by Dr. Jacob Mathew, Malankara World

We have come to the last day of Ettu Nomb. Tomorrow, September 8, is the birthday of St. Mary, The Theotokos and the end of the 8-day Lent.

This year, we have examined the important virtues St. Mary practiced in her life and preached by Jesus Christ during his Public Ministry in the earth. We have examined:

Day 1 - Humility
Day 2 - Love
Day 3 - Faith
Day 5 - Prayer
Day 6 - Suffering
Day 7 - Discipleship (today)

Today we will look at Discipleship and service and specifically the Servant Leadership Model taught by Jesus.

Mary was the mother of Jesus; but she was also the first disciple of Jesus.

Mary knew as soon as the word resided in her womb that Jesus prized service. She was transformed as soon as the word entered her. Mary undertook a strenuous journey to the hill country of Judah to visit Elizabeth, who was 6 months pregnant at that time. Elizabeth, bearing John the Baptist, the forerunner to the Messiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit meets Mary at the door step. What followed was miraculous.

Luke describes the meeting this way:

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
Luke 1: 39-45

Elizabeth asks Mary, "Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

Mary knew from the annunciation message of Angel Gabriel that she is pregnant with the son of God, the almighty. So, she was raised over all the women instantly as soon as the word, or logos, entered her. So, technically, instead of Mary going to Elizabeth, Elizabeth should have come to Mary instead. But in the Kingdom of God, as taught by Jesus later the roles are reversed. Here is Servant Leadership in action. Jesus explained later,

He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:11-12

20:25 Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Matthew 20:25-28).

In the Kingdom of God, the roles of the lord and that of the servant are reversed. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. So, it is only appropriate that Mary go to Elizabeth's home than the other way around. Humility and obedience are the two prized virtues of Jesus. Mary was very rich with these. Thus Mary became a disciple of Jesus as soon as the logos resided in her. We call her the first disciple of Jesus.

Mary was present in all the important events in Jesus' life; but she preferred to stay in the background as opposed to taking a front seat as taught by Jesus later. She was aware of the problems faced by others; she tried to help them (serve them) as much as she could. When they ran out of wine at the marriage in Cana, Mary requested Jesus' intervention. Mary become to intercessor.

The best description of the coming Kingdom of Jesus was explained by Mary in her Magnificat - also known as the Song of Mary - in Luke 1:46-55:

The Song of Mary (Magnificat)

46 And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

Look especially at verses 51-53 and the role reversal in Jesus' Kingdom:

Proud will be scattered
Mighty will be put down from their thrones
Lowly will be exalted
Hungry will be fed
Rich will be sent away empty.

Gary Zimak in "Following the Truth: Listening To Mary's Voice" described Mary's obedience, faith and fear of God as follows:

'Although some people are disturbed by the term "fear of the Lord", Mary understands the true meaning of the concept. When she states

"His mercy is from age to age to those who fear Him",

the Blessed Mother acknowledges the importance of obeying God's commandments as an expression of love! Those who truly love the Lord have a fear of being separated from Him or letting Him down. That desire to please Him results in obedience.

According to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, obedience "springs from the love of an order and of Him who gave it…Obedience is servility only to those who have not understood the spontaneity of love." (The World's First Love) Mary reminds us that we should obey the Lord because we love Him and don't want to disappoint Him!

As we read through the words of Mary's Magnificat, we see a heartfelt profession of faith from someone who was grateful for God's mercy and providence in her life. Too often, we take the Lord's mercy for granted and don't trust in His providence. '

by Pope John Paul II

In declaring herself 'the handmaid of the Lord', the Blessed Virgin shows total obedience to God's will and makes it her own with all her personal resources

Mary makes the Father's will the inspiring principle of her whole life, seeking in it the necessary strength to fulfil the mission entrusted to her.

1. Mary's words at the Annunciation "I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38), indicate an attitude characteristic of Jewish piety. At the beginning of the Old Covenant, Moses, in response to the Lord's call, proclaims himself his servant (cf. Ex 4:10, 14:31). With the coming of the New Covenant, Mary also responds to God with an act of free submission and conscious abandonment to his will, showing her complete availability to be the "handmaid of the Lord".

In the Old Testament, the qualification "servant" of God links all those who are called to exercise a mission for the sake of the Chosen People: Abraham (Gn 26:24), Isaac (Gn 24:14) Jacob (Ex 32:13; Ez 37:25), Joshua (Jos 24:29), David (2 Sam 7, 8, etc.). Prophets and priests, who have been entrusted with the task of forming the people in the faithful service of the Lord, are also servants. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah exalts, in the docility of the "suffering Servant", a model of fidelity to God in the hope of redemption for the sins of the many (cf. Is 42:53). Some women also offer examples of fidelity, such as Queen Esther who, before interceding for the salvation of the Jews, addresses a prayer to God, calling herself many times "your servant" (Est 4:17).

Mary's 'fiat' expresses total obedience

2. Mary, "full of grace", by proclaiming herself "handmaid of the Lord" intends to commit herself to fulfil personally and in a perfect manner the service God expects of all his people. The words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord", foretell the One who will say of himself: "The Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45: cf. Mt 20:28). Thus the Holy Spirit brings about a harmony of intimate dispositions between the Mother and the Son, which will allow Mary to assume fully her maternal role to Jesus, as she accompanies him in his mission as Servant. In Jesus' life the will to serve is constant and surprising: as Son of God he could rightly have demanded to be served. Attributing to himself the title "Son of Man", whom, according to the Book of Daniel, "all peoples, nations and languages should serve" (Dn 7:14) he could have claimed mastery over others. Instead, combating the mentality of the time which was expressed in the disciples' ambition for the first places (cf. Mk 9:34) and in Peter's protest during the washing of the feet (cf. Jn 13:6), Jesus does not warn' to be served, but desires to serve to the point of totally giving his life in the work of redemption.

3. Furthermore, Mary, although aware of the lofty dignity conferred upon her at the angel's announcement, spontaneously declares herself "the handmaid of the Lord". In this commitment of service she also includes the intention to serve her neighbour, as the link between the episodes of the Annunciation and the Visitation show: informed by the angel of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary sets out "with haste" (Lk 1:39) for Judah, with total availability to help her relative prepare for the birth. She thus offers Christians of all times a sublime model of service.

The words: "Let it be to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38), show in her who declared herself handmaid of the Lord, a total obedience to God's will.

The optative genoito, "let it be done", used by Luke, expresses not only acceptance but staunch assumption of the divine plan, making it her own with the involvement of all her personal resources.

By conforming to God's will, Mary anticipates attitude of Christ

4. By conforming to the divine will, Mary anticipates and makes her own the attitude of Christ who, according to the Letter to the Hebrews, coming into the world, says: "Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me ... Then I said ... 'Behold I come to do your will, O God'" (Heb 10:5 7; Ps 40 [39]: 7 9).

Mary's docility likewise announces and prefigures that expressed by Jesus in the course of his public life until Calvary. Christ would say: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work" (Jn 4:34). On these same lines, Mary makes the Father's will the inspiring principle of her whole life, seeking in it the necessary strength to fulfil the mission entrusted to her.

If at the moment of the Annunciation, Mary does not yet know of the sacrifice which will mark Christ's mission Simeon's prophecy will enable her to glimpse her Son's tragic destiny (cf. Lk 3:34 35). The Virgin will be associated with him in intimate sharing. With her total obedience to God's will, Mary is ready to live all that divine love may plan for her life, even to the "sword" that will pierce her soul.

by Dr. Joe McKeever

The New Testament is clear that the model for the Lord's people in this world is servanthood. The texts are numerous and so clear they leave no room for argument. We have the Lord Jesus washing the disciples' feet and telling us to do likewise (John 13). We have His testimony that He is among us as One who serves (Luke 22:27) and He came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28).

Jesus said, "He who would be great among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:27).

In epistle after epistle, Paul identifies himself as the servant or even slave of Jesus.

But no text speaks as pointedly to our being servants--and how to do that well--as Luke 17:7-10.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come straight in and sit down to your meal.' Instead, you will tell him, 'Get something ready for my supper; gird yourself and serve me till I have finished my dinner. And after that, you can have your own meal.'

Does he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.

And so with you. When you have done all the things commanded you, say to yourselves, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have merely done our duty.'

There is nothing else quite like this in the Bible. This passage--this parable--is not found anywhere else in Scripture.

Why is it important? And why would I flat out claim that it's the best statement on our role as servants to be found anywhere in Scripture?

This scripture cures a hundred problems within the church before they get started. It heads off ego problems, competitiveness, laziness, self-centeredness, comparisons, and other such divisive forces before they can take root in the congregation of the Lord's people.

THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR STATED LESSONS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE IN THIS TEXT, AND AT LEAST THREE UNSTATED ONES.

1. We are the Lord's servants.

Not as His equal, His associate, His partner, His co-pilot, or His advisor, but as His servant who exists for one purpose and one purpose only: to do His will.

The constant prayer on our lips ought to be the first prayer from the mouth of Saul of Tarsus: "What will you have me to do?" (Acts 22:10)

2. We are His servants forever.

We read in Revelation 22:3--that makes it the final chapter in God's Word--that in Heaven, "His servants shall serve Him."

This is no temporary aberration, no boot camp trial for God's children. We are His servants forever and ever. Anyone having a problem with that will surely not want to go to Heaven where that seems to be the eternal job assignment.

3. We are to consider ourselves unworthy servants.

Scripture has a good bit to say about how each person in God's family views himself. The word here is that we are to look upon ourselves as unworthy servants of Jesus.

Philippians 2:3 commands that we "each esteem others as better than ourselves." The Williams translation makes that: "practice treating one another as your superiors."

4. We consider ourselves unworthy servants who are merely doing our duty.

The temptation is to see ourselves as more than others, our role as greater than mere servants, and our work as more important than what others perform.

Another temptation is to feel we have "earned" certain rights and rewards. Jesus nips this in the bud by commanding us to view our production as merely doing our duty and nothing else.

However....

The subject is incomplete without a reminder of at least three unstated truths.

1. God does not view us as unworthy servants.

In fact, we have the very words of the Lord who at some distant future time shall say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many." (Matthew 25:21,23)

2. We are not to think of others as unworthy servants.

"In honor," Paul instructed, "we are to give preference to one another" (Romans 12:10).

3. We are to highly esteem others for their contributions to the ministry.

Obeying this teaching--and we need to emphasize that doing so is a daily challenge, not the work of a one-time committal at the altar--solves a host of problems within the congregation before they begin.

Ego problems. The last church I served used to name a "Senior Adult of the Year" for special honor. The practice was discontinued when some who were overlooked complained.

Pride infections. "We too are holy," I can hear Moses' sister and brother saying to him. "Moses, you take too much upon yourself. This is a committee-led enterprise, and you're turning it into a one-man show." God thought otherwise. (Numbers 12)

Competitiveness outbreaks. We are better than you. Bigger than you. Baptize more than you do. Have bigger mission offerings. (This carnal quality is aided and abetted by denominational offices and publications publicizing and ranking the churches.) Pastors clamor for recognition and election to denominational offices.

Seeing ourselves as unworthy servants, only doing our duty, will end most of the divisiveness in congregations. An unworthy servant is not upset when no one knows his name or singles him out for recognition. He's a servant; he did not expect any more than the opportunity to do his job.

Along the way as I've served some of the Lord's choicest churches, it has been my privilege to encounter a number of men and women with servant hearts. They prefer working in the background, they eschew recognition, they get their greatest pleasure when people are blessed and the Lord's work flourishes. When all is done, they merely turn around and look for whatever is to be done next.

The ultimate test of a servant is how you react when treated like one.

• When you are ordered around by the sorriest member of the church.
• When you are once again bypassed for recognition because someone with ties to the official board was chosen for the honors this year.
• When the names of all the workers on a project are called from the pulpit but yours was left off.
• When the nominating committee forgot to ask you if you would continue in a position because they just assumed you would.
• When they get around to recognizing you, but spell your name wrong on the plaque or certificate.
• When members who do far less are given much more recognition and appreciation than you.

Dear Father,

Give me the heart of a servant who delights in making others successful and lives only to please the Master.

Give us a churchful of servant-hearted members, where no one clamors for his rights or feels slighted when they were passed over.

Make us a congregation of sweet-spirited people-helpers. Make us like Jesus who laid aside all the glories of Heaven in order to go to the cross for us.

Empower us to submit to one another, to serve one another, and then when we have done it well, to serve some more. May we never tire of well-doing since Your plan is that this will be our full-time occupation for eternity.

by Father Gary

"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
Luke 14:25-26

In my bedroom there is a large oval picture of my great-great grandparents in Poland. My great-grandmother (their daughter) left home as a young woman of perhaps 18 or 19 at the turn of the last century. She took very few possessions with her. She left home for a better life in the United States because there was no work in Poland and no prospects. She came seeking a better life and went to Chicago, where she met my great-grandfather, who had made the same sacrifices in his life. Neither one of them ever saw their families again, and my great-grandmother was an only child.

Many of you have similar stories of how your families came to this country. Imagine the sacrifices! Why shouldn't Jesus ask the same thing? So many of our grandparents had the guts (or desperation) to do this in order to seek a better life - but would we have the guts to do something similar for Jesus if it were required? The Lord normally doesn't ask this much, but what if he did? Could I do that?

Some people preach or follow a gospel that makes Christianity sound as easy as possible, as though no real commitment to Christ might be needed, no change of lifestyle, no difference from anyone else in the world. But this is not the gospel of Christ. Jesus makes it clear that following him is going to be a sacrifice and things are going to have to change. That's part of the thrill of following Jesus - that it really is challenging.

When Jesus uses the word "hate" he does not mean anger or hostility toward the things we love. What he does mean is a spirit of detachment. If there is a conflict between something in my life and Jesus, particularly a sin, discipleship must take precedence, even over the most sacred human relationships if absolutely necessary!

To "hate one's own life" does not mean self-loathing! Instead, Jesus insists we learn to hate what is displeasing to him, that is, our sins that we are attached to and may even prefer to keep. This is what we are to hate, and it is going to cost us plenty! But the reward is far worth it - becoming a true disciple of the Son of God.

A Christian must be ready to give up anything to keep his faith - and this is the point of this gospel. Is there something in my life that, if it were taken away from me, would cause me to lose my faith? Is there something I prefer other than Jesus? I may have to make that choice one day.

by Dr. Ray Pritchard

"What were you arguing about?"
(Mark 9:33)

No wonder they wouldn't answer him.

After all Jesus has said and done, after all his miracles and the repeated teaching, what are these guys talking about on the road? They were arguing about who was the greatest. Unbelievable! In the Jewish society of that day, as in most societies in every generation, there was a huge emphasis on power, position, prestige and titles. "Who's number one?" is still the operative question. Because he knew their hearts, Jesus knew about their sinful ambition even before he asked what they were arguing about. Like little children caught misbehaving, they were ashamed to answer him.

At that point he could have rebuked them again, but instead he chose this moment for an unforgettable teaching experience. He does it by giving another of his pithy sayings. To be first you must be last. In the kingdom of God the way up is down. Jesus overturned worldly notions of power and replaced them with the paradox of servant leadership. In essence he is saying, "It doesn't matter who has the title. Look for the one with the servant's heart and there you've found your leader."

Jesus said,

"The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many"
(Matthew 20:28).

• He died like a servant is supposed to die, giving all he had for the sake of others.
• If you've got to argue about who's the greatest, you can be sure it's not you.
• If you've got to tell me how great you are, how great can you be?

Grab a basin and a towel and just start serving. Leave the bragging to others. That was Jesus' plan, and it still works today.

Lord Jesus, you came to earth as a servant. We know you as Savior and Lord. Show us what it means to know you as a servant. Amen.

Going Deeper

Are you surprised that the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest? Why are we so obsessed with power, position and titles? How does Jesus turn that thinking upside down? Would you rather be a servant or a leader? How might your life change if you were both a servant and a leader?

by Greg Laurie

Jesus said that if we are to truly be His disciple, we are to "take up our cross daily and follow Him" (Luke 9:23). But what does that mean?

To understand that, we need to understand the meaning of the cross in that time and culture. The cross has lost most of its original meaning today. It is shrouded in religiousness and mystery. It has become many things, from a religious icon to fashion element.

When we see the cross today, it is a symbol of faith - particularly the Christian faith. But in the time when Jesus made that statement, He had not yet died on the cross. So, in its original context, the cross was a symbol of death. In fact, it was the symbol of a very cruel death. The Romans reserved it for the worst criminals. It was a form of torture and humiliation, ultimately leading to a long and painful death.

Why would He use the cross to illustrate what it meant to follow Him?

Jesus intentionally used a gruesome symbol to get the people's attention. He did this to say that following Him was not "child's play." It is not a game and it is not easy. In fact, it will cost you to follow Him as a disciple. But, on the other hand, it will cost you more not to follow Him.

What does it mean to "bear the cross" today?

Often, we hear people say that they have a "cross" to bear. They will say, "My cross is my parents!" Their parents would probably say, "Our cross is our children!" They identify whatever problem or obstacle they have as their "cross to bear." But that is not what the cross means.

The cross symbolizes one thing: dying to self.

It really is a paradox: by "dying to self," or "losing yourself," you "find yourself." Through death, you find real life.

What does it mean to "die to self"? So much could be said, but allow me to give you a few practical examples of how this would work in day-to-day living.

To bear the cross means forgiving, instead of harboring that grudge.

• It means resisting that temptation to do what everybody else does.
• It means not having sex before marriage, and being faithful to your spouse after.
• It means putting down the remote control and picking up your Bible.
• It means praying when you would rather be sleeping.
• It means "swallowing your pride" and telling someone about Jesus.
• It means doing what God wants you to do, instead of what you want to do.

Now let me ask you, "Are you dying to yourself and taking up the cross?"

The fact is, when we do this, we experience joy and overflowing life!

Paul summed it up well when he wrote:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

by Wilson Yates

Scripture: Matthew 10:34-42

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, having called his disciples, sets forth the seriousness and costs of discipleship. All other relations, even relationships as deeply profound as those with one's parents or spouse or children, must remain subordinate to this more fundamental relationship. Jesus, therefore, brings a sword to cut the ties of loyalty that might supersede discipleship. Domestic metaphors are used in speaking about the types of relationship at stake, but by analogy and meaning of the passage all arenas - the political, cultural, personal - are at issue. There is in this demand profound understanding of how powerful our loyalties can be and the word is simple: it is not possible to tolerate service to two masters. Our loyalty to Christ is not one among many loyalties but our primary loyalty that gives ultimate meaning, purpose and destiny to all other relationships.

The sharpness in the Matthew passage carries with it the judgment that discipleship will not be easy. Certainly such an understanding proved to be prophetically true, for the disciples' own work was fraught with difficulty, doubt, grief and fear. In the history of art there has been great attention given to such cost of discipleship with the archetypal form being the lives of martyred saints. Let us dwell there a moment.

Late medieval and renaissance art offers extensive images of followers whose lives were martyred for their faith. Stephen, a popular image in illuminated manuscripts and renaissance paintings, was stoned to death - a scene that Saul of Tarsus observed and approved.

Stephen, who was considered to be the first Christian to be martyred for his discipleship, was a powerful preacher, who denounced the counsel that called him before them. In the famous scene in which he responds to their charges, he judges in turn that they are resistant to the Holy Spirit but calls for them to be forgiven.

One of the disciples, Bartholomew, which legend holds carried Christianity to the Black Sea region, was beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith.

Joan of Arc has been celebrated in poetry, paintings, and plays, including George Bernard Shaw's famous play.

Apollonia was burned at the stake in Alexandria at the hand of a mob. Her persecutors violently extracted all her teeth before she was nailed to the stake and burned.

At the height of Roman persecutions, these stories were often told to Christians as an assurance that God saw such martyrdom as a sign of true faith. In Rome, Christian men, women and children were thrown into the coliseum without means of protection against wild beasts, and they often refused to give any resistance at all. St. Ignatius, martyred in Rome around 107 CE, underlined this action in his writings to Christians to have no fear of the beasts but to accept them as the very means by which they would join God.

Discipleship, then, could well demand martyrdom, the events of which became a true sign of the power of faith as well as the demands of faith. Many legends grew up that told of miracles surrounding martyrdom that gave testimony to God's presence as the martyrs faced their death. One of the most famous is the story of Polycarp of Smyrna. His followers attempted to hide him when he was sought by the authorities, but those who came for him tortured a slave into revealing where he was. While he might have escaped, he refused, and was taken before the judges who asked him to call Caesar "Lord." His response was short dismissing their procedures by telling them to do as they must.

He was taken to the stadium, the pro-consul announced three times that Polycarp was a Christian and the pyre was prepared. When they started to nail him to the cross, however, he admonished them to leave him without nails, for he would not flee. They tied him and lit the fire. Then the miracle occurred. Rather than burning Polycarp, the fire created an arch around him and a "sweet smell like frankencense" poured from the blaze.

At this point the executioner was ordered to kill him with a dagger. With the stabbing, however, a dove flew out of the wound, and the blood came forth in such quantity that the fire was extinguished. Polycarp then died, his body burned and his ashes removed by his followers.

These stories of martyrdom infused with miraculous actions and later recorded in poetry, hymns, stories, carvings, and paintings became written and visual witnesses to the power of faith and the presence of God for all Christians who would take up the cross and follow Jesus.

It is important to realize that visual images of such martyrdom had special significance for the early and medieval church, for Christians were not for the most part literate. Thus the story told in visual images and narratives allowed the great mass of Christians to hear the word. There were also groups in later times including, particularly, the period of the Reformation and the martyrdom of Mennonites, Hutterites, Waldensians and other Anabaptist groups of the Radical Reformation. Among them literacy was high, but still, the visual images reinforced the witness to and power of martyrdom.

During the period of the sixteenth century, these radical reformers were martyred at the stake in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy and France. The list is long. Willen Jansz was burned on the central square of Amsterdam (the dam) by calling out support for another Anabaptist being burned in 1569. Maria and Ursula van Beckem, both of noble birth, were burned at Deventer in 1544. Their death harks back to the Matthew passage in a special way, given the passage's insistence that family members will, if necessary, be set against one another as the cost of following Christ. It was Maria's mother who told the authorities where they could be found. A Waldensian couple, Dulcia and Margaret, were captured and beheaded in Novara, Italy, in 1308 for opposing the clergy in favor of lay leadership, an ostentatious life style in favor of a simple life style and church authority in favor of biblical authority.

These stories were sustaining to the faithful in the sixteenth century much as the earlier stories of martyrdom had been to Christians in the beginning centuries. In 1685 Jan Luyken created copper plate etchings of the Anabaptist martyrs and the images were set with texts in the book The Martyrs Mirror. It gave to the Christian tradition and particularly the Mennonite community a continuing witness to both the cost and power of discipleship.

Artists have equally explored the demands of discipleship through works that treat the spiritual struggle of Christians to discipline themselves to the expectations of faithfulness. The temptations of the saints, for example, has been a popular subject of which the inner struggle to become like Christ is portrayed in visual form. One of the most famous is Hieronymous Bosch's Temptation of St. Anthony in which all the temptations of the world, grotesquely fashioned, press in on Anthony as he kneels in prayer. Demonic creatures, erotic figures, the trappings of power and wealth, embodiments of the classical vices populate the painting in a nightmare of frightening and horrifying creatures that are bent on breaking Anthony's resolve. In the end he withstands them and goes on to become the founder of monasticism. Born in 251 CE in Memphis, Egypt, he gathered disciples, many of whom were hermits, and created small bonded communities the precursor of religious orders.

The theme of discipleship and its costs is deeply embedded in Christianity, and those who undertook it became the subjects of artists who wished to capture the meaning of what it meant to follow Jesus Christ.