Mark's Gospel - Discipleship
- Created by: janej
- Created on: 18-03-17 19:26
The Nature of Discipleship
Calling Passages - Significant points
- Jesus told them that he would make them 'fishers of men' - disciples are meant to spread the good news
- disciples left their jobs and followed Jesus - following Jesus require self-sacrifice
- Jesus ate with tax collectors - disciples should mix with the outcasts of society
- John and James left their father - Jesus must take first place in the lives of the disciples
Points for Christians today
- should spread the good news - 'fishers of men'
- accept all Christians as who they are regardless of their past - Jesus accepted Levi
- follow Jesus whole-heartedly and do whatever he wants them to do
- Jesus' charisma - Jesus was a special person to have this influence over disciples - Levi walked away from his job
The Nature of Discipleship
Sending out the twelve - significant points
- Jesus gave them authority over evil spirits
- Jesus told them not to take personal possessions with them
- they were told to accept the first hospitality they were offered
- they were told not to waste time on those who would not listen
- heal the sick
Points for Christians today
- should do missonary work
- full trust in God - ready to go wherever God leads, God has a plan for everyone
- work against evil
- unencumbered by personal possessions
- help the sick
The Costs of Discipleship
Rich young man - significant points for costs of discipleship
- it costs more than just keeping the commandments to be a disciple
- it may involve giving up everything
- it is virtually impossible for the rich to be disciples
- it must involve complete commitment to Jesus
Problems for Christians today
- easier for Jesus' disciples to lead a simple life without money
- irresponsible to give up wealth - irresponsible to expect others to provide for us
- wonder if anyone with money and possessions will get into heaven
- can't give up everything where success if measured by the possessions they have
- having lots of money isn't the problem - it is what you do with it, people could do good things like donations to charity
The Costs of Discipleship
True family/Jesus' mother and brothers - significant points
- total commitment - put God before family
- bond between God's followers will be stronger than the bond between blood relatives
- treat all followers as your family
- give up family in return gaining a new, bigger family
Problems for Christians
- break the commandment to love your parents - "Honour your mother and father"
- set aside the strong bond of family that is central to a Christian marriage
- denying the power of family attachments but offering the same love to followers - unrealistic
- Jesus put folllowers before his family
- Jesus seemed to disown his brothers
- not caring for his mother
The Costs of Discipleship
The parable of the tennants - significant points
- involves complete commitment
- involve suffering
- should do what is right in the eyes of God
- obey God without question
Points for Christians today
- prophesised Jesus' death - cost of discipleship could mean death
- God recognise the sacrafice people make
- all Christians are God's messagers
- Christians may face abuse and torture - suffering
The Costs of Discipleship
True Greatness - significant points
- put others before yourself
- a child is dependent on others - help the weak
- give things up to serve others
- different from others - serving others can be physically and emotionally demanding
Problems for Christians today
- ambition is praised today, the quiet one is ignored and not chosen as leader
- rarely see humbleness as a virture but admire aid workers
- some fear that they'll be taken for granted if they do what Jesus says
- hard to understand that God
The Problems of Discipleship
The parable of the sower - significant points
- it is not clear what Jesus meant by the parable - disciples didn't understand
- people respond in different ways to God
- the cares of the world make them unfruitful
- some don't understand at all
- only some of those who hear the message will understand and act on it
- the kingdomis reserved for a selected few
Points for Christians today
- disciples didn't understand it so what chance do we have of understanding it?
- what Christians should do to prevent seeds falling in the wrong place
- spoke in parables so the crowd wouldn't understand the message - seems to contradict Jesus' teaching. Isn't the Kingdom open for all?
- was the explanation added by the early church?
- Mark may have written some of it - Christians were beening persecuted, gives them hope
The Problems of Discipleship
Boy with an evil spirit - siginificant points
- disciples didn't trust that they had the power to drive out the evil spirit from Jesus - lacked belief in the authority Jesus had given them
- lacked faith
- disciples didn't understand the true meaning of prayer
- disciples didn't pray enough
- disciples lacked understanding of the power of Jesus
Problems for Christians today
- disciples were unable to act as they were told - a problem for some
- evil spirits have no relevance today. - epilipesy
- Jesus didn't heal the boy - happened to present when the fit ended
- those who trust and pray are more likely to succeed
The Problems of Discipleship
Service - significant points
- Jesus turned traditional idea about service upside down - servants are greater than masters
- involve suffering - hard to serve to others
- Jesus predicting his own death - true followers must be prepared to share the suffering
- Jesus' followers must become slaves of all
Points for Christians today
- must be servants of others
- must not 'lord it' over others
- put others first
- must follow Jesus' example of self-sacrafice
The Problems of Discipleship
Peter's denial and disciples' failure - significant points
- shows that a disciple should never deny Jesus
- shows that disciples may find it difficult to keep their promises
- shows that being a Christian leader is difficult
- disciples may have weakness
Points for Christians today
- many Christians like to identify themselves with Peter and use him as a role model
- Peter showed weakness which would help Christians
- Peter was forgiven, so God can forgive us as well
- Peter went on to be one of the greatest leaders of the early Christian Church - great encouragement to Christians
Problems for Christians today
- Jesus demanded the impossible
- even Peter was too exhausted
- what chance do we have?
- how can Peter be a saint when he denied Jesus
Discipleship - keywords
Commandments - the collection of 10 laws given by God
Self - sacrifice - putting other people's needs before your own
The kingdom - the rule of God in people's lives
The twelve - the twelve selected from the diciples to be Jesus' closest diciples
Eye of the needle - a metaphor used by Jesus to show that wealth makes it difficult to enter the Kingdom of God
Peter's denial - Peter lying about knowing Jesus
Sons of Zebedee - the brothers James and John whom Jesus called to follow him
True family - those who follow the teaching of Jesus
Service - an act of help or assistance
Levi - a taxi collector who was called to be a disciple
Related discussions on The Student Room
- CCEA Religious Studies. GCSE and A-Level thread »
- Answered complete wrong questions in RE GCSE »
- AQA A Level English Literature A Paper 2 (option B) 7712/2B - 20 Jun 2022 [Exam Chat] »
- How do i revise A level English lit?? »
- how to revise for english lit a-level »
- Struggling »
- Last minute chemistry revision advice »
- AQA A Level English Literature A Paper 2 (7712/2A and 2B) 8 June 2023 [Exam Chat] »
- Alevel Revision »
- How to revise a text last minute A-level English literature (AQA) »
Comments
Report
Report
Report