Unfortunately I did not have time to film a YouTube video this weekend. My roommate used to travel to visit her boyfriend every weekend, but she just got a job and is now staying in the dorm a lot more, which makes it somewhat awkward to film because I feel guilty disturbing her. NaNoWriMo started five days ago, and I'm getting into the swing slowly but surely (so much writing, ahhh!).
There are also a couple of additional things going on in college that I added onto my palate this week, so I am in the process of adjusting, but I am determined to film a video for next week focusing on the first chapter of The Little Prince.
That being said, I recently wrote something for a Theology class that I wanted to share with you. This is an essay responding to the prompt:
Based on Mark’s Gospel and EITHER Philippians OR 1 John, what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Please present and explain the connection(s) between Mark’s gospel and the ethical demands of Philippians OR 1 John. Include an assessment of the practical implications of discipleship for Jesus’ followers today, possibly including a reflection on the tension between Christian life and “modern life.”It was a challenging write for me, but here are the insights that I had. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to type away at the space below!
Have a wonderful week, and I hope you find this to be valuable or at least interesting.
-Riley XO
Note: the excerpt from Rolheiser is taken from the third chapter his book The Holy Longing. It is a fascinating read if you ever have time to pick up a little something.
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Some
people view the Bible as a manuscript for living. Although the Bible actually encompasses
a variety of genres, it is undeniably a helpful tool for discovering God's plans
for his disciples. The Gospel of Mark gives a narration of Jesus' life, but also
highlights parables that exemplify the image of an upright disciple. First John
then builds upon Jesus' commandments, providing further insight regarding the
proper lifestyle for disciples, embellishing on the parables in a
straightforward manner. An interesting implication arises, however, when both
Mark and First John express that disciples will be persecuted by the world for following
God. With further examination, turmoil ultimately coincides with discipleship
in the modern context.
In order to understand the meaning
of discipleship, it is first necessary to understand the Kingdom of God, which is
a common theme throughout the New Testament. From early on in his teachings,
Jesus is already proclaiming that "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news!" (New
American Bible, Mark 1:15). The concept of the Kingdom of God is developed
throughout the New Testament, and essentially comes to define the community of
Christians who follow Jesus' teachings and love one another, and the Kingdom of
God is spread through Jesus' disciples, as explained by the Great Commission (NAB, Mark 16:15). Perhaps one of the
most descriptive parables for discipleship in Mark comes from the Parable of
the Sower, in which Jesus explicitly states that "those are they that were
sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear
fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold" (NAB, Mark 4:20). The soil in
this parable is most significant because it predetermines the seeds' success.
According to Mark, therefore, disciples of Jesus are nourished with "good
soil."
What is an example of good soil, and
what must a disciple do to ensure that s/he is in good soil? Jesus answered
this question, saying, "Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a
child will not enter it" (NAB,
Mark 10:15). Accepting a set of beliefs as a child would goes against instinct,
especially after a human has developed rhetorical and logical skills with
adulthood. To adults, children seem naive and too trusting. However, it is
exactly this innocence and acceptance that Jesus values. Children tend to look
for good in the world. Rather than looking down at others, they look up because
they realize that they are not the strongest, the wealthiest, nor really even
capable of surviving on their own. They
listen and learn quickly; their perspectives are malleable, constantly
adjusting to new information. Good soil is having such openness of a child, and
the plant begins to grow when the seed realizes that it is dependent on God.
When the seed has taken root and has
the nutrients to flourish, it then bears fruit. First John develops
discipleship further by explaining what "bearing fruit" is, revealing
that "everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by [God]" (NAB, 1 John 2:29). A person living righteously can be
interpreted to be someone who abides by the Ten Commandments, someone who loves
his/her neighbor as him/herself, or someone who follows Christ's example. The
last of these would probably be the most suitable interpretation due to the
latter part of the verse above. Doesn't it make sense that the disciple
following Christ's example is, in a sense, "begotten by God"? Turning
again to Mark, it is possible to understand what the correct image of living
righteously should be. Jesus showed compassion to the persecuted, healed the
sick, and loved the poor. He also taught the people around him to express agape (love) for one another, and empowered
the Twelve Disciples to also heal and perform miracles. Therefore, in order for
disciples to be considered as "begotten by God," they must also act
with this selfless agape. The fruit
that disciples bear is essentially the good that ripples out from sharing agape with the Christian and surrounding
communities, which is analogous to spreading the Kingdom of God.
So this rudimentary definition of a
disciple of Jesus shaped by Mark and First John is simple, desirable, and
straightforward. However, it is a matter of fact that disciples will be hated
by the world (NAB, 1 John 3:15). It
turns out that discipleship is not as wonderful as it seems, despite the
Kingdom of God being the reward. What is it about following Christ's example,
that persecution is the result?
The obvious answer is that in modern
life, Jesus' commandments do not coincide with what the world teaches. So
naturally, modern disciples are distinctly separate from others. However, it is
also important to clarify that persecution comes from the world, and not necessarily other humans. Because disciples are
originally born of the flesh before they are "born again" in God,
perhaps persecution does come from within the disciples themselves. In order to
better conceptualize this abstract idea, Rolheiser establishes that balancing a
strong sense of personal integrity, social justice, a peaceful heart, and
community with others --all components of being "begotten by God"--
is challenging (Rolheiser 56). Rolheiser
demonstrates with four examples that imbalance is accompanied by personal
distress and/or disapproval from both Christians and non-Christians. Disciples
must wrestle with inner turmoil
trying to attain balance to lead a godly life, a process that is emotionally
taxing. And since the great, harmonious, perfect image of God is beyond human
capacities, the process of inner turmoil is, in a sense, permanent.
Being a disciple in the context of
Mark and First John presented challenges especially in the early church since
Christians were actually physically persecuted. However, such persecution in
contemporary life has taken a different form as modern disciples are bombarded
with a fast-paced lifestyle that heightens stress and often blurs lines between
what is right and wrong. Conflict between disciples and the world, which is
integrated both into society and the disciples themselves, makes it a challenge
to follow Christ as a child would; however, true disciples of Jesus persevere
in order to bear fruit and spread the Kingdom of God.
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