The Path of Discipleship


The 9th chapter of the Gospel of Luke is packed with important events in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. In this chapter, we read Jesus sends out his 12 disciples for their first missionary experience, Jesus feeds the five thousand, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Transfiguration of Jesus takes place and Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. Such an exciting chapter. And as the events of this chapter unfolded the disciples understood that Jesus was not any rabbi that they were accustomed to seeing in different towns but he is “the Messiah of God”. For today’s readers, this chapter makes it clear that Jesus is not a guru or a life coach but he is our Saviour.
As Jesus goes on to predict his passion He tells His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. Jesus gives the same message to us today: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus invites us to become his disciples and follow him. There are two prerequisites for this invitation: To “deny” yourself means to say “No” to ourselves and “Yes” to God. And "To take up the cross daily" means to die to our selfish ways and live for God.
As we follow Jesus, we start to “look” more and more like him; and as we look more like him, we look less like the world.
Jesus invites us today to embrace the path of discipleship and the way of the cross. 

Yours,

Fr. Nareg
Read the Word of God. Today's readings are: Proverbs 8:12-21; Nahum 2:1-7; 1 Timothy 5:17-21; Luke 9:23-27

Comments

  1. alainNovember 5, 2019 at 3:43 PM

    How can we reconcile discipleship, the small group mentorship vs the development of churches and mega churches attendance goals?

    ReplyDelete

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