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
1 of 11

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 
2 of 11

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
3 of 11

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
4 of 11

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
5 of 11

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 
6 of 11

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
7 of 11

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 
8 of 11

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 
9 of 11

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
10 of 11

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

11 of 11

Comments

royalblue099

Report

Great resource...Has all the key points :)

hubburd

Report

very good resource. helped me pass thanks.

sheilathesausage

Report

Excellent resource, I have built my own gospel since. See you there, my friends.

Similar Religious Studies resources:

See all Religious Studies resources »See all Mark's Gospel resources »