On the road with Jesus

Being a disciple of Jesus is for everyone. It’s as real as normal living. It’s not about cover up or image building. This is especially relevant in our increasingly electronic age where we can present ourselves as we like – with pictures and observations in little snap chats. We can be the ‘adventurous one’; we can be the ‘happy’ one; while we’re dying on the inside. Jesus repeatedly warns his disciples – ‘Don’t be like that. Be real.’ I know who I am. I am a sinner in need of grace. You are a sinner in need of grace. That’s who we are. We will always need grace. This is a good thing because the road to discipleship is fraught with failure. It is not for those who wish to keep their image up or live a life of covering up their failures! In Mark 7-9 the disciples fail time and time again. They miss the point. They argue like school kids. They even sometimes think like Satan. But Jesus never gives up on them. He also never compromises. He doesn’t go soft on Peter. He says, ‘Get behind me Satan!’. When they argue about bread he sighs and says, ‘How long must I put up with you’. Constantly in the Gospel of Mark the disciples and the crowds are ‘utterly astonished’ at what they see in Jesus. Jesus exhibits the sternness of a holy God and the mercy of a loving God. People flock to him. Many adore him. Many hate him. You just can’t stand in the middle!

Bottom line: You and I are disciples also.

a. It is a slow and arduous learning curve. We make lots of mistakes. Sometimes we get sidetracked. Sometimes we lack faith. Sometimes we fail. It seems like 2 steps forward followed by one step backwards. Mark is showing us the reality of the battle, not the touched up picture. The Pharisees constantly worried about image – what other’s thought. The Pharisees constantly covered up their mistakes – but their hearts were far from God. Not so the disciple. God gave us the Gospel of Mark to show us that disciples are real, struggling people. They’re sinners in need of grace, all the time, and they know it. But deep in their heart they just want to be close to Jesus.

b. It is all about the cross. Jesus is not just going around making people feel better. True, he is God and he can’t help being awesome, but he’s on a mission. Man has soiled himself with sin and only the cross can clean his soul up. For the believer, life continues as I claim all I am in Christ. I embrace Christ’s righteousness as my own and fight the battle. I have a wilderness to tame inside me. I must mortify the old self and feed my new self. Thank God for his gift of the Holy Spirit.

c. Never forget Who Jesus is. Only one time in the Bible does Jesus call himself a ‘friend’ of the disciple. He says, ‘You are my friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14). He is an unusual friend. One we must obey and respect. So in Mark 7-9 Jesus is stern but gracious. He always expects greater effort. He always is at work in unexpected ways. We catch glimpses of his glory. But we are always playing catch up. We live with our inadequacies. But grace is always deeper than our failures. He is always nearby in time of need. He deserves our worship.

There are no disciples sitting on the bench. We are all in the game.