Who are disciples of Jesus?
Let’s start with the original 12. They include at least one “freedom fighter” (Simon, the Zealot), committed to liberating Israel from the oppressive Roman Empire. There is at least one taxman (Matthew), collaborating with precisely that evil empire. And there are fishermen, overtaxed by people like Matthew. Can you imagine some of the heated arguments that arose within this motley group?
Disciples of Jesus today are an even more diverse group. There are people of every nation on earth, including those at war with each other. They speak about 7,000 different languages. They are rich and poor, young and old, male and female, weak and strong. And they have very diverse convictions on many different issues. Those of us who have committed our lives to following Jesus are an incredibly diverse group, far more diverse even than the original 12 disciples.
Yet within all that diversity, disciples of Jesus have much in common. Let’s briefly explore three gospel texts that help us capture the essence of discipleship.
Disciples respond to God’s initiative
To be a disciple of Jesus is not a human achievement; it is a response to God’s gracious initiative. Luke’s gospel illustrates this when it reports how Simon Peter becomes one of Jesus’ disciples in Luke 5:1-11.
Simon and his companions have just spent a fruitless (well, I guess “fishless”) night on the lake. In the morning, they are preparing to head home for their daytime sleep. Jesus interrupts their plans, borrows Simon’s boat and turns Simon into a captive audience while he teaches the crowds on the shore.
The day’s teaching is done, and Jesus tells Simon it is time to bring in the big catch. To Simon’s credit, he takes fishing advice from a carpenter. Something in Jesus’ teaching must have persuaded Simon that Jesus’ instructions were worth heeding. So, he heads for deep waters, throws out his net and is astonished to haul in a catch of “biblical proportions” as they say.
That’s when Simon recognizes his own unworthiness in the presence of Jesus and blurts out, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). But Jesus does not walk away from sinners. Jesus invites them into a life of discipleship and ministry. He assures Simon that in the future Simon will be catching people, just as Jesus himself did that day. And so, Simon, caught in Jesus’ net, leaves everything and becomes a disciple of Jesus.
Jesus takes the initiative—he teaches, offers, blesses, invites and commissions. Simon responds—he listens and obeys, he recognizes his unworthiness and he joins Jesus. This is how discipleship begins and how it is maintained as we follow Jesus through life.
Disciples leave everything to follow Jesus
The call of Simon (and three other fishermen) is narrated differently in Mark’s Gospel. The emphasis here (Mark 1:16-20) is on the nature of the call and on the cost. Jesus’ summons is worded like this: “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people” (Mark 1:17).
It is a fourfold call: first, to a relationship with Jesus himself (come); second, to a brand-new life as a follower of Jesus (follow me); third, to training for ministry (a literal translation would be: “I will train you to fish for people”); fourth, to a new community.
The first four disciples are about to leave their families, their village, their careers, their security—and join Jesus in a new spiritual family. This is not merely the story of four individual conversions. This is the story of two people joining Jesus, then two more. As the story unfolds, there will be many others whom Jesus will call his “brothers and sisters and mothers” (Mark 3:35).
The cost is steep. They “leave everything” to follow Jesus. Mark specifically names the cost: Simon and Andrew leave their nets (Mark 1:18); James and John leave their father (Mark 1:20). In fact, all of them leave everything behind.
Jesus will later assure them that the reward makes it all worthwhile. They will receive back hundredfold on everything invested for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. And then there’s eternal life after that (Mark 10:28-30). Disciples of Jesus are investing for the long haul—the very long haul. And it always pays.
Disciples never stop learning
One evening, after a long day of teaching, Jesus surprises his disciples with a question: “Have you understood all these things?” They respond with no nuance, no hesitation, no doubts. “Yes! Yes, of course, Jesus. We understand everything” (Matt. 13:51-52).
Jesus is not impressed. So he drops another teaching on them, a puzzling one at first glance, as if to say, “Well, if everything else was so simple, try this one.”
Here is Jesus’ response: “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Matt. 13:52).
What does this mean? Jesus refers to “teachers of the law” (“scribes,” “legal experts,” “know-it-alls”) and “disciples” (the word means “apprentices,” “learners”). To be a “disciple in the kingdom of heaven,” “scribes” need to be transformed into “apprentices.” “Know-it-alls” need to become “learners.”
Jesus is inviting his followers back into a discipleship posture. They think they understand everything already. True disciples never do that. According to Jesus, only those willing to learn, and keep on learning, will be able to access “new treasures as well as old.”
Let’s give the disciples one more chance to answer Jesus’ question. Here’s what I propose Jesus would have wanted them to say . . . and what Jesus invites us to say in response to his question: “Have you understood all these things?”
“No, Lord. We have not understood all these things. But we want to keep learning. Help us to be humble about the things we think we understand. Help us discover the rich treasures you have in store for us, old ones and new ones, as we keep on being trained for participation in the kingdom of God.”
Three snapshots
There are dozens more texts in the Gospels that help us understand discipleship. But these three, taken seriously, should go a long way in helping us value and benefit from the incredible diversity of the body of Christ, as we learn to get along with those from whom we are so different, and with whom we may well disagree. Remember:
Discipleship is a response to God’s initiative. God calls, and we respond. So, we have no choice but to accept everyone else that God has called and who has responded in obedient faith. Remember, we are all sinners, saved by grace. And Jesus will not depart from any one of us; so, we cannot depart from each other either.
Discipleship involves “leaving everything,” actually “investing everything,” for the sake of the gospel and finding it all returned hundredfold in God’s new spiritual family. In that spiritual family, we are brothers and sisters, all under the loving leadership of our one Heavenly Father.
Discipleship means being life-long learners: learning from Jesus and learning from one another. If we ever claim to have everything figured out—if we are intent on telling our brothers and sisters where they have it figured out wrong—well, Jesus invites us back to square one, to abandon our know-it-all attitudes and become disciples and learners all over again.
Tim Geddert served as professor of New Testament at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California, until his retirement in May 2023. He is a member of the U.S. Conference Board of Faith and Life.
