“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
Vance and I have had a lot of discussions lately about this passage of scripture-specially the make disciples part- so I was excited to see this passage today.
Referred to by most as “The Good Commission”, His charge to us as believers is clear: Go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey His commands. Yet far too often, the focus is weighted heavily on the go and the baptize part and less on the discipleship part.
The Greek word for “disciple” is mathēteúō: to become a pupil, to disciple, enroll as scholar;
a learner or pupil. True discipleship requires at least two people: a teacher and a scholar. You need both.
For discipleship to be effective, it’s the responsibility of both the teacher AND the student to engage in the discipleship process. And, like most things, discipleship hinges on relationships.
During our 13 moves, we’ve called churches home, and the ones we grew the most in were places where discipleship was a priority. But the truth is, I don’t need “church” to disciple another or to be discipled. Each of us have relationships around us in which we invest time and energy, and when we model His command by loving G-d and loving others, we engage in the discipleship process. It is a longing of my heart to be involved and engaged with intentional, meaningful, true discipleship- the kind that leaves people better and stronger than I found them.
May we be ever mindful today that people are looking and listening. And may I be ever mindful that I am both a student and a teacher.
Father – thank You for Your Word. Give me eyes to see what You have for me. Use me to do Your work on the earth. You are good and You keep doing good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: Matthew 28, Mark 16
November 14, 2022