What does it mean to be a disciple?
There were many people who followed Jesus. John tells us that great crowds of people were always at Jesus’s heels. The more Jesus performed miracles, the more people followed Him, asking for healing, questioning His motives, and seeking more of His teaching.
However, just because great crowds literally followed Jesus does not mean they were spiritually following Jesus. Only a small number of these people became true disciples of Christ.
So, how do we know what it really looks like to follow Jesus?
John 12 and 13 give us a picture of authentic discipleship that we can follow in our daily lives. Through His disciples’ willingness to give what was costly and serve as the lowly, we learn that every follower of Jesus is equipped by the Spirit for true discipleship.
No gift is too costly
What would convince you to give up your salary for a year? Can you imagine a gift this costly?
In John 12, Mary anoints Jesus’s head and feet with a pint of nard. Scholars estimate this perfume was worth an entire year’s salary! This gift could have given Mary economic security at a time when women were dependent on others. Yet she gave willingly. Was this a demonstration of trust that the God who raised her brother from the dead would care for her? Certainly, Mary showed her conviction that Jesus was worthy of her best.
It’s been said that giving is an act of worship. Giving resets our hearts to love God alone. Our decision to give despite the cost (or our unwillingness to offer what we have) shows what we value most.
Giving resets our hearts to love God alone.
Each of us has been called to give, and giving will differ based on the person. While it’s not uncommon to place higher importance on gifts that have a higher currency amount like Judas did, Jesus sees our hearts. He knows us intimately, which includes what we value. For some, donating treasure is easy, while giving time is a challenge. For others, giving talent is easy, but offering time and treasure is a struggle.
Mary’s example of willing, sacrificial giving causes me to examine my heart about what I treasure. Is it sacrificial or self-centered? Am I willing to give despite potential criticism? What ways may God be prompting you to rethink how and what you give?
No role is too lowly
Despite the quality of her gift, Mary did not hand it to Jesus in a way that honored herself. Instead, she humbly poured the perfume on His feet, using her hair as a towel.
She served in humility regardless of how she would be viewed.
Remarkably, the same is true of Jesus Himself. Although He is God and King of all, He served rather than asking to be served. In John 13, Jesus took up a towel like an ordinary household servant and washed His disciples’ feet. Jesus even tenderly and lovingly washed the feet of Judas, who He knew would soon betray Him.
Growing in our discipleship means putting aside our desire to be extraordinary for God. It means developing our hearts to be willing to serve in the most ordinary ways.
Growing in our discipleship means developing our hearts to be willing to serve in the most ordinary ways.
Peter, who was one of the disciples having his feet washed in John 13, was transformed by the experience. He devoted His life to serving God at any cost. He later wrote to encourage believers to follow the example of Christ, saying, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). The term “whatever” seems so simple and harmless until an opportunity comes up that doesn’t seem particularly appealing! For example, the most difficult position to fill on a Sunday morning at my local church is volunteering for the nursery. While it’s easy to say, “It’s not my gifting,” all it really takes is a willing heart to serve a real need.
This passage challenges me to ask, are there roles I consider beneath me? Or people I think aren’t deserving? What motivates me most—the need or my own comfort?
We do not need special training or unique giftings to be Jesus’s disciples. Authentic discipleship means recognizing that the Holy Spirit has already equipped us to be His followers. He calls us to give freely from what He’s given us and to serve humbly, meeting the needs of the community where He’s placed us.