What Sort of Journey?

It has often been the case that Christians have been called people of the way. The idea of our discipleship as a journey is one that occurs frequently. We are a travelling people. The great commission is to 'go'.

One of the other things, to which we often refer, is the call to take up our cross, and so follow in the way of Jesus. It is an important one - and we must not allow familiarity to diminish the impact of the call. As Jeremy Duff points out in Peter's Preaching - "People who walked carrying a cross were on their way to die, for those who were both of low status (a Roman citizen could not be crucified) and convicted of the worst crimes (in Roman eyes, rebellion and treason) were condemned to die in this most horrific of fashions. It was more than just death; it was public humiliation and shame, displaying the victim's powerlessness to all, as they were forced to cooperate in their own execution by walking through the streets, carrying the cross beam on which they would die."

What a challenging picture! What a journey! What a way!

Disciple

Just started reading Jeremy Duff's book Peter's Preaching, an exploration of the message of Mark's Gospel. Duff suggest that Mark is trying to pass on Peter's message and is not interested in writing a chronologically ordered diary. He takes various themes, starting with the theme of being a disciple.

Duff suggests that Jesus gives the 'Twelve', the core group of disciples, three roles - "to be with him, to proclaim the message and to have authority over demons."

Duff recognises that we might prefer something more 'mainstream' than having authority over demons. However he suggests that "It is perhaps appropriate and helpful to see 'authority over demons' as equivalent to 'authority to release people from whatever binds them.'"

I certainly find that helpful. As we read the pages of the Gospels, we indeed see "Jesus bringing this release to people". What a great mission in which to share!