A Word From Pastor Ron

A Call to Discipleship

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.

As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory. We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely,

Jordan Management Consultants

Tim Hansel, Eating Problems for Breakfast, Word Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-195. 

In this humorous letter, we can see that none of the disciples would have been eligible for discipleship by the world's standards except for Judas, the disciple that betrayed Jesus.

Jesus does not offer the call based upon qualification, but He offers the call to all men. 

^{The Cost of Discipleship}

“Cheap grace is the idea where a sinner feels justified of his sins solely on his belief, but lacks obedience and is still living in the world. 

He says he follows Christ but still has attachments to the things of the world.  Or he wants to follow Christ, but only on his own terms.” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Matthew 16:24
²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

•  Deny yourself

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

•  Pick up Your Cross 

Romans 7:4-6 NIV
So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

•  Follow Christ

Jesus is not asking for the perfect disciple, He’s asking for those that are willing to count the cost, forsake all, and follow Him.