Once upon a time a bowl was born. It was not much of a birth — no long months of planning and no great anticipation, no patient shaping under loving hands. Scarcely a thought went into the creation of this little bowl. The quick impersonal movement of a few machines and a trip through a hot oven was all it took for him to be created. There was really nothing to look at, no warmth and no beauty. He was shipped off to a store to be sold.
One day this bowl was purchased, not because he was beautiful, but simply because he was cheap and would serve a purpose. And he did that very well. Meal after meal and day after day he faithfully served, for this was his calling in life — namely to be a simple bowl. Sometimes after meals, he sat around a long time waiting to be cleaned. By the time it came for him to be washed, the water was rather dirty and cold; it was a very unpleasant experience. The girl who washed him mumbled and grumbled at her unpleasant chore. Yet, through it all the bowl was basically happy, as he was able to serve, day after day, year and year.
Then one day the bowl's mistress walked in with a shiny new bowl. It had a lovely floral design. She said, "You will serve us well and be pleasant to look at, as well." So the first bowl was packed up, along with a few other discarded items and sent away. It was a long journey and rather boring so the bowl slept through most of the trip. When he awoke, he found himself in unfamiliar but loving hands. He was plunged into some nice sudsy warm water and given a good bath. For the first time in his life he enjoyed it; it was very refreshing. The boy who was washing him did not seem to mind as he was humming a merry tune the entire time. Then he was taken to a nice log building, a gift shop, and placed on one of the shelves, waiting to be sold. Everything in this shop was donated and all the money in sales went to assist the poor. When he learned this, the bowl became quite excited. He really wanted to help someone and thus he waited his chance. But nobody was willing to buy him.
Yes, no one seemed to look twice in his direction. He was so plain and ordinary, lacking the most elementary charm, while many other items in the shop were so beautiful. The vase next to him was truly exquisite. It was clear that much time and energy had been put into her creation. Certainly loving hands had created this beautiful vase. It was not long at all before the vase was sold. A little dancing figurine was on the bowl's other side. This, too, sold in quick fashion. But the ordinary and plain bowl was repeatedly overlooked and, thus, he gave up hope of being sold quickly. He settled into the life of the shop. He was cared for, regularly dusted, and even given a warm bath periodically. He was content with this life for a while.
After a few years, however, this forced retirement began to wear on the bowl. He was born to serve and knew in his heart it was time to get to his vocation. Still he waited. Then one day he heard the owners of the shop speaking about a boy who needed a wheelchair but his family had no money to purchase one. Thus, all the monies from sales this day would go to the family. The bowl was very excited for it hoped that now was his chance to again serve. But what could he do; no one ever noticed him. Then he heard a woman walking toward him. She looked right at him, smiled and said, "This is precisely what I want. You are lovely and will do a fine job of serving my family." The bowl was overjoyed. He had never been called lovely before — servant, yes, but not lovely.
The woman picked him up and took him to the counter to pay and as she did the bowl passed by a mirror. He was amazed for he truly was lovely. He was much the same, yet different. It was the same plain design but he sparkled; indeed he was radiant. He had never looked that way before. The bowl began to realize what had happened. All the love of those in the shop over the years, who had dusted and washed him had clung to him and he had been subtly transformed. Not only now could he serve and realize his dream, but he would give delight by his presence as well.1
All the little bowl wanted in life was to serve others, a basic tenet of the Christian life of discipleship. Yet, the bowl learned that being a servant created many ups and down, highs and lows in one's life. In other words, service brings both beauty and the cross. Today's Gospel Reading during the Christmas season provides a similar message in this familiar story of how four people of great faith encountered Christ. They all sought to be disciples and discovered through their endeavors both the beauty and the cross of such a relationship.
We must ask, however, what is discipleship; what are its elements? The first thing we must realize is that discipleship is our response to the God who first called us. Jesus invites all to join him in the work of salvation, but not all choose to follow. Those who accept the invitation respond in varied ways and at different times. Sometimes we answer God's call in a loving and accepting way; other times we rather grudgingly move forward. In all cases, however, we do not initiate the call. The Lord calls us and we respond. The next element of discipleship is a sharing in the ministry of Jesus. We are all called to serve. Jesus challenges us to follow his lead: "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Service and ministry are integral parts of the Christian call; they are not ideas that we can choose or not choose to engage. It is part and parcel of being a true disciple. How we will serve is a question that must constantly be before us.
A third element of discipleship is its call to sacrificial love. From the outset of salvation history, God has demonstrated a sacrificial love for us, bending over backward it seems at almost every turn to meet any and all of our needs. This love, manifest through the patriarchs and prophets, reached its apex in God sending Jesus to our world. God allows his Son to willingly sacrifice his life for others; Jesus is our ransom from sin. God does not set conditions or limits on his love for us. On the contrary, as British poet Francis Thompson calls him, Jesus is the "Hound of Heaven" who always seeks our souls and never leaves even one stone unturned in his diligent search for us. If God goes the extra mile for us, then we must do likewise to support his work and ministry and thereby to build God's kingdom in our world.
Discipleship is also associated with martyrdom. This need not be and most times is not a physical death, but it will often bring much spiritual suffering. We are asked not to count the cost of discipleship, but rather to go forth, heedless of its pain and sacrifice, but equally confident that discipleship today leads to eternal life tomorrow. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the World War II era Lutheran pastor, never counted the cost of his opposition to Nazism, a stance which literally cost him his life. In writing The Cost of Discipleship, he knew well the answer and was willing to carry out his responsibility. Similarly Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the famous twentieth-century Russian novelist, suffered greatly for his writings, but he did not hesitate to tell the truth. Likewise, Jesus of Nazareth never counted the cost of following his Father's will and dying for us. If we are true disciples we should do the same.
Discipleship brings us many wonderful and significant privileges. Through discipleship we gain special insight and knowledge of God. God is revealed in ways we might not expect through our ability to follow in the footsteps of the Lord. Discipleship also brings many wonderful blessings. Things simply seem to go better when we are close to Christ in our everyday walk of faith. The benefits of community are a great gift that comes from our discipleship. We realize that we are not alone on the journey, but that we walk with a great band of men and women who all seek to be close to the Lord, in word and action. Lastly, discipleship offers us numerous opportunities that would not normally come our way. We are provided avenues to serve others, special opportunities for prayer, and even challenged to engage certain peoples and events that can bring us much growth in the spiritual life.
The beauty of discipleship brings many significant responsibilities and some crosses. The life of discipleship is not easy; it was not intended to be simple. Jesus tells us succinctly, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). We may not always want to follow, for the cost may be high. But we must be totally confident that death, that is, our personal crosses, leads to life and the beauty of the resurrection. This is the essence of the Christian message.
The theme of discipleship is quite strong in today's familiar gospel passage that describes Jesus' presentation in the temple. Responding as disciples, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple in accordance with the dictates of the Law of Moses. Joseph, a man who says nary a word in scripture, yet demonstrates powerful example through his actions, stands in the background. He does what he is expected to do; he responds to the call of God in his role as foster-father of Jesus and protector of Mary. He and his wife offer the appropriate sacrifice as prescribed by the Law. Joseph experiences both the beauty and the responsibility of being a disciple of God. Simeon, obviously a very pious disciple of Yahweh, who for years, Luke tells us, has faithfully followed God's Law, enters the temple at just the right moment. He was righteous and devout and had waited for the Messiah. Yet, his long wait was somewhat of a cross. Now, however, he comes to the temple and expresses the beauty of his discipleship. He has been promised that he will see the Lord's anointed — the Messiah. He sees Jesus and thus proclaims his great prayer, known as the Nunc Dimitis. He is joyful and grateful for the beauty of his life and the opportunity his discipleship has brought. Anna, the holy prophetess, was also in the temple when Jesus was presented. She, too, had lived a beautiful life of discipleship as wife, but one as well with its cross as widow. Luke tells us she never left the temple, but rather worshiped with prayers and fasting day and night. Like Simeon, she experienced the great beauty of discipleship through her encounter with Jesus.
While Joseph, Simeon, and Anna clearly demonstrate both the beauty and the cross of discipleship, it is certainly Mary who most clearly and profoundly exemplifies these two seemingly opposed emotions. Mary experienced the beauty and joy of motherhood. Chosen by God for her special role in the plan of salvation, Mary must have been overjoyed at the birth of Jesus, her son. The conditions were harsh and primitive, even for her day, but her joy nonetheless must have been great. She accompanies Joseph to the temple to exercise her life of discipleship. While there, however, the cross of her role as the mother of God was first revealed. Simeon was very clear, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed — and a sword will pierce your own soul, too" (Luke 2:34b-35). This was, however, only the beginning of Mary's spiritual martyrdom. Like her son, Mary never shied away from her call nor doubted in her role as a disciple. She unhesitatingly went forward as the preeminent disciple. Although not one of the chosen twelve, Mary's role in salvation history and discipleship is clear. She was present at Jesus' birth, the beginning of his public ministry at Cana, and stood at the foot of the cross on Calvary. She never wavered in her discipleship. She experienced the beauty and accepted the cross of her role as a disciple.
As the Christmas season unfolds we must ponder our role in God's master plan. Through baptism, the first and primary sacrament, we have all been called to lives of discipleship. Thus, the invitation has clearly been extended to each one of us. The great question for us must be, how have we or how can we respond to the Lord's invitation to experience the beauty and endure the cross of discipleship? The little bowl was nothing fancy; indeed it was quite ordinary. His goals were not personal; he only sought to serve his owner. He often had to endure many hardships, different crosses — lack of respect, dislocation, neglect, and lack of attention. Yet, he also experienced the joy and beauty of his life of discipleship. And, moreover, he realized in the end how the sufferings and trials he had endured had transformed him into a beautiful vessel, maybe not aesthetically, but more importantly, on the inside, which is certainly more significant and permanent. Like the little bowl, we must rethink our role as disciples and strive to find the beauty, even in the midst of life's many heartaches and challenges.
God is calling each one of us personally by name and collectively as a community to be better disciples, to renew our basic response to the God who first loved us. What can we or must we do? The first thing we must contemplate in our response is our attitude. We must be radically open to God's call. Too often we are closed or are not listening when the call comes. As a wise older woman once said, "God gave us two ears and one mouth, so maybe we should listen twice as much as we speak." God's call comes in many ways and thus we must be open in our attitude in order to recognize God's voice. Discipleship also requires our active participation. We cannot only respond to the Lord when things are convenient; we must answer when the road is unclear or even difficult. As the Pauline author reminded Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1c-2), "I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching." In fact, we should respond most generously when the road is not clear or the path known to be difficult. G. K. Chesterton, the famous early twentieth-century essayist, reminded us, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." Discipleship requires much patience and a willingness to accept the cross. Jesus made that very clear, "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27).
The little bowl was plain and ordinary, but he understood what was necessary to be a disciple. We may find our lives to be rather plain and ordinary. Our day-to-day existence may be, as they say, "nothing to write home about." On the other hand, we may live a life in the public spotlight; we may be well known. Regardless of our fame, position, economic status, or knowledge, the call to discipleship, as evidenced by the simplicity of Simeon, Anna, Joseph, and Mary, must be our model. Following Jesus is not an easy road; it is the road less traveled, but then the Lord never promised his followers a garden path. On the contrary, he told his apostles (Matthew 10:22) that they would be hated for their belief in him, but those who persevered would find everlasting life. As the beauty of the Christmas season continues to unfold, and we marvel at the gift of Jesus, let us reconsider our role as disciples, building the kingdom of God today, and attaining eternal life tomorrow.
1.Paraphrased from "Born to Serve," in Jude Fischer, Be Always Little: Christian Fables for Young and Old (Combermere, Ontario, Canada: Madonna House, 1996), pp. 23-27.