Are You Jesus's Padawan?

The word “disciple” has lost it’s impact because it’s been diluted. We’re told by Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations, but we have translated that to mean something like, “Go make ‘converts,’ people who have prayed a special prayer and attend a worship service every once in a while and maybe give a little of their money for the upkeep of the church.” We’ve relegated discipleship ministries to affinity groups and small groups which function more like Christian support groups than discipleship engines. Sunday School long ago devolved into education mode from the formation function it was intended to serve. So, what would it look like to be Jesus’s Padawan?

A Padawan is a Jedi Apprentice in the Star Wars universe. Luke Skywalker was Obi-Wan Kenobi’s apprentice until Kenobi’s untimely death. Luke’s apprenticeship wasn't complete, so he traveled to Dagobah to be the Padawan of the master himself, Yoda. The purpose of Luke’s apprenticeship, as is the purpose of any apprenticeship, was to produce a competent Jedi Knight who also has developed the character of a Jedi Knight. The ways of being and the skills of doing and leading others are inculcated in the Padawan until he or she has internalized the words and the ways of the Jedi Order. Thus, the Order continues carry out its mission.

I don’t know how George Lucas came upon this word, but it is a Greek word that was utilized in the New Testament. Here’s an instance of it in the Bible: “ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12 ESV). This is the verb form of the word. Disciplining/Training/Educating/Correcting… all of these would be ways of translating the Greek word paideuō. “The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament” describes the use of this term in the secular world: padeuō “…denotes the upbringing and handling of the child which is growing up to maturity and which thus needs direction, teaching, instruction and a certain measure of compulsion in the form of discipline or even chastisement.” A Padawan has great potential, but needs to be admonished and corrected along the journey to maturity to learn the ways of being and doing of the Jedi.

What we call discipleship in churches is often limited to the character side of the equation, the words, only. It has to do with being holy, of avoiding sin, and a few Christian behaviors, like a attending worship and Sunday School. It very rarely, though, deals with competency. Discipleship, the way Jesus did, and does it, includes both character and competency. He invested his life into his closest followers and reproduced his character AND competency in them. Not only would they love the Heavenly Father the way Jesus did (he taught them to say “Abba”), but they also would learn to do the very things they had seen Jesus doing. As a matter of fact, he told us: “I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12 CEB). We can do the works of Jesus and even greater works then these. That sounds a lot more exciting than what most churches promise: “You can come and consume what we produce and support the few staff and clergy with your money.”

One of the important differences between the Star Wars Universe’s Padawan and a disciple of Jesus is that in Star Wars only a few, select, potential Jedi Knights are chosen to enter the Padawan training. Jesus calls everyone to be his disciple and everyone has high potential because of the creativity of God in bringing us into the world and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We’re called to become a disciple of Jesus who can do what Jesus does and make disciples. This is not a call for a limited elite or dedicated core, but a call for each and every follower of Jesus. Jesus wants to recreate his character and competency in you.

The way this happens is life to life sharing. We need to do life together and allow God to use others to empower life change and growth in discipleship. When we start practicing the ways of Jesus, we’re going to get some stuff right and other stuff wrong. We need disciples who are ahead of us in the journey to help us discern the way. Discipleship growth always takes place in the context of community. This is where every church needs to focus more attention. Dallas Willard suggests each church ask two questions: 1) What is your church’s discipleship plan? 2) How’s it working? Some churches can’t really answer question 1. They hope people grow automatically from showing up at worship and various programs. But discipleship, the kind Jesus did, almost never happens by accident or randomly. It is an intentional process led by  focussed leaders. 

Jesus didn’t randomly choose disciples in whom he would invest his life, he was purposeful. Churches need intentional, relational approaches to developing disciples of Jesus who make disciples. That’s the goal: disciples who make disciples, who do what Jesus does, pouring out their lives into others who will then join the mission of making more disciples.

I hope these thoughts have stirred something in you. Jesus wants you to be a disciple who is actively engaged in growing more like Jesus, imitating his words and ways, making other disciples who make disciples, growing the Kingdom of God.

Comments

[Chris Howlett]

His influence is a big part of the DNA of my ministry. I'm driven by the sense that God has so much more for us and the abundant life that Jesus offers is the life he wants us to live. Dad lived an abundant life.

[Linda Welch Howlett]

Your Dad understood this very well which is why he developed the Intentional Discipling Workbook and program. He understood that in order to make disciples you must help people develop a close sustaining relationship with Jesus through practicing spiritual disciplines and thus allow the Holy Spirit to mold and shape them to be more and more like Jesus.