The 14th Sunday After Pentecost:
Scriptures: 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10
Key Verse: “But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:16)
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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Are you a quick learner? For me, it depends. Like many, I learn much better and faster if there is some sort of demonstration or instruction. I notice that my mind can go blank easily if I’m under a lot of pressure and I perform best if I’m mentally well prepared ahead of time. I still remember a temporary job that I had while visiting my family in Taiwan. My role was cashier associate and handling order management. There wasn’t any training per se on the first day. Right after I was introduced to a young lady in her early twenties, she led me to the computer behind the counter. After finding out that I had experience using a computer, she showed me the program, which was new to me, and a list of tasks. In less than 3 minutes, she finished giving me all the instructions. It was more like a review and not necessarily a demonstration for a new employee. Then she told me that she was around but terribly busy, and that I’d better be a quick learner. To do a decent job, I had to mentally prepare myself well for the first week to avoid making any mistakes. That was intense.
Last week, we were reminded that for Jesus, being a disciple is much more than being a follower. It took Jesus three years to generate thousands and thousands of followers who witnessed his teachings and ministries. Among these followers, some carried the cross and became his disciples. And these disciples didn’t stop being disciples but continued Jesus’ mission by discipling Jesus’ followers. Jesus certainly took time to demonstrate discipleship by giving them hands-on missions with simple instructions. He wasn’t looking for quick or smart learners, but faithful ones. Occasionally, he would praise his followers' strong faith but be disappointed in his disciples’ lack of faith. The way Jesus treats his disciples makes me think of how parents teach and discipline their own children differently from the children of others.
A well-known discipleship example which fascinates me and I admire the most is the relationship between Paul and Timothy. Timothy’s mom was a Jewish Christian, and his father was a Greek, which made his ethnic background unique. In comparison with the other disciples of Jesus, Paul seemed to have much higher intercultural sensitivity. Paul loved Timothy and discipled him like his own son. Timothy wasn’t just a follower, but a disciple who trained new followers to be disciples and carried letters back and forth between Paul and the churches. That might be the reason that he is the most well mentioned disciple in the New Testament, in ten out of twenty-one letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonia, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Hebrews.
Paul’s background was also a unique one being a Pharisee and persecuting Christians. Even though he only met the resurrected Jesus once, he credited his own discipleship as an example made by Jesus to those who would come to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Throughout the New Testament, before his resurrection, Jesus left us many notable examples with clear instructions on how his followers can become his disciples. Our discipleship might not be like Paul’s, which wasn’t smooth and joyful, but dramatic. However, may our faith be as strong as his, and may our discipleship, like Paul’s, be an example to any who might come to believe in Jesus for eternal life.
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May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace, as together, we explore the intersection between faith and daily life.
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