The key idea of this chapter is how to become a true disciple of Jesus. The first step to become a true follower of Jesus occurs at Baptism when the �seeds� of discipleship are first planted. However, it is how we respond to the word of God and how we practice the word of God that truly causes the �seed� of our call to discipleship to grow. To continue being a discipleship of Jesus, we must bring about the fullness of the kingdom, which occurs here on earth. To do this, we must become compassionate to all of the children of God. However, to be a true follower of Jesus we must not abandon Him when it becomes dangerous or inconvenient. Being a disciple of Jesus can take a lifetime to develop, but discipleship has its benefits, which include never being alone, faith, hope, and trust. Being a disciple of Christ in time causes us to grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus and causes us to improve ourselves.

2) Two major ideas I want to remember.

The first idea I want to remember from this chapter is how many followers of Jesus and the crowds who witnessed Jesus turned against Him and denied Jesus once He was in trouble. Many of Jesus� followers, like the apostles, left Jesus� side during His trial and crucifixion. Also, the crowds who saw and praised Jesus, like during His entry into Jerusalem, turned against Jesus completely and many wished for His death. However, many of his opponents were the first to realize that He was the �Son of God.� This point reminds us that he is the God to all, Jews and Gentiles. The betrayal of many of Jesus� followers is important to recognize because it emphasizes that to be a true disciple of Jesus, you can not abandon your faith at the first sign of trouble or inconvenience.

The second idea I want to remember is the many obstacles to becoming a disciple of Jesus. These obstacles include wealth, blindness, etc. Wealth is an obstacle for, not only becoming a disciple of Jesus, but also can interfere with friendships or relationships. The desire for wealth can keep someone from growing in relationship with Jesus Christ. Blindness, not physical blindness however, causes many people from believing and trusting in Jesus. However, if you can overcome this blindness you can grow in relationship with Jesus and begin to follow Him, like the blind beggar Bartimaeus. Recognizing these two obstacles is the first step to actually overcoming them. If these obstacles are overcome, you can begin to grow to an even greater relationship with Jesus Christ.

3) An image that captures this chapter.

4) One significant question I have from this chapter

"The Story of the Peace Pilgrim is at the end of the chapter. How does her story connect with what was stated in this chapter?"

A brief answer to this question is that like the disciples, the Peace Pilgrim left everything behind and traveled across the United States preaching the way of peace. She was called to be compassionate and showed this by teaching people how to find inner peace. The Peace Pilgrim is a modern day example of a disciple of Christ who, while wandering, spread the Word of God by becoming living examples to it.

Back to Homepage
Back to Journal 3:Called To Be Like Jesus
Next to Journal 5:Called To Take Risks