Discipleship (Part 1)

09-01-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Chad King

Now that we have looked a little bit at what being the Body of Christ means – both as members of the larger universal Church and also as members of Corpus Christi – let us turn our attention to the next part of our vision statement and what it means to Become Disciples.

If we were to ask the average Catholic what the Catholic Church is about, I imagine most of the answers would focus on the sacraments and helping people get to Heaven. However, while the sacraments are the means by which the Church fulfills its mission and purpose, the actual mission of the Church is the last command Jesus gave to the 11 remaining disciples: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19). Thus, for us and indeed for every Catholic Church, our mission, our purpose, what we must be about, is to first become disciples and to make disciples.

Now, if we were to ask an average Catholic today, “Who is a disciple?” we would probably get a lot of answers like, “someone who follows Jesus.” Yes, true, a disciple follows Jesus, but what does it mean and look like to follow Jesus? I imagine there would be a lot of different answers. Is it just someone who believes in Jesus – are they disciples? There are thousands of people who believe in Jesus but don’t practice any faith. Is it anyone who strives to be a good person and live a good moral life—just as Jesus commanded us to do—is that what it means to be a disciple? Well, there are a lot of atheists who are living good moral lives without any knowledge or concern that Jesus commanded us to live that way. What about those who believe in Jesus, strive to be good moral people, and who go to Mass on most Sundays – are they disciples? Well, maybe. There are many people who believe in Jesus, who live good moral lives, and who might go to Church on Sundays, but do so just because that is how they were raised, or because that is what they’ve always done. Some might do it because they are afraid that if they don’t, they will go to Hell. If this is their motivation, then they are not disciples. With so many ways the word disciple is used today, it can be confusing and hard to really know exactly who a disciple is.

However, the 11 disciples to whom Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples,” had a clearer understanding of what Jesus meant. They knew that a disciple in a Jewish context was someone who would leave their home and their parents for years to follow, share meals, converse with, and watch a rabbi’s every move and study every answer. A disciple would learn to see everything from the rabbi’s perspective in order to become just like the rabbi. Peter, James, John, Matthew, and the others, each heard Jesus’ distinct call to follow Him. Throughout the years, they heard the many commands Jesus placed upon them and anyone who would follow Him—commands such as to love God and others, even enemies, the way He loves and to forgive as He forgives us. He taught that living a moral life does not only involve actions, but it begins in the heart. He told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and not find our treasures in money or earthly pleasures. He said that to be the greatest, then we must serve one another. He stated we must become humble and dependent like little children. I’m sure you can think of many other commands Jesus gave. Finally, the disciples themselves heard and wrestled with the challenge from Jesus that, “If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Therefore, the disciples knew what Jesus had called them to do. They knew the grueling sacrifices, the considerable time and effort, and the complete change of lifestyle it would require to become a disciple. More importantly, they were willing to do anything necessary to become His disciple and follow Jesus. Are we?

I imagine the apostles, after the resurrection, as they were evangelizing and seeing the Church grow, often thought about who they used to be. I imagine they reflected on Jesus meeting them by the sea that early morning and the initial calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Jesus – how they left their parents, left their boats and nets, and left everything that was familiar and comfortable – to embark on a journey of discipleship without knowing where it would take them. Though they did not know how or when it happened, eventually they realized that they had indeed become fishers of men. They became less concerned with what they were going to eat at night and more concerned with feeding others with the heavenly food that lasts. I imagine Matthew, the tax collector, reflecting on his former lifestyle—having all the riches he needed and could ever want, but still being lonely and not content with living a superficial life. I can see him recalling the day sitting at the customs’ post doing his job, when out of nowhere, Jesus appeared and asked him to follow Him. Though it took him much time and effort to let go of the attraction of the earthly pleasures that once consumed him, he was so much happier now, not living a lifestyle seeking his own happiness, but now seeking to help others find the happiness he had found in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.