Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-29
THE MEANING OF DISCIPLE
SHIP.
Luke, 1873: John, 1926.
How shall I follow Him l serve?
How shall l copy Him love:
Nor from these blessed footsteps swerve,
Which lead me to HIS seat above:
BY Robert D. Burbank,

| President OF Washington District Epworth League
!, The word disciple" is given more
or less of an artificial meaning in these
days, and to get the real significance
of the term we need to remember its
! original application. Both the Latin
| and Greek words are properly trans
| latable by our word pulpit" but there
| is a vast difference between the pupil
| Of Christs time and the twentieth
century pupil, manly due. perhaps. to
the difference in educative methods.
In the first century AID the teaching
was done by private tutors, and the
relationship between master and pupil
was a very personal one, for there was
neither text book nor system in teach
ing; while today the pupil is not at all
dependent upon the teacher. as all
knowledge is so thoroughly CLASSIFIED,
and the methods of teaching reduced
to such an exact science. and the
schools themselves SO highly organic
ed, that the personal relationship OF
master and pupil is almost lost
Jesus called the twelve his dis
ciples," and this term is used to desig-
nate them throughout the four Gospels
and the Acts. They were truly his
pupils, for He taught them and train
which he finally committed to them
And he was truly their teacher or mas
ter, having full knowledge of Cod $
ultimate purposes for man ana his
/; laws regarding man. ana Importing
knowledge step by step. point by point,
ever working on toward definite end.
The School of Jesus.
The school of Jesus has never closed,
! for after teaching and training the twelve
disciples he made them his apostles and
! committed to them the knowledge to be
taught all his disciples down the ages
| In John S.31-32 He names the true con-
| dition and the ultimate purpose of disci-
pleship in His school. thus: IF ye abide
i in My word then are we truly My discl-
pies. and ye shall know the truth and the
| truth shall make you free.
| Not only because He committed this
knowledge to the apostles. however. is
His school still open. but because we may
as truly enter into a personal relationship
/ with Him today. and, indeed, 1t is the
establishment of this relationship which
makes it possible for Him to teach US.
and for us to be taught. The first step
is to eliminate sin, for Christ cannot be
| a teacher to those who are living in sin.
Sin as actual transgression in the past
must be pardoned, and sin as principle
of revolution within must be cleansed. He
/ grants forgiveness to the soul confeSSing
past sin and turning from it, and to the
soul that yields to Him absolutely and un-
reservedly He gives the blessing of cleans
! ing from sin. Then He overcomes our
dizziness of understanding, our inability
! to comprehend his truths, by the gift of
the holy spirit" who makes clear to us
the teaching of the Master. So He Him
self provides for and creates the relation
ships of communion through cleansing,
and intelligence through the indwelling
of the spirit, which constitute our condi-
ton for receiving what He has to teach
The requirements for admission to the
school of Jesus are stated in the l4th
chapter of Luke: "If any man cometh
unto Me. and hateth not his own father
and mother, and wife. and children, and
brethren, and sisters. yet, and his own
! life also. he cannot be my disciple" This
does not mean, of course. that one is to
actually hate his family, but rather to
place his love for God above every other
| love. SO far that his other love will seem
| like hate in comparison. In the modern
! school. obedience is required for disciple
nary reasons. but in the school of Jesus
devotion to Him must transcend every
other consideration.
! The second requirement is. whoever
, doth not bear his own cross and come
| after me, cannot be My disciple" and
the other. "Whosoever he be of you that
| renounceth not all that he hath, he
cannot be My disciple These ideas
| are expressed in the prayer translated
from the German by John Wesley, as
| follows:
Is there thing beneath the sun
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
All tear II thence and reign alone,
| The Lord OF every motion there!
| Then shall my heart from earth be free
When 1t hath found repOse in Thee.