Discipleship

I think that it is interesting that the church will allow any person who 'wants' to "disciple"...

First of all it isn't like the way that we currently 'do' discipleship is anything like what was meant in the Great Commission...

Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

First Century discipleship was done with a rabbi (teacher) and a handful of disciples - similar to Jesus...so that leaves me wrestling with the following questions:

1. Are we all called to be 'Disciplers'? (in this passage Jesus only told the 11 not all 122 disciples that followed him)
2. Are there even any who are qualified - afterall few (if any) have been discipled in the manner of which Jesus is speaking!?!?!!?
3. Is a 'class' in church enough?
4. If we aren't capable of discipling like 1st century rabbis - what should we do?
5. Where does this leave us?

1. 
   

The Passover

I have been spending some time reflecting on the Passover and the Passion narrative of Jesus of Nazareth. I was just letting the imagery wash over me when something came to mind that I'd never considered before...probably because for most of my Christian life the Passion was only synonymous with Easter - not Passover...but the imagery was that of the first born of all of Egypt being killed as a 'last resort' to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites free. That after all is where we get the term Passover - it was the night that Israel painted their doorposts with blood from a lamb in order that the Spirit of G_d would 'pass-over' their homes and not take their first-born!

Now many years later in the 1st century C.E. - G_d is giving His first-born (only) son at Passover...

What beautiful imagery...imagery that I am not exactly sure what to do with but find myself drawn to!

Questions I am wrestling with:

1. Is this some kind of a 'repayment' demonstrated by G_d?
2. Is there a correlation or is this just coincidence?
3. Why haven't I read anything in Christian commentaries about this?
4. If this has meaning - what is it?