Jesus had two types of disciples. He still has two types of disciples.
The first group is his secret disciples. They are men of power, prestige and wealth. They are politically correct and gentlemanly. They will not risk their good names or professional advantages by associating with Jesus. Jesus walks with sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes. He lives in the ghettoes with broken people.
The secret disciples see the truth, but they do not risk losing their advantages by associating with Jesus in the day time. They come to see Jesus in the cover of the night to avoid embarrassment. There are two names in the Bible which represent the prototype of secret discipleship – Joseph of Aramathea and Nicodemus. Bible says they came to see Jesus in the night.
The second group of disciples was the poor and broken people living in the slums of Jewish towns. No wonder one of the disciples asked if any thing good can ever come out of Nazareth. They lived in humble dwellings and the powerful people of the society abused them. The religious people exploited them and looked down on them as if they were dirty and sinful.
These poor people possessed the key to the master’s heart- a broken heart full of unadulterated love and adoration for Christ. They did not know the protocols of the society. When they thought they have sinned, they cried and ran to the master, even to the annoyance of the disciples. They washed his feet with the tears of repentance and dried it with their own hair. They spent their income to buy precious anointing oil for the master and anointed the anointed one (Christ). Jesus did not raise a memorial for any of his disciples, but did raise one for the woman who anointed him.
When Jesus was buried, many thought that his story was over. The people of the “win-win†school thought that it was useless to pursue a dead man in a sepulcher. Mary Magdalene did not think so and Mary would never think so. She had the courage which none of the men of Galilee had – a courage of conviction and love.
Her love for Jesus was unstoppable. Her love transcends Gethsemane, Calvary and beyond Calvary, all the way up to the sepulcher. Jesus calls us today to love him like Mary Magdalene.
Read The Disciple’s Identity Given By The Master
– – – written by Written by Jacob T
praise the lord .praise jesus .i love these beautiful pics of jesus of different places performing different activities.
I want some article on Discipleship crisis in the churches