Friday, September 30, 2011

The Serious Call to Discipleship

On Sunday I was reminded again of how valuable a Sunday School class can be to me. We were discussing a difficult passage from Matthew 8 where Jesus calls a person to follow and that person replied, I will after I bury my father. Jesus responds with a shocking statement, Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. Wow.

We discussed the ramifications of ‘discipline’ and noticed that to be a disciple is a calling we each must consider with utmost seriousness. Becoming disciples is our job to do. We all need reminders.

On Monday, with the good conversation from the day before fresh on my mind, I read an interesting article in Time about Nnamdi Asomugha, the great cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles. (‘Thou Shalt Not Pass’, p. 67, October 3, 2011) In bold I saw these words: In 2010, Asomugha won the Jefferson Award for Public Service, often dubbed the Nobel Prize of community service.

This offseason Asomugha was given a $60 million contract with the Eagles. The article described how important it is to him that he uses his wealth and influence for greater good. He chairs two different philanthropic programs and books numerous speaking engagements, both national and international, where he encourages others to give back.

In the article we learn that his parents, who were Nigerian immigrants, were quite strict. He and his siblings were not allowed to watch t.v. but were encouraged (translated ‘made’) to read. (I wonder, is it harsh to forbid t.v.? Each family can decide.) His parents made it a priority to go to expose their children to the great needs of the world. His family would lead food drives and visit homeless shelters regularly.

So, how does a person become a good steward of $60 million? In short, Asomugha developed the habit of giving back. This can be a hard habit to develop, but once it does, it tends to stick. When the millions came his way, he already knew how he would use the money.

The article in Time never mentioned Asomugha’s faith and I know nothing of his personal life…but his story clearly speaks to me on the issue of discipleship. So, how are we to be faithful in the big things in life? Well, it seems clear that we must practice faithfulness. And we tend to get the most frequent practice in the small things. It also helps when we start as soon as we can. According to Jesus, discipleship is very serious stuff.