The hope is to see Christ formed in the follower (Galatians 4:19), and for all persons to be found in Christ (Philippians 3:9). Following Christ and becoming his, is to do and become, what Christ was here on earth, to be obedient, and to glorify God. This is no small task! This is the vocation of disciples. How does the church realistically and authentically take on this task?
Bonhoeffer says that the task is actually the same today as it was in the day that Jesus walked the earth in bodily form, that everyone must hear his call in the ministry of the Word and Sacrament.[1] Bonhoeffer goes on to say,
Here he is, the same Christ whom the disciples encountered, the same Christ whole and entire. Yes, here he is already, the glorified, victorious and living Lord. Only Christ himself can tell us to follow him. But discipleship never consists in this or that specific action: it is always a decision, either for or against Jesus Christ. Hence our situation is not a whit less clear than that of the disciple or the publican in the gospel. When Jesus called his first disciples, they obeyed and followed him because they recognized him as the Christ.[2]
While this is simple in terms of clarity, it is deeply profound. The job of today’s follower is not to drop their nets like Peter, or to leave the publicans job at the gate as Matthew did. That was what they did, but that is not the call to discipleship. The call to discipleship is not to travel the world establishing churches and to suffer as Paul did. The task of today’s disciple is like that of Jesus, to obey God, and bring God glory. This was the same task that was given to the people of God in the Christian Old Testament, only without the living example of Jesus Christ. Bonhoeffer said, “The Scriptures do not present us with a series of Christian types to be imitated according to choice: they preach to us in every situation the one Jesus Christ. To Christ alone must I listen.”[3] Flavil Yeakley, in his book, The Discipling Dilemma drives this home when he writes, ‘“Discipleship is not running people through a machine and producing Xerox copies.’ Too many people have seen discipling as putting people on a conveyor belt of godliness, and after so many weeks or months or years, having them go off the conveyor belt at the far end with a big “D” stamped on their foreheads meaning “discipled.” Those who come off the conveyor belt seem so identical. This certainly disagrees with Scripture.”[4] Disciples of Jesus Christ are not made in molds. The goal is not conforming to church culture or social norms, but for persons to be transformed in their mind and renewed in their thinking so that they live in accord with the will of God (Romans 12:2).
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