Chapter 9 Friends and Disciples of Jesus Ave

Chapter 9: Friends and Disciples of Jesus ©Ave Maria Press

The Heart of a True Because we Friend have human friends, we know generally what friendship is. Since God calls us his friends, we should explore this concept more deeply.

Real friendship means selfsacrificing love and generosity. Because he suffered and died for us, Jesus Christ is the very model of true friendship.

What It Means to be a Disciple of Jesus The Holy Spirit gives us the courage, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to accept Jesus, his way of life, and his mission. FOLLOW CHRIST

The word “disciple” means “learner” or “pupil. ” A disciple is one who grasps and intellectually analyzes the teaching of another. Jesus is called “rabbi” or “teacher” in many New Testament passages. The first step to discipleship is to learn everything we can from Jesus as our teacher.

The second step to discipleship is making a commitment to follow Jesus. This step is not an easy one. It means changing the way we live to walk in the steps of Christ. The Gospel of Mark tells of a rich young man, who was attracted to Jesus’ message, but found it difficult to leave his life behind to go and follow him.

By telling the rich young man that he needed to sell his possessions and give to the poor, Jesus was not condemning wealth—but he was pointing out that wealth can be a burden on our journey to God. In order to help us on our journey to God, the Church gives us rules that help us to become moral people. These are called the Precepts of the Church. One of these precepts is that we help provide for the needs of the Church and its outreach to the poor.

Another thing to note is that Jesus did not tell all his disciples that they should give up their wealth. He knows what each person needs, and points us in the direction that will best serve us on our journey to God. What Jesus understood about the people he taught is that many of them saw wealth as tricking them into thinking that they were not in need of anything. They had developed a false sense of security, and thought that their salvation rested on their possessions.

When the rich young man went away sad, it proved that Jesus’ suspicion about him was correct. Something to consider is that Jesus was testing the commitment of the rich young man by asking something of him that he knew would be difficult to give. A lesson for all of us is that we must not place anything above the love of God and following his will.

The third step to discipleship is spreading the message of Jesus. Like a house built on a foundation of rock, the message of Jesus is solid and true. It is this message that Jesus asks his disciples to pass on to others. For over two thousand years, the Church has passed on the teachings of Christ along with his call to evangelize others.

Growing in Friendship with Jesus Knowing Jesus leads to loving Jesus.

Jesus shared his heart with his friends. He was not just a teacher who remained detached from his disciples, but a friend who gave of himself and became close to his followers. The Gospel of John, especially, tells of the close friendships Jesus And after mourning for his. To his formed with his disciples. friend, Jesus showed friends, Jesus was his loyal, great love for Lazarus by affectionate, understanding, and raising him. Not back to the life. Twelve dependable. just Apostles, but also people like Martha, Mary, and Lazarus—at whose death Jesus wept.

Even though his own suffering was imminent, at the Last Supper Jesus comforted his Apostles saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. ” Showing true friendship, Jesus forgave Peter for denying him and Thomas for doubting his Resurrection.

Before he died on the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of his own mother to his close friend apostle, John.

Jesus also extended his friendship to those who were rejected and hated by most other people. He was willing to take the risk of associating with the despised in order to be a good friend. The Gospels mention many instances in which Jesus draws criticism for socializing with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners.

The Greeks identified different kinds of love, and friendship is one of these. The Greek word for friendship is philia. It is brotherly love, or the affection between friends. Jesus, of course, showed philia to his friends. The Greeks distinguished other types of love as being different from philia. Storge is the word they used to describe the love among family members. Eros describes sexual love and attraction. Agape describes self-sacrificing love—the kind of love that Jesus shows to everyone.

Any healthy friendship is marked by various qualities. It is important for friends to keep confidences, be loyal, understanding, dependable, and patient. Four other critical friendship traits are: Availability Common Openness Interests Generosity It is. Having important toreceive make time friends, Friends should things in themselves common with is ayour basis each for other. Friends give andbe time, for affection, and also to able to emotionally and sharing, They accept but it each isbe also other important without forhaving friends gifts from each other. True friendships aretoto verbally with them. allow “playeach games. ” other Friends freedom share to develop ideas and their reciprocal; theyconnect are a two-way street. own feelings interests honestly. as well.

We can apply some of these insights about human friendships to our friendship with Jesus. He, of course, is always available to us, and shows us limitless generosity. He shares in our desire to be with God, and openly offers us his true self. We need to make sure we do our part on the two-way street of our friendship with Jesus. Do we take time for him in prayer? Do we receive him in the Eucharist? Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. ” What are some other aspects of how we should respond to the command of Jesus?

Love deeply. Make Invite Love Believe Jesus God your in and into Jesus. best others. your friend. life. Forgive one another. Serve one another. “Love one another. As. Lord, I have loved you, so you Witness Jesus to others without fear. “You “Behold, “Whoever “ I shall am I the stand loves love Resurrection the father at the or door your mother and God the knock. more life; with than If all Peter asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins “If I therefore, the master and teacher, have also should love onevoice another. This isthe how all will “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me anyone whoever your me is heart, not hears believes worthy with my in all of me, your me, and even and soul, opens if whoever he and dies, with door, loves will against me, how often must I forgive him? washed your feet, you ought to wash one I know that you are my disciples, if isyou have love before others the Son of Man will acknowledge live, will son your enter or and mind daughter everyone his … house You more who shall and than lives dine love me and with your believes not him, neighbor worthy and in As many as seven times? ” Jesus answered, another’s feet. ” for one another. ” the of God. ” me he will as with yourself. ” ofangels never me. ” die. ” “I say tobefore you not seven times, but seventy. Jesus said, “You seven are mytimes. ” friends if you do what I command you. ” What are some other aspects of how we should respond to the command of Jesus?

Committed Disciples Help to In the Spread first steps the toward discipleship, we give our minds Gospel and hearts to Jesus. Later, we must put our faith into action.

In Jesus’ Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, he told the Apostles, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. ”

The Apostles took Jesus’ commission to them very seriously. They began to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the world. They focused on the basic teachings Jesus had handed on to them; and urged others to: ►repent of their sins, ►believe in Jesus Christ, ►forgive others, ►love God and others, ►serve other people, and ►proclaim the Good News.

“Love God above all things, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. ” The Spiritual Works of Mercy Admonish the sinner. Instruct the ignorant. Counsel the doubtful. Comfort the sorrowful. Bears wrongs patiently. Forgive all injuries. Pray for the living and the dead. To help us practice the selfless love for our neighbor that Jesus demands, the Church offers us the works of mercy. The Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe naked. Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick. Visit the imprisoned. Bury the dead. These are charitable acts that remind us how to come to the spiritual and material aid of our neighbors in need.

In his parable of the goats and sheep, Jesus reminds us that we will be judged based on our response to his command to love our neighbor. What we did (or did not do), especially for our “least brothers and sisters” will be the basis for whether we will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus cautioned his disciples to understand that following him will be no easy matter. It takes discipline and courage. When Jesus told them to “enter through the narrow gate, ” he was talking about how doing what is easy has little benefit, but meeting the challenges that come before one of his disciples will lead to eternal life.

St. Paul: Apostle and Dedicated St. Paul is one of the Disciple greatest teachers and missionaries of the Christian faith. He is also a worthy model of Christian discipleship for us to emulate.

St. Paul’s original name was Saul. He was a zealous Jew from Tarsus, and earned his living as a tent maker. Before his conversion to Christianity, Saul joined in the persecution against early Christians. He participated in the stoning of the first martyr, St. Stephen; and took a commission from the Sanhedrin to arrest Christians and bring them to Jerusalem for trial.

Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute and arrest Christians when Christ appeared to him in a blinding vision. In the vision, Jesus asked, “Saul, why are you persecuting me? ” By his persecution of Christ’s body, the Church, Saul was persecuting Christ himself.

Immediately after this life changing experience, Saul became a disciple of Jesus, and prepared to spread the Gospel. Saul was baptized by Ananias, and resolved to embark on missionary journeys in the Roman Empire to take the message of Christ to the Gentiles. He chose to go by the Latin form of his name: Paul.

As a Roman citizen, Paul could travel throughout the empire. He wrote letters, or epistles to communicate with the people to whom he had brought the Good News. Many of the letters in the New Testament were written or influenced by St. Paul’s letters address problems that the various congregations were having, including theological questions about Jesus and how to deal with heresies. St. Paul also shared advice about how to be a good disciple of the Lord.

St. Paul was one of the greatest thinkers and theologians in Christian history. Because he was so instrumental in spreading the faith to the Roman world, he is called the “Apostle to the Gentiles. ” After a courageous career of traveling throughout the Roman Empire and standing as a champion of the Gospel, St. Paul was finally martyred by beheading in Rome during one of Nero’s persecutions in AD 64 or 67.