On Discipleship

Lillie Langtry entered the world in 1853 as the only daughter in a family of seven children born to an English minister and his wife. Blessed with better-than-average resources, she grew up in circumstances of relative ease, married a man of means her family did not approve of, and went on to live a life of excellent social connections and world-wide acclaim as an actress. In fact, she has been termed the superstar of her day, not unlike Ingrid Bergman in her own time, and Angelina Jolie today, at a time when "proper ladies" did not set foot on the stage and retain their reputations. But Lillie Langtry's life also included some missteps, bumps and personal tragedies, including several affairs outside her marriage, her husband's alcoholism, her brother's death and alienation from her adult daughter. She appears to have handled herself with strength and determination throughout her life. Her spirited and practical approach to living is reflected in a quote from Ms. Langtry I recently happened upon. "The sentimentalist ages far more quickly than the person who loves his work and enjoys new challenges."

Although I am certain Ms. Langtry and I would never have traveled in the same social circles, I admire her no nonsense, logical application of enjoyable work and new challenges as an anti-aging device. Ms. Langtry's observation could also be applied to coming to a deeper understanding of what Jesus included in his call to those who wanted to be his followers.

Although not containing the glitz and glamour of the life Lillie Langtry lived in the high society of nineteenth-century London, I am sure there was a powerful attraction to become a part of Jesus' inner circle. Several places in scripture indicate that people approached Jesus about becoming his followers. At other times, Jesus approached individuals to come work with him. "As they were going along the road, someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' To another he said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts the hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-62)."

While seemingly rather abrupt, Jesus is very clear with both those who apply and those whom he recruits to be his followers about what they can expect their lives to be like as his followers. This new life encompasses wholly different rules than they have ever encountered before. The covenant relationship they have understood between God and Israel would become very personal, very real, if they make a choice to take on the role of disciple with Jesus of Nazareth. If they say, "Yes," Jesus is telling them they will not be able to count on having a home and all its usual comforts, even a consistent place to sleep every night. They may not be able to put their families first in times of need, and they may not even have the luxury of saying good bye, or explaining where they are going or why. If they choose to accept the call to discipleship, inherent in that choice is that their first priority will always be proclaiming the kingdom of God.

Jesus understood the task at hand, and he was very clear on the amount of strength, persistence, fortitude and faith it would take to move forward into the living of the choice to follow him. He knew, and wanted, his followers who would be disciples to make a conscious, informed choice before saying, "Yes." More than one person has said yes to a new employment situation, only to realize after the fact that they had signed on for something they never expected. Jesus didn't have a whole lot of time to waste, and he needed people committed to God and God's kingdom. There was no room for sentimentality, now or down the road.

"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and follower him (Matthew 9:9)." Matthew seemed to have worked out his decision and was ready to accept the offer when Jesus came to him that day. Perhaps he had been in the crowd when Jesus preached his Sermon on the Mount. Maybe he witnessed a healing or had heard of Jesus' reputation from a friend or colleague. For whatever reason, Matthew had weighed the choice and its consequences and was ready to follow Jesus and put the kingdom of God first.

So attached are we to the numbers of church growth and the business of maintaining the physical facilities that house our religious activities, that we frequently misrepresent the true nature of discipleship to those who come to the doors of our houses of worship seeking what Jesus had to offer. It seems as though we are afraid to tell people the truth, that faithful discipleship can be a huge inconvenience, messing up your weekends, your free time, your me time, simply because that is what it is by design. Choosing discipleship, following Jesus in proclaiming the kingdom of God, is choosing a complete reordering of your priorities. This one choice will cause dramatic consequences that will change your life.

Jesus was honest with those he recruited and interviewed for the position of disciple. He didn't sugarcoat the job description, he didn't misrepresent the realities of the work, and he didn't try to make people feel guilty if they chose not to follow him. Jesus only wanted those called to make their own choice about this thing called discipleship. Jesus wasn't interested in making disciples of those who made their decisions on romantic notions or sentimental ideas because those choices would have no substance or staying power when times get tough. Then, as now, Jesus calls to discipleship those who will love the work and enjoy the challenges.