Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
A few years ago one of our brilliant Sunday School teachers gave her class stacks of colored construction paper and some shapes to trace and a name of one of the apostles. They were to “make” one of Jesus’ disciples in class and have a little description for each. By the end of class, and after a brief detour discussion as to why there was no white paper available and what Palestinian Jews look like, there was a cast of disciples, who looked a little bit like South Park characters, lining the wall. The kids had made disciples.
“and teaching them everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20a
If only making disciples were as easy as it was for those kids. How does one “make” a disciple according to Jesus’ commands? Goodness knows, Christians have been trying to “make” disciples for a very long time, whether the other person wanted to be a disciple or not.
I wonder if the way Jesus meant for his followers to create new disciples was for them to BE disciples first. In order to teach everything Jesus commanded, we must also be living what Jesus commanded.
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
I wonder, if living as a disciple is not so much about being perfect in discipleship, as perhaps the church has taught in the past, or forcing or coercing others to be disciples, also in our past, or even scaring people into discipleship… I wonder if living as a disciple is remembering that Jesus is with us no matter what. That Jesus loves every part of us and isn’t waiting to love us as soon as we get our act together and have proved our worth.
Perhaps, living as a disciple, and sharing the love of God as disciples, is a relationship of love with Jesus. A disciple accepts that she needs the grace of Jesus, and she shares that grace with others.
May you live that discipleship.