The Call to Discipleship

Luke 9:20–25; 51–62

When Peter recognizes Jesus as God’s Christ in Luke’s gospel, it shows that Jesus has come to fix our broken world. Jesus then tells his friends that following him means making him the most important thing in their lives, understanding who they truly are through him, and showing kindness to others just like he does. These three key points are the building blocks of being a disciple of Jesus.

1. Making Jesus the most important

Jesus meets three people who want to follow him, but he tells them that they have to place him above everything else. He warns those who put their own desires first, reminding them that being distracted or hesitating doesn’t work with God’s plan. It’s crucial to see Jesus as both the one who saves us and the one who leads us, not just someone who helps us when we need it. We have to make Jesus the center of our lives, setting a new priority and finding our identity in following him.

2. Discovering who we really are

Being a disciple of Jesus isn’t just about changing our priorities; it’s about changing who we are. Jesus calls us to leave behind our old views of ourselves and to find out who we really are through him. We find our true selves not by trying to make ourselves happy or by ignoring ourselves, but by serving him. If we base our identity on things from this world, it’s not stable and we’ll end up losing it. But if we base our identity on Jesus, it brings stability and a real understanding of who we are.

3. Showing kindness like Jesus

By comparing Elijah and Jesus, we can see how kind and forgiving Jesus is. When the Bible talks about fire, it’s a sign of Jesus accepting the punishment for us through his baptism and fulfilling the old sacrifices. Being a disciple of Jesus is about giving up and committing ourselves, showing God’s kindness through being gentle and understanding, not earning our way to heaven. When we understand God’s kindness and let it change us, it makes us more gentle, patient, and gracious. It brings happiness and stability into our lives. We seek the Holy Spirit’s help and awakening through prayer.