Study 23 ("How to begin discipling")
We noted that discipling (mentoring one-on-one) is not necessarily something all of us feel comfortable doing. Some feel that we need mentors, although we know that needing a mentor does not mean that we are not able to mentor someone else. We can mentor as long as there is a "spiritual gradient" between mentor and mentoree. There are prerequisites (e.g. spiritual hunger, calling, commitment) that need to be present to make a mentoring relationship secure. We should be praying for someone to mentor. I would add that if you need a mentor, you should be praying for a mentor as well!
We had a side discussion on whether Jesus failed to take Ian Malin's advice when He chose Judas. John 6:64 assures us that Jesus used foresight to choose someone 'right' for the role of betraying him after 3 years. But in general, we should choose mentorees who are i) faithful (loyal, trusting, dependent) to God and ii) able to teach others what they have learned. We side-tracked into the idea of how the faithfulness of God is different from the faithfulness of men. God's first faithfulness is not to us, but to Himself (2 Ti 2:11-13).
John 13:1-17 mentions the following spiritual perspectives on mentoring
1. Humility. This can be defined as the 'absence of pride'. It is the quality of being content with one's station in life. Jesus was not self-effacing or having low self-regard or a sense of unworthiness. But He was joyful (Heb 12:1-2) in His humiliation to incarnation and crucifixion (Phil 2:6-10). Jn 13:3 tells us that Jesus humbled Himself to wash His disciples' feet because He knew His Father's provision ('had given all things into his hands'), His identity ('he had come from God') and his destiny ('was going back to God'). Christian humility is rooted in contentment and dependence. We are all called to 'clothe ourselves with humility' (1 Pe5:5-7) because God gives grace to (v.5), exalts (v 6) and cares (v.7) for the humble. So humility comes from strength and not weakness. It is not so much something we do, but something we are. One may do humble tasks without a humble heart. “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” said QY (I think the quote is from Rick Warren).
2. Love. Jesus loved His disciples to 'the end' or 'the uttermost' (He showed them the 'full extent of His love'). He loved them to His death and beyond. This was not a temporal measure of extent, but a qualitative measure.
3. Example (Jn 13:15). Jesus modelled for His disciples what needed doing. His point about servants not being greater than masters (c.f. Jn 15:20, Matt 10:24) has to do with status. We cannot expect freedom from persecution or unwilling to do menial tasks because our Lord has shown the way of suffering and lowliness. (c.f. 1 Pe 2:21).
4. Holiness in both mentor and mentoree. Jesus is the one who cleanses us. As redeemed Christians we have 'bathed' and are 'completely clean' (Jn 13:10). This would correspond to once-for-all justification from sin. But our feet get dirty in daily contact with the world, and we need Jesus' cleansing from sin.
We celebrated Joshua's birthday!
We had a side discussion on whether Jesus failed to take Ian Malin's advice when He chose Judas. John 6:64 assures us that Jesus used foresight to choose someone 'right' for the role of betraying him after 3 years. But in general, we should choose mentorees who are i) faithful (loyal, trusting, dependent) to God and ii) able to teach others what they have learned. We side-tracked into the idea of how the faithfulness of God is different from the faithfulness of men. God's first faithfulness is not to us, but to Himself (2 Ti 2:11-13).
John 13:1-17 mentions the following spiritual perspectives on mentoring
1. Humility. This can be defined as the 'absence of pride'. It is the quality of being content with one's station in life. Jesus was not self-effacing or having low self-regard or a sense of unworthiness. But He was joyful (Heb 12:1-2) in His humiliation to incarnation and crucifixion (Phil 2:6-10). Jn 13:3 tells us that Jesus humbled Himself to wash His disciples' feet because He knew His Father's provision ('had given all things into his hands'), His identity ('he had come from God') and his destiny ('was going back to God'). Christian humility is rooted in contentment and dependence. We are all called to 'clothe ourselves with humility' (1 Pe5:5-7) because God gives grace to (v.5), exalts (v 6) and cares (v.7) for the humble. So humility comes from strength and not weakness. It is not so much something we do, but something we are. One may do humble tasks without a humble heart. “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” said QY (I think the quote is from Rick Warren).
2. Love. Jesus loved His disciples to 'the end' or 'the uttermost' (He showed them the 'full extent of His love'). He loved them to His death and beyond. This was not a temporal measure of extent, but a qualitative measure.
3. Example (Jn 13:15). Jesus modelled for His disciples what needed doing. His point about servants not being greater than masters (c.f. Jn 15:20, Matt 10:24) has to do with status. We cannot expect freedom from persecution or unwilling to do menial tasks because our Lord has shown the way of suffering and lowliness. (c.f. 1 Pe 2:21).
4. Holiness in both mentor and mentoree. Jesus is the one who cleanses us. As redeemed Christians we have 'bathed' and are 'completely clean' (Jn 13:10). This would correspond to once-for-all justification from sin. But our feet get dirty in daily contact with the world, and we need Jesus' cleansing from sin.
We celebrated Joshua's birthday!
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