Him.  Luke presents in 9:56-62 three the kinds of people who aspired to become His disciples, but could not make it.  These were drawn from a cross-section of early Jewish middle class, ordinary people with average dreams. He shows us what they lacked and why they were all rejected. He brings out in their stories three different aspects of discipleship that were essential in order to follow the Master.

1. Luke 9:57, 58 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

The man had sought Jesus and made the offer voluntarily. Matthew reports the same incident. He identifies the person as a teacher of the law. Jesus put him down with a curt reply: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Do you still want to go? – was the unasked question. His offer might have been sincere, but he must have been nurturing romantic dreams. Probably he expected he would be placed at a position of honor in Jesus’ kingdom if he made the commitment early enough. Remember, this issue has been a sore point even among the twelve.

Jesus’ reply also shows that the disciple-aspirant had probably not counted the cost of discipleship.  Animals and birds have their places of habitation but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Was he ready to give up everything and put up with a condition like this?  A true disciple has no home on earth. The Lord is his priority, his wealth and inheritance. We don’t hear about the man anymore. Probably he went away in disappointment like the rich young man in Matthew 19:24.  

2. The next two verses 59 and 60 speak about another person receiving Jesus’ personal call. He was flattered but was not quite ready to take up the responsibility. The man’s reply was dubious, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father”. If the father had just died, the man would not have been there on the street. His reply can have only one meaning: “Lord, allow me to stay at home and take care of my father until his death”. The Jewish culture also demands such an attitude from a male offspring. The answer might also imply “Let me put off the decision until I inherit the father’s property’’. His presence would have been necessary if there were contenders.

Jesus’ answer: “Let the dead bury their own dead,” obviously cannot be taken literally. The Word of God had come to this man. What set him apart from all others who were still living in spiritual darkness. Paul writes to the Ephesians who were earlier dead in transgressions and sins.  All of us also lived gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires; in that sense, we were dead in thoughts and spirit, but because of his great love for us, God made us alive with Christ.

3. The final verses 61 and 62 carry the last episode in this serial. There is a third person in Luke’s account who volunteers to follow Jesus. His request to be allowed to say goodbye to his family seems reasonable to us, but  In Matthew’s Gospel, we read that Jesus said: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

In His answer to this man, Jesus uses the image of a farmer plowing his field. In order to make his furrows straight, one must look ahead, not back. The picture may have been inspired by the Old Testament story of Elijah’s call of Elisha. Elisha made a similar request to say goodbye to his family. We get the impression that he never did. His decision to follow Elijah was carried out in the most radical manner possible. Elijah went from there and found Elisha who was engaged in active agricultural work in his large farmland. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’ ‘Go back,’ Elijah replied and went up to him and threw his cloak around him. That did that.  Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye,’ he said weakly, ‘and then I will come with you.’ Elijah consented.

What happened next has no parallel in the Bible. We really will never know if Elisha bid his parents ‘good-bye’. But we know Elisha went back to the field. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he joined Elijah to become his attendant.  The reader today, on thinking the matter over, might consider it would have been desirable to hear what his family and friends thought about his project, particularly when Elijah gave him permission to do so. But Elisha heard God’s call clearly and responded with alacrity. The only way that appeared to Elisha in the situation was to “burn his bridges” completely and move forward. How resoundingly successful that momentary decision was, has been proved by history.

Jesus didn’t mince his words: "If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross every day, and follow me continually’’ (Luke 9:23, 24).   Why? “Because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”.

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