We are All Learners in the School of Christ
Submitted by Margaret Dorgan on April 17, 2008 – 9:03 amNo Comment
To enroll with Jesus as our teacher is not like applying to a prestigious university where a small percentage of elite applicants are admitted. This Jewish rabbi has his door wide open. “Come to me.”
The word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus which means a pupil or apprentice. As creatures with free will, we men and women can choose our mentor. Do we always weigh the claims of those who invite us to embrace their doctrine? What is being offered? What is its value?
{quotes align=right}To enroll with Jesus as our teacher is not like applying to a prestigious university where a small percentage of elite applicants are admitted. This Jewish rabbi has his door wide open. “Come to me.”{/quotes}
He calls the woman taken in adultery. He summons short Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector who, forgetting his dignity, climbs a sycamore tree to catch sight of him. Jesus has a long conversation with another disdained person, a woman who walked all by herself to draw water at a well in Samaria. Most Israelites felt contempt for Samaritans, and she is even a reject of the society she lives in. Christ’s conversation with her is not a brief one. At its conclusion, in a rush, she leaves her jar behind in order to communicate to others what Jesus said to her. “Is this not the Messiah?” she cries in a loud voice. “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.” (Jn 4:39). She had become a disciple, and a convincing one.
As followers of Jesus, we ponder his words and realize how they have the power to transform our lives. The Good News is entrusted to us as surely as it was to those who centuries ago gathered around him and nodded acceptance to what he said.
Jesus declares, “I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) The life Jesus offers carries with it a pledge of immortality. At the same time, he makes serious demands. “Go and sin no more.”(Jn 8:11) All three of the Synoptic Gospels are clear about what is asked of those who want to become disciples of Christ. “If you would come after me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23) To this requirement, Luke adds with emphasis the word “daily.” When we bear the crosses of our everyday lives with Jesus, they can become more than just weighty burdens to be endured. His crucifixion led to the triumph of his rising from the dead; and for us — as for his early disciples — our cross carries the promise of future glory.
Jesus declares, “I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) The life Jesus offers carries with it a pledge of immortality. At the same time, he makes serious demands. “Go and sin no more.”(Jn 8:11) All three of the Synoptic Gospels are clear about what is asked of those who want to become disciples of Christ. “If you would come after me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23) To this requirement, Luke adds with emphasis the word “daily.” When we bear the crosses of our everyday lives with Jesus, they can become more than just weighty burdens to be endured. His crucifixion led to the triumph of his rising from the dead; and for us — as for his early disciples — our cross carries the promise of future glory.
Christ declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12) Our leader guarantees he will open the eyes of our hearts to what really matters in our earthly passage. We join him to live at a deeper level the lessons of human existence. “Let me teach you… and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The instruction Jesus gives inflames our hearts so we can truly love one another and all God’s creatures. “Learn of me that I am gentle and humble of heart.” (Mt 11: 29, 30) This is the curriculum we are enrolled in by our Redeemer. His assurance, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6) gives us a new grasp of what charity means as each day unfolds. Jesus offers fresh instructions on how to love God and how to love one another. The hours present new possibilities for becoming more truly his disciples. We see how we can be increasingly effective in communicating his message. We interact with others in a variety of ways and perhaps some part of our hours are given to solitary prayer, alone with the Alone. The successive moments wherever they take us, call our hearts to be faithful disciples of Jesus.
Everyone faces particular difficulties and special opportunities, shaped by our twenty-first century world. With Jesus, you and I suffer and rejoice in ways that glorify God. He wants his message to come alive in us so we can reach out to people in Christ’s name. All those who exist today are his brothers and sisters, and therefore they are yours and mine, too. Saint Paul urges, “Encourage one another and build one another up…. Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all…. Always seek to do good to one another and to all.” ( 1 Thess 5:11, 14, 15)
These are the lessons and this is the lifestyle Christians sign up for as disciples of Jesus. Our diplomas are ready to be handed to us when we graduate into eternal glory.
