The Cost of Discipleship
Our study of 1 Peter has been about “Finding Joy in Suffering.” I can think of no greater modern example of that than a movie I saw with my family over the weekend. In fact, I’d encourage you to find time to go see it. It won’t be the most action packed movie you’ve seen. I might have even snoozed a couple of times (as I’ve done in every movie attended since 1990), but the message of the movie is one we all must hear often.
This movie was about the life of a Pastor in Germany in the 1930s, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I first heard about him in college when I was given his book The Cost of Discipleship. Later I learned much more about his fascinating life through Eric Metaxas’s excellent biography.
In the midst of studying theology, Bonhoeffer had a spiritual awakening and wanted others to experience what true life in Christ was like. His rise in the church paralleled Hitler’s rise to power. He could not avoid the burden to speak out about what was happening in the church and also throughout Germany. He eventually joined in a plot to kill Hitler to try to end the war. The plot failed, and Bonhoeffer was arrested under suspicion of being involved.
Bonhoeffer often stood out because of his genuine joy in Christ. Even in prison he was seeking to serve others (read about parallels between his life and Eric Liddell). His main prison guard noticed how Bonhoeffer was not given to despair like many others. He went out of his way to treat the guards with respect and dignity, while most other prisoners hated and despised guards. This guard was so moved by Bonhoeffer’s example, he even offered to help him escape. Bonhoeffer declined the offer, in the movie, with a smile on his face, saying (I’m paraphrasing), “I cannot escape, for they will kill my family instead. I chose this path twelve years ago. I did not know for sure where it would lead, but I cannot turn away from it now.”
It’s hard to transition from a heavy movie like that back to everyday life. The walk from the theater to the car was more solemn than normal. My hope is that his life would serve as a reminder that following Christ calls us to live differently, to stand out, and as we saw in 1 Peter Sunday, to remember that this is our calling. Come join us this week as we study 1 Peter 3:13-17, where we will see how our lives can point others to Christ. There is a cost to following Christ, to being his disciples, and yet there is great reward. Our prayer is that all of the South End of Louisville would come to know Christ because of our testimony of faithfulness.