Jesus on Discipleship - Part One

If we’re going to talk about discipleship, there’s no one better to turn to than the master discipler, Jesus.  For three years He worked with twelve men and we see His teaching and mentoring of them in the gospels.  The lessons He taught are too many to write about in this context, but there are four words that describe the training He gave them: Abandon, Immersion, Dependence and Body Life.  Today, we look at the word abandon.  To abandon means to leave somebody or something behind for others to care for that was your responsibility originally. 

When Jesus called people to follow Him, many were willing, but first they wanted to take care of life’s issues.  In Luke 9:59 we read of a man who was willing to be a disciple, but only after he had buried his father.  Seems like a reasonable request.  If my father had just died, I would want a day or two to take care of life’s final details.  But take note of Jesus’ response, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”  At first glance this makes Jesus look heartless and demanding, but such is not the case.  The man’s father had not yet died, in fact it is unlikely that his father’s life was in imminent danger.  The man was not asking for a couple of days, but months, perhaps even years.  He was saying, “Jesus, I want to follow you, but only after my father has lived out his life and died.”  The man was willing to follow Jesus, but only on his timetable. 

The above could be said of many.  They want to follow Jesus, but at a time when it’s more convenient.  The trouble is that there never is a convenient time.  Something will always demand our attention and keep us from following Jesus if we allow it.  Luke 5:1-11 sets the right example for us to follow.  Jesus called Peter, James and John to follow Him.  He told them that they would be fishers of men.  It was a clear call to abandon all they knew and set a new and uncertain path for their future.  Verse 11 says, So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

The call to abandon all has not changed.  We may not have to literally abandon everything, but a true disciple knows that Jesus must be above all else.  Scripture doesn’t tell us what the man of Luke 9 did.  Did he return to his father?  Did he begin to follow Jesus?  We don’t know, but we do know that following Jesus means choosing Him first and foremost. At times we may have to abandon a career or even certain relationships to do it.  Abandoning all is part of the cost of being a disciple of Jesus.