Discipleship Beyond Obedience
Submitted by William J. Sappenfield on April 17, 2008 – 10:00 amNo Comment
Discipleship is a voluntary response to love, requiring constant examination of motives, ongoing communication and never ending learning.
Jesus is more demanding than Satan. Jesus calls his followers to discipleship; on the other hand, when Satan confronted Jesus in the wilderness at the conclusion of Jesus’ forty day fast, all he asked for was obedience. Obedience is far easier than discipleship. Obedience is observable, measurable, and you can tell when you are through. It may be no more than a response to a suggestion or an accommodation that would be easier to do than to think about. It does not even require a relationship with the one who is being obeyed. Sometimes obedience requires energy but it doesn’t necessarily require thought. Discipleship is more demanding. It requires constant examination of motives, ongoing communication, and there is no thought of ending discipleship.
It is possible that Satan could not tell the difference; both discipleship and obedience result in the same behavior. The distinction between the two is motivation. Obedience can be forced but discipleship is a voluntary response to love. Love is not familiar territory for Satan and it may have confused him.
Obedience is measured by what you do; discipleship goes all the way down to why you do it. Jesus calls for discipleship, a response to God’s love. Love is profound enough to remain constant even while people’s response to love may be constantly changing. Quiet meditation and exuberant praise, profligate generosity and careful saving, solitary prayer and communal service are all acts of discipleship even as they represent the full spectrum of behavior. Although the behavior is varied, the motivation is always a response to God’s love. That is why the church has always gotten into trouble whenever it makes behavior the standard with which to measure Christianity. Behavior changes but the motivation of discipleship remains constant.
The church has a record of settling for obedience. At various points in history, the invitation to live in the love of God has degenerated into minimum requirements for worship attendance. The call to generosity has been known to sink into an assessment for a portion of the congregational budget. The promise of Holy Communion has devolved into minimum standards for who may be allowed at the Lord’s Table. They are all examples of enforceable demands for obedience and they all promise the obedient Christian the security of knowing he or she is keeping the rules. Obedience can be forced with the promise of heaven or the threat of hell. Satan gave Jesus straightforward instructions: turn these stones into bread, jump off the temple, worship me. It would be obvious if Jesus were obedient to Satan. In return, Satan promised security — there would be something to eat, physical safety, and power. Religious leaders who promise security still spring up regularly and they do not lack for followers. A religion based on the security of obedience confidently answers all questions and promises to supply all needs, empower people, and to provide physical safety. Satan has traditionally called for obedience with those promises. He never promised freedom. Freedom is the enemy of obedience. Freedom invites; it does not coerce.
{quotes}Jesus said we would live by more than bread; he offered freedom.{/quotes} Jesus will not buy our obedience with security; he calls us to discipleship with the offer of his love. He gives us the freedom to act and behave however our relationship with God leads us to act and behave. We are free, but our freedom carries with it an inherent level of insecurity. We have to think, to use our minds, to pray for guidance, to examine our faith, and to sacrifice loyally.
Jesus called for discipleship with the promise of freedom. “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32) Knowing truth and being free is a good deal more than fulfilling a set of minimum requirements. It is the life of a disciple.
Discipleship demands more than mere obedience. It requires every aspect of the life God has created and entrusted to his children. As God’s love is constant, the response of discipleship is also constant. Obedience can be accomplished with a personal choice. Discipleship requires a response to the love of God.
