Discipleship: The Beginning of the Proclamation of the Kingdom

Last Supper - Eucharist and Holy Orders (together given)

"Do this in memory of me" - Priesthood is given

Missionary work

To build disciples

the Church is all about

Church is not an institution, not hierarchical

Pentacost is the birth of mission

Mission rooted by a call - towards discipleship

Jesus will be introducing the kingdom of God

The Church is just an instrument for the kingdom of God

1. First Disciples (Mark 1:14-15)

A. The announcement of the Kingdom of God but no indication of discipleship

B. Geographical Location - the Sea of Galilee (The bridge to Gentile Territory)

No one followed so He called

Those called are the new people of God/ The new israel

When Jesus was calling His disciples - It indicates mission and the beginning of the New Testament

The purpose of the Calling was the Kingdom of God

OT - Covinant of God

NT - The very words of Jesus, mission is for the kingdom of God

Church - Community of Disciples / Collective institution to gather all who are called for the Kingdom

Verse 14 - The Gospel of God

Verse 15 - The Kingdom of God

Who is at the heart of the message - Jesus Christ

Heart of the Kingdom of God is the Son of God

Gospel - Christ - Kingdom

The Gospel of Mark is the universal Gospel that speaks about the mission for the Kingdom of God

Jew - Apostles/Called - Gentiles

Jesus wanted his disciples to be universally minded / universal disciples. The place was every important -
Sea of Galilee (Jews and Gentile Territory)

Acts 1: 6 When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore
the kingdom to Israel?”

Disciples did not understand totally the kingdom

First in mind as missionaries- Build and make disciples

Before: Follow the structure rather than making disciples

2. The Call of the first four disciples (Mk 1:16-20; Mt 18-22)

A. Purpose of the call - to be missionaries

Disciples first

I am a missionary, i'll make them disciples

The Church is ecclesiocentric than missionary

Mission is the mother of all theology

We should be kingdom-centred / Regnocentric

Heresies are no longer relevant but still applicable

LOCATION

Sea of Galilee

1. Military post of the Romans

2. International trading place and route
3. Via Maris (Way of the Sea) – Source of business and trade.

Missionaries chooses female patron saints

Pattern of Activity

New Model of Life

1. Call-Discipleship-Mission
2. The Gospel of Mark immediately lays out the way he understood Jesus (We cannot be rabbis
here)
3. Mark sees the universality of discipleship at the beginning of the Gospel. (We are still disciple
even if we are priests)

New Discipleship

John 15:16

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will
remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

1. In Judaism, it is the prerogative of the Talmid (Student studying the Talmud) to choose his own
teacher and attach himself. None of Jesus’ disciples attached himself by his own choice and
volition to Jesus. (This indicated something “new” in Jesus: the question was, why they did not
choose to follow Him?)

Mt. 8:19-22/Lk 9:57-61

Attempts to follow Jesus

- To those Jesus called, they experienced the “mystery” behind the call
- They left “everything” behind (Mt.9:9) or the fishing boats and nets (Mk1:18)
- In Judaism, the entry to discipleship was the desire of the Talmid, in Jesus it was a call to belief
and repentance. “Repent” (Mk1:15)

2. In Judaism, at the center of discipleship is to learn from the Law

In Jesus, it is a Person (Himself)

- In Judaism, it is the Law (Torah) that stood at the center

- The disciple sacrifices himself to learn the Torah
- For Jesus, his disciples have to renounce and sacrifice not for the Law or Torah but for Him
Mt. 10:38-42

In Judaism, the study of the Torah is a duty and honor and to have authority of the Torah

In Jesus, it is all about a Person, Renunciation, and a mystery may be “difficult” to accept and
understand.

3. In Judaism, discipleship was merely a means to an end

In Jesus, discipleship is a fulfillment of a destiny.

- In Jesus’ time, discipleship was a transitional stage toward being a ribbi

- To be a rabbi is an aspiration, it is the crowning of his efforts, it is the goal
- The disciple desires to be like his rabbi
- Rabbi = Father Mt. 23 Temporal Implication

Mt. 23:8

In Jesus, the spirituality of discipleship is essential in discovering the mystery of the Kingdom.

- The disciple of Jesus never graduates into a “rabbi”

- “Discipulus” a constant learner and witness of the resurrection
- Priests at Fathers, we are part of the priesthood of Jesus that is forever in the line of
Melchizedek

Be a disciple to serve the people, the church and the world.

4. In Judaism, the Talmid are students “discipulus”

In Jesus, discipleship is linked with serves. A disciple of Jesus is a servant

- The people of the time of Jesus found “service” as alien, strange and new to the word
“discipleship”
- Mt. 10:24 illustrates that in Jesus, the disciple recognizes Him as Lord, Master, Savior and not
only a Teacher. He is the fulfillment of the Law which the Talmid studies.

Newness of Master-Disciple Relationship

In Jesus, a new spirituality is introduced: the mission of service of both Master and Disciple

- In Judaism, the disciple serves his master

- In Jesus, the Master suffers for his disciples. To serve and not to be served (Mt 20:28)

5. In Judaism, the disciple is expected to teach the Torah in the future

In Jesus, a disciple stays with his master for the rest of his life.

- Mk 3:13-14 Vocation, Formation, Mission

- D

6. In Judaism, the disciple is expected to learn the Torah and be a vanguard of the Torah
In Jesus, discipleship means to be leaders of vanguard of the Parousia

- In the Gospel of Mark, a disciple is expected to be an active anticipator of the coming of the Lord
- To be a disciple means to follow the suffering Jesus and look forward to his return in glory
- Discipleship of Jesus is not the exclusive but inclusive