What are the most important words in discipleship? Can we boil it down to just a few key ideas? If you had to use just three words what would yours be?
Words have great power. We have all experienced a powerful speech by a coach, a politician or a parent that moved us to action. In those moments those words prompt us to new steps.
Here’s another challenge. To know what our direction will be, we need to know accurately what the words mean. Our lack of clarity, as a result, can lead us off track. Words that could speak deeply and direct us miss their purpose. To further complicate our ambiguity because of the time & cultural distance, the Scriptures give us more possibility of us missing the point.
So, what are these 3 crucial words and what precisely do they mean?
Here’s our first one: Disciple. In the Greek Bible the word that is used for disciple is “maphete.” A maphete is a learner, an apprentice. Jesus wants us to come teachable, ready to receive new information and insight. He is the teacher. We are the student. We have complete assurance that Jesus is a great teacher. The question is, are we a good student? Learning is awkward, confusing, thrilling, painful, fun, and frustrating all at the same time.
It is like learning to ride a bike. Has anyone ever got it the first time they hopped on a bike? Consider all the steps someone needs to learn and then take. We must want to ride and must face our fears. We must experience a completely different sensation of movement. We must learn new skills like pedaling. Then add steering with our pedaling. Add to that balance. And do not forget to look ahead for obstacles.
Learning takes practice. So, the first attempt to get the bike moving. Then we feel a breeze. Soon we are out of balance and put our feet down quickly, so we don’t fall. We try again and get the pedal to cycle a half turn, then forget about steering. We hesitate when we consider the next skill needed. Through fears and difficulties, we venture out because everyone else in the neighborhood makes riding look easy and it seems fun. After many attempts over days, some that are good, some OK we begin to figure out all these skills. What a thrill that we then do not want to end!
These childhood themes speak volumes for us in the arena of becoming a disciple.
• Are we willing to look like we don’t have it all together?
• Are we willing to take a step into something we don’t understand?
• Are we willing to pick ourselves back up after pain?
• Are we willing to ask someone for help?
• Are we willing to persist in our awkwardness until we figure it out?
Unfortunately, we never get past these questions. A learner continues through unease and in the dark to press on. A disciple listens to our Master and walks by faith.
A friend of mine, Bill Mowry loves this verse that speaks to teachability. Ecclesiastes 4:13 says, “A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.” NET One of the difficulties as we mature is that we can take on the attitude of the foolish king. Learning is a difficult state to continue in. We like to master things and settle down to safety. Staying curious, staying open, pliable is not easy to do. Being a wise youth means continuing to hop back on the bike of life and relearning how to ride all over again. Yikes!
The benefits of a learner can’t be forgotten. There is nothing like risking, learning, and then moving ahead. Who isn’t thrilled getting over a hurdle for the first time …or learning a new skill …or taking a new faith step. The key for each of us is whether we’ll stay in the learner mode, like “the wise youth.“
Maphete …disciple …apprentice this is a critical word in discipleship.
Here’s the next two words.
https://intentionalministry.com/the-three-words-…pleship-part-two/
https://intentionalministry.com/the-three-words-…cipleship-part-3/
