Luke Part 3 - Taking Off the Training Wheels

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So what does that look like in the gospel of Luke?

Up to this point we’ve seen Jesus not only instruct His disciples, but He’s given them a solid example to follow: 

Exhibit A: Prayer

  

Exhibit B: Loving and serving people

 

Exhibit C: Matters of the heart

 

Exhibit D: Preaching the Kingdom

And now, Jesus decides, it’s time for the Apostles to give it a go on their own.

 

 

From now until about chapter 23, Jesus gives the Apostles and the disciples more and more opportunities to serve and to lead without Jesus at the forefront. As far as leading goes, Jesus moves subtly from leading from the front lines to leading from the rear. As the disciples grow stronger and stronger in their faith, Jesus gives them that liberty to be leaders within the community of believers while Jesus continues on with His calling.

Returning to the bicycle analogy: we can almost see Jesus helping the disciples mount their bicycles, holding their shoulders tightly while they find their balance, and run alongside them as they start pedaling those first few times without the training wheels.

And what happens when Jesus feels like they’ve gotten the hang of it?

Jesus lets go, allows his disciples to experience leadership, then he brings them back to encourage them and sow more into them so that they’re even better equipped for the next round.

Why does it matter so much that the disciples are so ready to lead?

Jesus is preparing to go to the cross. His life’s journey has been about revealing the kingdom of God to anyone and everyone around Him who would accept it, and then sacrificing His life to pay for the sins of the world. It would make sense, then, to see Jesus preparing leadership within His following for when He’s no longer around to run beside the bicycle, to grip the handle bars for them, to keep them steady while they figure things out. He has spent His ministry not only bringing people into Himself, but then preparing and equipping the ones who love and follow Him to continue His work after He’s gone.

Taking the text from this aspect, it makes a lot more sense as to why the apostles and disciples look less like failures in Dr. Luke’s gospel than in, say Matthew or Mark. They aren’t bumbling idiots or faithless deadbeats who follow Jesus around – they are merely immature leaders who Jesus isn’t finished growing and refining.[1]

By the end of the narrative (and leading into the book of Acts) the Apostles and the disciples are ready to be the leaders Jesus needs them to be for the early church…or, at least they will be ready enough for Jesus to be comfortable sending them out to do His work.

But please hear me clearly that the disciples were by no means perfect. Even the apostles experienced moments of crushing failure AFTER Jesus decided they were ready for leadership. Check out the next post for more on how to deal with the occasional failure – falling off the spiritual bicycle.

Stay classy, folks!

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[1] Mark L. Strauss, Four Portraits One Jesus. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2007) 282.