Too often I expect discipleship to be a bit like magic. A little incantation or sprinkling of magic dust and suddenly even the
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most ardent atheist or lack lustre follower suddenly turns into a super christian. Nothing will stand in their way and no obstacle is too great for them to overcome.
The reality is that it isn’t like that.
Discipleship is a long long journey full of set backs, failing and frustration! However, it is also full of leaps forward, new discoveries and, best of all, God.
Unsurprisingly, Discipleship is a lot like many aspects of life. It takes time, effort and hard work. In fact, it is a life’s journey and is only complete at the end. During this time we are constantly learning, constantly striving and constantly mucking up.
Unfortunately, us humans are never going to get things completely correct. You see we are in our very essence sinful. That means we don’t hit the mark.
The disciples were like this too.
After Peter has a brainwave and knows exactly who Jesus is, proclaims him to be the Son of God…he then stuffs it up and tries to tell Jesus what to do!
How crazy is that really.
He has just said you are the Son of the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe and I’m going to tell you what’s best or what the future holds. It’s complete madness and yet I’m sure you can see plenty of times when you’ve tried to tell Jesus what is what.
I know I have.
Jesus corrects Peter and reminds him who exactly is the Son of God here (not us) and that he must suffer and die. You might think that at this point Peter would be on the right track but when the time comes, he runs.
Eventually, Peter did learn and he really suffered but just like us Peter had problems with discipleship.
I don’t know about you but that comforts me, although I stuff up God is strong and good. He uses the weak things of the world to show his glory.
