More Lessons in Discipleship: "Becoming is Superior to Being"
Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery
March 14, 2008
Larry R Evans
1. It is wrong for true disciples to question God’s care for them or their loved ones. [Mk 4:37-41] True or False?
2. Sometimes disappointments, mistakes and heartaches teach insights not easily learned with successes. [Mk 6:6-13 then Mk 6:45-52] True or False?
3. Those who defend God’s truth are disciples of Christ. [Mt 23:23] True or False?
4. The disciples’ ignorance kept them fearful. [Mk 9:30-32] True or False?
Introduction
Since the rebellion in heaven (Rev 12:7) there has ever been a sinister plot to create distrust in God and to malign His character. (Gen 3) Over and over again we see God trying to send a message of love, care and hope only to have these messages distorted and His chosen messengers criticized, abused and even killed. It is as though trust in God is the last thing to be tolerated.
“In the days of Stalin, kindergarten teachers would tell children in their classes to close their eyes and pray to God for a bag of candy. None appeared. ‘Now, pray to Stalin,’ they would urge. As the children prayed the teachers would place bags of candy on each desk. Prayer never gets anything, the teachers would announce. The lesson is to trust our Leader for your needs.” -- Philip Yancey in Rumors of Another World,p.166. And what was put in place of trust in God – trust in ourselves! And how has history recorded such trust? In the case of trusting Stalin, it is estimated that at the height of his purging 3,800 people were executed every other day. This is more than the number killed in the World Trade Center attacks—and this was happening every other day. One estimate reports that 60 million perished due to execution, forced starvation or prison.
On the other hand, many who have trusted in God have perished and some under the most brutal conditions. Some have concluded that there is no way of knowing if God is listening or if there is even a God. Agnosticism (not knowing) has spread its message of uncertainty and as a result fear has gripped the hearts of many. With no place to turn, with human solutions producing only more despair, questions still linger: Who am I, does anyone care and how shall I respond when life caves in? Is there any hope in a broken world! These are the questions we must explore in our study for today. We won’t answer them all but it is a journey we cannot avoid. Gaining insights to these questions must not be put off because answers are needed before a crisis comes.
Reflective Study
1. It is wrong for true disciples to question God’s care for them or their loved ones. [Mk 4:37-41] True but Understandable
Mark 4:36-41
37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)
In reading this account we must not forget that it is a disciple who is relating the incident and it is told by more than one disciple! On the other side of the fearful incident, on the other side of the cross, these disciples have learned something they wish for us to experience. They had “become” something they weren’t before and they want us to experience the same life-changing, faith-invigorating discipleship. Why else would they have recorded this humiliating experience for all to read: "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" The very fact that they are now telling the story suggests that they understand two things differently. First, it is very human to be fearful but secondly, and this is important, God does care! The response of Jesus is no less insightful: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" There is something about the kind of faith that He wants His disciples to learn that both answers the question, “Does He care?” but also “Why are you so afraid?” The conclusion of the story on the lake is concluded with these words, and don’t pass by them lightly, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Do we know “who” Jesus is? This is such an important question to Jesus that He later asks the disciples “Who do you say that I am?” It is Peter who answers and he answers correctly – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mt.16:16)
Ponder the answer for a moment. How does that answer the question: Does God care? God cares so much that He came in person! He came to be with them in the boat, in the fires of Pharisaical criticism and to experience with them the worst kind of scorn. God cares but for some unknown reason His coming did not immediately stop all pain, suffering and persecution. There is, apparently, a question that is bigger than the ones we are asking that must first be resolved before every tear can be wiped away.
2. Sometimes disappointments, mistakes and heartaches teach insights not easily learned with successes. [Mk 6:6-13 then Mk 6:45-52] True
Jesus was a teacher and He clearly saw potential in His disciples which, if developed, could easily turn the world upside down. They were there yet, however. As the master Teacher that He is He gave them opportunities to see both success and challenge.
In Mark 6:6-13 He went from village to village with disciples close at hand. They saw Him minister to scores of people and then the Bible says He called the disciples to Himself and He sent them out (two by two) with the authority over even the evil spirits. He empowered His disciples and guess what! See verse 13,
13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (NIV) The disciples were successful!! The very next thing Mark records is that the highly respected John the Baptist was beheaded. What is Mark telling us and why? What heart-breaking news this must have been. Then Mark tells us another story: Jesus comes once again to center stage and miraculously feeds the 5,000. What follows, however, is very important to you and me when it comes to understanding the proverb: Becoming is Superior to Being!
After the feeding, with the amazement still on the face of his disciples, Jesus tells his disciples to get in the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida. Then what did Jesus do? The Bible says, “He went up on the mountainside to pray.” (Mk 6:46) Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus prayed about but it would appear that the master Teacher is praying for His disciples. He sent them knowing that they would face a challenge and now we see Him praying for them that they might grow to meet the new challenge. Once again we find the answer to the question: Does God care? How much does God care? He prays for them/us. He sees the disciples “straining at the oars”. Just imagine God praying for you! For whatever reason the stormy sea is necessary for us to grow but we are sent with the prayers of Christ in our behalf! Next the Bible says that with the image of disciples straining He goes out to meet them. They become so amazed that His walking on the water they become terrified. They forget who He is and that it was He who sent them that they interpret His presence in a sinister way—“a ghost!”. But Jesus speaks words of comfort to the disciples that He is trying to “grow” to take His place when He leaves. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” And then Jesus does something that every would-be teacher should model – “Then he climbed into the boat with them.” Whatever leadership model we study we must never forget that a true mentor does not abandon his disciple. And then Mark unveils that the growth process of the disciples had hit a snag in the feeding of the disciples. They had not yet learned the lesson the master Teacher wanted them to learn: “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” Sometimes disappointments, mistakes and heartaches teach insights not easily learned with successes.
3. Those who defend God’s truth are disciples of Christ. [Mt 23:23] True and False
Matt 23:23-24
23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (NIV)
Not all who purport to be defending the “truth” are disciples. Many self-proclaimed defenders of truth miss the bigger picture of who God is and what God is trying to do. Many times these want-to-be disciples can leave a very wrong picture of God and of God’s view of others. For example, when the disciples were in training and they saw that an entire village reject Jesus they wanted to call fire down from heaven and destroy them. But the Bible says, “Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.” (Lk 9:55,56) At every turn Jesus was teaching his disciples. The words He spoke would later be remembered but at the time they were confusing – especially when they saw the power He had! Power in the wrong hands is a very dangerous thing – religion included.
4. The disciples’ ignorance kept them fearful. [Mk 9:28-32] True
Mark 9:28-32
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (NIV)
We must never forget that a major focus of Jesus’ ministry was “teaching his disciples”. What patience he must have had but what disappointment He must have experienced time and time again. Our passage here has got to be one of the most disappointing times in His ministry. After he had called them aside to teach them the conclusion was “they were afraid to ask.” The heartbeat of any teacher is responding to the questions of those whom he wishes to disciple. Truly ignorance of this kind opens the door for more fear.
The discipling process is perhaps most clearly seen in the experience of Job. Job’s faith was fixed but his emotional roller coaster was clearly present. Job did die happy, however. Before you conclude that he died happy because everything was restored I’d like to read to you his personal testimony given before his fortune was restored and while he yet sat upon piles of rubble, naked and covered with sores.
Job 42:2-6
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3[You asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?
'Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4["You said,] 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes." (NIV)
Being called to discipleship is a call to faith – it is a walk too easily critized by others and misunderstood by us. Through it all we can be assured that the master Teacher cares for us. We must bear in mind that “Becoming is Superior to Being!”
Reflective Review
Our study this week continues with the theme of discipleship and disciple building. What is it that transforms a good disciple into a great disciple? Biblically it doesn’t seem to mean that a true disciple makes no mistakes. Some of those whom Jesus chose made some big ones! Is there a mindset that one must have to step over the threshold from good to great? Is it something disciples do? Do life’s experiences play a part? Someone once wrote that “Becoming is superior to being.” (Paul Klee) Could it be that this is at the heart of discipleship – that of “becoming!” Is there something about how we face the joys and heartaches of everyday life that make us what we are? Could they make more of us if we had a different mindset? Do we see every day experiences as opportunities to enlarge our horizon. When the disciples, for example, became frightened for their own lives when the storm was threatening, why did they accuse Jesus of not caring for them? What was it about them that caused them to see in Jesus a lack of care or concern? What can we learn from their experience? Was this the fault of Jesus or did it reflect more about them? Was there another influence or power actively trying to limit their understanding of what God was doing? It has been said that “A person can grow only as much as his horizon allows.” Perhaps part of “becoming” a disciple, then, is to allow God to enlarge our horizon. Perhaps the fears we carry closest to our heart--which sometimes manifest themselves with our becoming withdrawn, our outbursts of anger and our anxieties of frustration—come as a result of our own limited horizon. What we don’t understand, it seems, we fear and we act out that fear in numerous ways. In teaching His disciples, Christ did not isolate them from the sick, the hurting, the angry, the demon-possessed or the scowling critic. It was part of their “becoming” process. Neither did He abandon them. He lived the experience with them. I like the way Simone Weil put it, “We see either the dust on the window or the view beyond the window, but never the window itself.” Perhaps the hardest part of being a disciple is believing that there is a part of one’s experience that cannot seen but someday will make all things clear. “Becoming” doesn’t necessarily mean being able to see “the window” or to understand all the “why’s” that we have. In fact, not seeing might be the very opportunity we need to broaden our horizon and “become” the possibility we never considered possible. Maybe that’s what Habakkuk had in mind when he wrote,
Hab 3:16-19
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights. (NIV)
In the context of hardships and disappointments, “becoming” can take on a new significance as William Barclay points out: “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
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