Define the meaning Discipleship.
...sly faith is the most important aspect of believing in God, so when we read that Peter and Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, we can conclude that faith wasn't always present in the disciples. Peter said that he would never betray Jesus, "I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!", he said. When Jesus said to Peter, "I tell you that before the cock crows twice tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me". Peter answered strongly, "I will never say that, even if I have to die with you!" We then see that in Chapter 14 of Marks Gospel, Peter does deny Jesus. He denied him three times and when he realised that he had done as Jesus had predicted, he "broke down and cried". "Have you still no faith?", Jesus asked his disciples in the Calming of the Storm. Sadly, even after Jesus' death, the disciples still didn't believe. They didn't believe he had risen from the dead, or that he would rise from the dead. (Mark 16:12-13) The Rich Man (Mark 10:17-29) is a parable that explains exactly how Mark placed so much importance on suffering in his gospel. It explains the suffering that must occur to enter the kingdom of God. The rich man wanted to know what he must do to receive eternal life, and he was told that the commandments must be upheld. "Teacher", the man said, "ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments". The man thought he had passed the "interview", but he didn't like what was coming. "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me". This clearly didn't please the very rich man, and "gloom spread over his face, and he went away sad". This is the kind of suffering that Mark is talking about. I think the same for myself nowadays, I hate the idea of having to give up all of my luxuries and money. Mark continues to talk of the serious "Troubles and Persecutions"(Mark 13:3-13) disciples must suffer to follow Jesus. He told them to be "on guard", as they would "be arrested and taken to court, beaten in the synagogues, and have to stand before rulers and kings to tell them the Good News". Jesus says that "For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it". To sum up he has put great importance on suffering in his gospel. They show just how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God, real sacrifices must be made, and Mark allows us to appreciate this. "The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priest and the teachers of the Law" (Mark 8:31-38) Discipleship, like everything in life, had positives and negatives. The costs of discipleship were the violence inflicted upon them, the taunts and non-believers they had to rise above, and the things they had to give up. The parable 'Jesus Speaks about his Suffering and Death' explains the very serious costs disciples must suffer to do what Jesus has asked them to do. "If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me", "Do people gain anything if they win the whole world but lose their life? Of course not!" The rewards of being a true disciple? "Look, we have left everything and followed you", Peter said to Jesus in 'The Rich Man', and Jesus responded; "Yes, and I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and for the gospel, will receive much more in this present age. He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - and persecutions as well; and in the age to come he will receive eternal life". Following this, one of the most important things Jesus says in Marks Gospel in my opinion is here, "Many who now are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first". What Jesus is saying is that regardless of the suffering, the torture, the lack of wealth, to have eternal life and to...