As Lent is drawing down to the last few days, I have to say I have learned a thing or two about being a disciple.

I have come to find it helpful when I am thinking of some Biblical idea to think of it in non-Biblical terms.

Take the idea of praise. You are all the time hearing people say, "Praise the Lord!" And I guess there is some meaning in it. But when you think of praise in non-Biblical usage, it seems kind of silly.

You don't say, "Praise Joe Flacco!"

Or, "Praise Norman Rockwell!"

Or, "Praise Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!"

No... you say, "Wow! That was an amazing game!"

Or, "The draftsmanship in your illustrations is other-worldly!"

Or, "Your music lifts my soul!"

You don't just say, "Praise you"!!!

You lift up the reason WHY your praise is bubbling over (and, after-all, that seems to be what naturally happens when you encounter greatness, isn't it?).

So when we want to praise God, it seems much better to lift up the reasons WHY. To focus on God's Love and Power and Mercy and Grace... and on and on and on. When you start to think of all the reasons to praise God – and really start to SEE them – and NAME them – then REAL praise flows.

Anyway!

So in our study of what it means to be a disciple, we thought what it means outside of the Bible.

And for me, the first thing that came to mind was the old TV series "Kung Fu."

There (to me!) is a great example of a disciple. Kwai Chang Caine – played by David Carradine – leaves his home to become a disciple of his kung fu Master, Master Po.

And if you watched the show, you know that Caine was ready to go out into the world when he was able to snatch the pebble from his Master's hand.

So thinking of it that way, what did it mean to be a disciple?

Caine chose to leave the life he had been living behind to follow his Master.

Why? Because he believed his Master knew the path to life, the kind of life he wanted.

And so he devoted himself – gave everything – to learn from his Master.

He gave up everything to become like his Master.

So then, when I think of what it might mean to be a disciple of Jesus, things are a little clearer.

Jesus is the true Master who knows the path to Eternal Life – to life to its fullest – the life God intended for us when He created the universe and all that is in it.

To be His disciple means to leave behind the life I had been living and choose to follow Him. Now, maybe I am just copping out here, but I don't think that necessarily means selling everything I have, leaving friends and family and going off to some other part of the world... it COULD mean that, I suppose. But I don't think it necessarily HAS to.

But I guess it DOES mean that if that is what Jesus is calling ME to do – then I do it.

But for sure, it means putting Jesus, and following after him, above all else in my life.

And at this point, I will have to ask myself, Have I done that?

And then it means devoting my life to following Him, learning from Him and, as it turns out, eventually truly becoming like Him. But in the end, not by my efforts, but by the work of God, through the Holy Spirit.

I can't do it.

But God can.

But the one thing I CAN do – and the one thing God can't do for me – is offer to Him a willing heart.

So to be a disciple of Jesus is to see that He is the Path to Life, and then to give myself to Him, and allow Him to transform me into His image - the person He created me to be.

And my part of the process is to say to God, "Here I am!" My part is to offer a willing heart. My part is to CHOOSE to follow Jesus.