The Bible teaches and leads to several significant occasions on the importance of discipleship: Moses and Joshua, the ministry of Jesus with His disciples, Jesus' final command to make disciples in Matthew 28, Paul's words to the church in Thessalonica on sharing his life with them, and many more. Discipleship is integral and difficult and just as black coffee will sprout hair on your chest, discipleship will sprout character in you.
Though I am still learning and do not consider myself an expert in discipleship, I have come across two conclusions: I am passionate about discipling younger men so they may surrender everything in pursuit of Christ and I am learning to do the same.
I thought about 3 concepts or learning curves that I've experienced in discipling others. All of these points can be lengthy so we will split this up into a 3-part blog over the next few weeks. I hope you find them helpful and that they would help you to see the fruit of discipleship particularly when it's not the most convenient.
COMPASSION: TO SUFFER WITH
I wish to begin by saying that discipleship happens in the context of life and not always or simply at a coffee shop once a week for an hour. If that tends to be your only strategy, then you'll have two results: those you're discipling will think they know everything and you will limit their experience in the proclamation and practice of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Moving forward, if discipleship happens in the context of life (and not just my own), then compassion is one of our primary roles. And I've learned that compassion is not only a time to suffer alongside of someone or others, but it is not convenient. Ever.
Mark 6:33 records "People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. So as He [Jesus] stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things."
To give you the context of what's happening, Jesus and his disciples are tired. They've been traveling, teaching, and prior to this John the Baptist was beheaded. The people in this story recognize that it was Jesus on a boat, rush to him and the disciples, and are looking to be taught, healed, prayed over, and led.
The disciples, later, suggest that everyone go back to their homes to rest, but Jesus decides to spend His time with the people right at that moment despite being tired and hungry. He recognized and served them at their most desperate time of need.
Discipleship and compassion beautifully go together. It is serving during a great time of need and will be inconvenient because it will force you to inject yourself into their life in order to care for them. Compassion will call out when you're getting ready for an important event and your friend's hand gets smashed under his car because it was a tire change gone wrong; or you'll receive a call that your friend's son has just been in a horrifying and fatal accident; or in a time of confession where so many tears are built up that words and emotions will not allow the proper communication.
Compassion is to suffer alongside of others in their desperate need for Jesus and He has called you to display the same compassion He had towards others in Mark 6.
As you begin to disciple others, ask yourself these questions:
• Are you compassionate?
• Where has Jesus displayed compassion in my life?
• Is your focus so narrow that you're more concerned with the exegesis of a passage at Starbucks rather than hearing the cry of one's heart for change and need in Jesus?