Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Discipleship as Witness


Alice Thomas
St. James MTC, NY

Mark 6: 1-2 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

The word ‘disciple’ comes from the Latin word for ‘pupil’ or ‘learner’. Here  disciple is someone who has chosen to follow the teachings and practices of Jesus. In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the Jews who believed Him, ‘if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the good news to all the earth and continue the teaching He had begun. As Christians, we are meant to follow in this path, continuing to spread the good news to all. It could mean treating those around us with the same love Christ had, it could mean teaching others about the good news, giving to those less fortunate, or praising and worshipping Christ.

Being a disciple is being a witness for Jesus Christ. However, without faith, being a disciple is next to impossible. In Mark 6:6 Jesus was amazed at the crowds’ lack of faith. How many more miracles could He have performed if their faith was greater? Whether He was a carpenter or not, their lack of faith prevented them from seeing the fullness of Christ’s potential. The crowds did not expect a carpenter to have such wisdom, or the ability to teach such truth. Do we not do this ourselves? Do we not have a preconceived notion of how things in life should be? But if we had faith, how much more would we see from Christ?

Being a disciple is sharing the knowledge of Christ and the love we receive from Him with others. In Mathew 5:16 it says ‘In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven’. We are not meant to keep Christ’s love a secret; instead as disciples we are to share it with those around us. We are to be witnesses for Christ in this world.


PRAYER

Dear Lord, we thank You for filling us with the Holy Spirit and trusting us to be fishers of men. We pray that You help us be good witnesses for You on this earth so that more people will come to know You through us. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Are we being the disciples Christ want us to be?

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