Mark 8:34-38

“He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” vs. 34

Through the years many have come to think of themselves as followers of Jesus. It works better for their self-understanding than the word “Christian,” a broad term that has come to mean a variety of things in our contemporary culture. They like being able to say in describing their religion or faith, “I’m not a Christian. I’m a follower of Jesus!” In their minds this distinction conveys their convictions without connecting them to an oft misunderstood set of religious beliefs. But what some have come to recognize is that the word “follower” suffers from its own inadequacies. Being a follower is essentially a passive enterprise, almost a thoughtless journey along a well-traveled path. It’s a sheeplike behavior, one that can be easily distracted or hijacked. Now some would argue that this is entirely appropriate, that we really are sheep and that our call is to follow the shepherd, Jesus. But there is a better word, one that early believers readily adopted, and that’s the word “disciple.” Being a disciple is a step up from being a follower and involves training, study, and discipline. Many people followed Jesus and some of them became disciples, and as they grew in knowledge and commitment, his ministry was put in their hands. So it’s good to be a follower, but even better to be a disciple!

Thought for the Day: Am I a disciple or a follower?