Discipleship - being given an A

1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21, Luke 9:51-62 

As we listen to those readings – the story of Elisha following Elijah and the words of Jesus about what it means to follow him – we might be struck by how hard this discipleship thing is – how tough it can be to follow Jesus.

 

I learned in the last few weeks the story around a little chorus we used to sing in my school Christian Union

 “I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back, no turning back”.

When we sang it in a quiet classroom at lunch break, perhaps before an inspiring speaker, or just a ‘time of fellowship’ – swapping stories of how our week had been, no-one told us where the chorus originated.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I can tell you that it originated in Assam, India. 

The lyrics are apparently based on the last words of Nokseng, a man from a local tribe who converted to Christianity in the middle of the 19th century through the efforts of an American Baptist missionary. He is said to have recited verses from the twelfth chapter of the book of John as he and his family were killed. 

“the cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back”.

 

Certainly when we hear the story of Elisha’s discipleship of Elijah there is no turning back: he not only leaves his family and farm, he slaughters the oxen with which he has been ploughing and uses the wood of the plough to make a fire to burn the meat of the oxen as an offering to God. Elisha understands that to be a disciple he has to be all in – no turning back.

 

And maybe even Jesus sounds harsh about the challenge of discipleship “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Following Jesus means being whole-hearted in wanting to be part of God’s project of love which we sometimes call the kingdom.

But I don’t think we should picture Jesus here like one of those sergeant-majors in the films or TV series – shouting and screaming and insisting that the recruits give it “110%” – usually in a speech peppered with insults about what a miserable specimen the person is. “Call yourself a disciple? You’re not fit to shine my boots”.

 

This is Jesus we’re talking about, remember – the one who washes his disciples’ feet – the one who will not allow John the Baptist to simply opt out and say “I am not worthy to tie the thong of your sandals” – the one who writes in the dust at his feet until a woman accused of adultery is released and he can say “go and sin no more”.

 

Jesus calls us to follow – yet this is a gracious invitation which he wants to see us wholeheartedly follow, not an impossibly difficult burden he places upon us.

Perhaps we need to re-imagine the challenge of discipleship…

 

A visit I made this week enabled me to do just that.

I was visiting a minister of the SW Synod and he was telling me about a teaching technique of Benjamin Zander.

Benjamin Zander is an English Conductor who is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He has a way of working with musicians which he calls 

“giving an A”.

 

He has a Friday class with a group of really talented young musicians. But as he says, each of them, as they enter the class for the first time in September are saying to themselves “am I as good as him?” “I think I’m better than her” “I’ll never be as good as them”… and so he begins the class by telling them they have all, already, been given an A. There is only one thing they have to do to get their A – they have to write a letter to Benjamin Zander, dated in the following May, explaining what they are going to have learned by the next May which will have earned them their A. They write about the musicians they are going to be, they aspire to be, they plan to be…

And it works. Instead of being frightened to make mistakes, or constantly wondering if they are good enough, or comparing themselves – favourably or unfavourably – to others, they just get on with learning from their mistakes how to play better, listen to others more fully, and enjoy the music more fully.

If you want to know more about Benjamin Zander you can find talks of his on youtube – he’s well worth a listen.

 

I believe this “giving an A” is an example of what grace can do in people’s lives – the freedom to be who you are meant to be, unfettered by doubt that you are already loved and accepted.

 

What if we treated discipleship like this? 

Jesus has already given us an A – we are not far from the kingdom of God – we are beloved children of God, given the gift of eternal life.

 

Now who do we think we should be, to be the best disciples we can be – to be people who live like the citizen of heaven Jesus promises us we will be?

 

What would your letter say, if you were going to write a letter to be opened in a year’s time, which explained why you deserve the title ‘beloved child of God, faithful follower of Jesus, and honoured citizen of heaven’?

Where do you still need to grow as a Christian? How might God’s Spirit move in you to help you follow Christ more closely? What gifts of grace is God the Father waiting to give you?

 

Learning about Benjamin Zander was one gift I received this week. Another was worshipping with the Plymouth & Exeter District of the Methodist Church as they gave thanks to God for Graham Thompson, their District Chair, as he leaves to become President of the Conference for a year and then retire.

One of the hymns we sang is a hymn which is sung at every ordination service for a Methodist minister: “O Thou who camest from above”.

I have sung this hymn many, many times of course, but the line which really struck me last Sunday was 

“Jesus confirm my heart’s desire

To work and speak and think for thee

Still let me guard the holy fire

And still stir up thy gift in me”.

 

Those words would make it into my letter describing how I aim and hope to be a better disciple in the next 12 months.

 

When Jesus says "No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" – perhaps he is pointing us precisely to the potential that we have. Jesus is encouraging his followers to face the future: not stating in a punitive tone  ‘unless you stay committed you will fail’. 

 

I think a commitment to receive from God and grow in Christ involves looking forward to what we might yet become, rather than looking back to what we have been, or even getting too involved in how we might bridge the gap between where we are and where we think we should be.

 

And what is required of us as disciples is to keep moving forward into the future God wills for us.

In the final verse of O Thou who camest from above – which we will sing in a moment there is one word which sums up all that is asked of us in following Jesus 

“Ready .. for all thy perfect will..”

 

You are already beloved children of God, faithful followers of Jesus Christ, honoured citizens of heaven – are you ready to accept that fact and live up to your calling?

You have already been given an A - in the name of Christ.

Amen.