The Call that Distinguishes Developing Disciples

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:5-10).

Have you ever had one of those moments when you wondered if you were truly saved? Have you ever doubted that you were a true disciple of Jesus Christ or just another member of the crowd of people following Him? Sometimes this kind of introspection itself is evidence that you are truly born again because it may be the Holy Spirit prompting you to do some self-inventory and to move forward in maturing discipleship… “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). In today’s text Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request for increasing faith presents a threefold call to higher levels of discipleship. His exhortation prompts diligent disciples in every age to keep on growing in the faith by heeding the call that distinguishes developing disciples.

Christ calls His disciples to increasing faith. Jesus responded to the disciples request for more faith with an exaggerated illustration. With a short parable that promised that faith as tiny as a mustard seed could uproot a mighty mulberry tree and deposit it in the sea, Jesus sought to move the disciples concern away from the size of their tiny faith. He exhorted them instead to accomplish big faith-building things for the kingdom of God. He echoed this lesson in another exhortation to consider potential not by measuring our faith, but instead to imagine the unlimited possibilities that exist because of our position in Christ… “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Developing disciples have increasing faith as we learn to abide in Christ.

Christ calls His disciples to maturing obedience. Jesus took His disciples deeper by placing them inside of another parable. This parable taught the obligation and responsibility of obedience. Just as it was the natural expectation of the servant to fulfill his duty to his master, so disciples are called to a lifestyle of obedience to Jesus Christ our Master… “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Diligent disciples imitate our Teacher (see Luke 6:40), by following His example of obedient servanthood… “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). This kind of obedience is not honored in this temporal world, but is forever remembered in Heaven… “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17). Developing disciples have maturing obedience as we imitate Christ’s servant leadership.

Christ calls His disciples to humbling service. The kind of service Jesus highlighted in this parable is particularly humbling. A compassionate master might throw aside the cultural expectations imposed on masters and servants and reward his hard working servant with a seat at his dinner table, but Jesus proposed that the humility of the servant compelled him to fulfill all of his duty whether his master was compassionate or not. When we imitate Christ by giving ourselves fully to serving others as He did, we are humbled and God is glorified through us… “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Developing disciples are engaged in humbling service, reflecting Christ’s humility to a proud world.

As we grow up into Christ, we become more like Christ as we answer…

The Call that Distinguishes Developing Disciples.