“…What is impossible with man is possible with God.” – Luke 18:27 (NIV)
A definition of discipleship says, ‘Discipleship is a spiritual journey of learning and following our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a life-long process that involves becoming more like Him and making others disciples.’
Luke 18:29-30 of the Bible states that those who have left home or family for the sake of God’s kingdom will receive many times as much in this world and eternal life in the age to come.
If we view discipleship as following Our Lord Jesus Christ and causing others to become like Him, then true discipleship speaks of a deeper effort, a harder thrust, to become more like Jesus and to learn more of Him.
Luke 18:24-27 speaks of the humanly impossible task of one who has great possessions to follow our Lord Jesus Christ. We are assured in Luke 18:29, however, that anyone who puts that greater effort receives many times as much in this present age and has in store eternal life in the age to come.
What can that ‘many times as much’ be?
In Luke 18, the rich man saw difficulty in becoming a disciple or entering eternal life. Jesus revealed what caused the difficulty — his possessions.
So, our efforts in becoming true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ would include relinquishing that which keeps us satisfied and seeking God to give us hearts of compassion.
Prayer
Father God, today, give us hearts of compassion to reach out, in a tangible way, to those who are in need. Help us reach out to others and see them become disciples, as this would, in turn, make us true disciples. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Read: Luke 9:23; 2 Timothy 2:2
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 6:30-35; Mark 14:43-72; Leviticus 19; Leviticus 20