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| courtesy: timothytennent.com |
‘Discipleship’
is one of the themes that run across the gospel of Matthew. Generally, here disciple refers to anyone who imitates
Christ, the Christian. It can be even taken as synonymous to Christian, and
discipleship to Christian living. In Hebrew etymology (talmid) disciple does not refer to an adherent but to a learner who
constantly practices what he learns.[1]
In other words, in the Jewish tradition it refers to someone who lives the teachings of the master or the
thought; so much s/he keeps the memories and teachings alive. In his discussion
on discipleship, the concern of the author is to invite people to think about
their imitation of their master, in other words their Christian life. Hence he
develops the theme discipleship presenting
first the state of his Church, the community of disciples and then teaches
authentic discipleship.
There is general
agreement among the scholars that the author composed the book - the gospel of
Matthew - around the Jewish War period i.e. 70 CE. The followers of Jesus were
neither accepted by the Romans as different from Jews nor taken into the Jewish
fold calling them sectarians conspiring with the enemies. The frustration was
even more given the community of Matthew which was a Jewish Christian
Community. More than often, their attempts to reconcile the church with their
ancestral tradition always fired back in the form of persecutions and
life-threats (5.10-12; 10.23; 23.34). Living amidst such troubles, the author
is pressed to present the good news as both encouragement and a call for total
commitment to Jesus Christ. Our aim in this paper is to present, i) the state
of the Christian living/discipleship of his Church, ii) his call for true/authentic
discipleship, and iii) to discuss its relevance for us ‘disciples/Christians of
21st century’.
I
In Matthew, we
get a picture of disciples as a group that enjoys gift of understanding the
Good News but lack strong faith. This is unique and quite unlike its sources –
Mark and Q. Exegetical studies note that the author has done it consciously
editing passages of the sources to picture them this way. The scholars prove
this by comparing Mt 13 with Mk 4 that deals with the parable of the sower, the
subsequent explanation on purpose of parables and the parable of the sower. Other
than these in many places compare Mt 17.4 and Mk 9.6 the author projects
disciples as having an insight into the Master. In Mark the disciples remain
completely devoid of understanding until the resurrection of Jesus (Mk. 4.13;
6.51f; 7.18; 8.17-21), whereas in Matthew the disciples are given understanding
though incomplete and wanting growth (Mt 15.15). However the Marcan thesis that
Jesus had to explain parables to disciples is rejected by Matthew.
Scholars explain
the point reminding us of the time of composition when there was gradual
parting of the ways between followers of the way and traditional Jews.
Therefore the author intends to distinguish between the disciples and the
multitude, people who follow Jesus and those do not, Christian and Jews. The
former understand the Good News hence follow him, the latter ignorant and so do
not. Given the troubled times, the scholars even note that the author to have
believed the understanding is selective gift of Grace to the chosen. The
obduracy of the multitude on the other hand, was seen as God’s judgment. It was
not all. He repeatedly mentions that despite understanding the disciples were
of little faith. Mt 14.13-33 is the classical example referred by scholars. Once
again unlike Mark, here the author has included verses that portray the weak
faith of his Christian community. Frightened amidst storm and winds of the
events that unfolded, they dwindled. Hence the phrase, “you of little faith,
why do you doubt?” (Mt 14.31). Compare Mt
16.5-12 and Mk 8.14-21. See also Mt. 17.20, 28.17, 21.20. Thus, we learn that
in the time of composition of Matthew, the Christian community despite their
response to the call of God in Jesus Christ, were struggling to live up to it.
Thus there is a need to clarify authentic discipleship.
II
The author
responds to the situation by inviting the community to ‘change and become like
a child’(18.3).
At
that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them and said, ‘Truly,
I tell you, unless you change and become like a children, you will never enter
the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. (18.1-4)
In Greek the
term ‘child’ reads mikroi, meaning
the ‘little ones’ referring not exactly to a child but childlike attitudes.
Here we find a call for conversion to become a child, thus to be worthy of the
kingdom of heaven. It is clear, therefore that essence of discipleship is to
become like a child. A child represents neither sinlessness nor sinfulness but
the vulnerability and helplessness like that of a lost sheep. Authentic
discipleship is to realize our nothingness before his infinite grace and hence
humbly surrender oneself to Him, to His will. This certainly is the central
theme from the beginning of the book with Jesus as the archetype. Consider for
example the content of the sermon of the mount (5-7). Everything invariably is
an invitation to acknowledge God’s unconditional kindness and love, and respond
to it through our obedience/surrender to His will – expressed in His son Jesus
Christ.
III
Our problem in
contemporary Christian living/Discipleship, is that we leave the master to the
church and do not allow Him to change our life, life’s decisions. We do not
surrender our everything to Him, because basically we are not convinced about His
unconditional love. Master has been made a distant God, his teachings has been turned
to a religion, his goodness into rituals and the whole affair an exchange for
personal or community welfare. There is no sincere seeking of the will of God
or to courageously surrender our life to His will. Can we blame it on the
religion or its adherents or the society for this inner contradiction? I think
it is all.
For the author
of the gospel of Matthew two fundamental characteristics of the disciple are
understanding and childlikeness. According to Matthew, the understanding meant
a grasp of the preaching and teaching of Jesus, about the demand of God, about
the teaching of the Pharisees, about forerunners, Messianic deeds of power,
suffering, resurrection (15.16; 16.12; 16.9; 17.4, 9, 13, 23). It meant clarity
of vision about life, religion and society. It paved for the choice to be with
him and to be his disciples in the world. Precisely this is our problem. We
lack this clarity of vision, the truth of reality. We are not convinced that we
are a gratuitous gift. We do not understand the dynamics of life that authentic
freedom is total surrender to His will, our fruitfulness (meaning in life) is
faithfulness, and our merit is our openness to let His grace transform our
lives. Who cannot but resist a total
surrender to divine love, if only we have experienced it? Our resistance is our
ignorance. Our fidelity to the Master is founded on our experience of Him.
Therefore the urgency is about to create such experiences which would in turn
make us his authentic disciples.
Bibliography
Barth ,Gerhard.
“On the Essence of Being a Disciple.” Tradition
and Interpretation in Matthew. Gunther BornKamm, Gerhard Barth, and Henz
Joachim Held. London: SCM Press, 1960. 105-124.
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