Heb12v4to13 GOD'S DISCIPLINE CONTINUED.(D) The methods used to discipline It will be very instructive to look at the methods Jesus used to discipline his disciples. Jesus was the wisest of teachers. I sometimes think too much is made of the fact that the disciples were unlearned and ignorant men. That was the perception of the ruling elite in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin. However they had spent three years with Jesus the greatest teacher that ever lived. They were highly privileged! Jesus' methods should provide a guide to how we are usually disciplined by God today.
This is by far the commonest and most effective way of correcting inappropriate behaviour, misguided opinions and foolish attitudes in the classroom. One day I got a letter from a very upset mother. Her daughter, I will call her Anna, was being bullied. It was a particularly nasty form of verbal bullying. The girl's mother had taught three boys in my form and they were taunting Anna about her mother's supposed incompetence in the classroom. They made disparaging, jeering remarks about Anna's mother. I talked to the three boys. I didn't say much. I asked them how they thought their mothers would react to their behaviour. Would it be something that they would like their mothers to know about? After a few weeks I received another letter from Anna's mother saying that she was glad to say the bullying had stopped.
This is the method Jesus used most often to correct his disciples. Jesus always intervened when the disciples argued amongst themselves about who should be greatest. He tells them, "For he who is least among you all - he is the greatest." Luke9v48. In the same passage John says, "Master we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he is not one of us." It can be humiliating to be told off sharply. We do not like it. Jesus rebuked Judas when he criticised Mary for pouring the scented perfume over his head and feet. It is significant that following this incident: Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. Mark14v10. God still corrects by his word. We may be spoken to as we listen to a sermon, read the Bible or sing an hymn. Sometimes God sends one of his servants to speak to us individually. I once had to go and speak to a church member about her dogs that were annoying half the village by barking incessantly during the day. It was a very hard thing to do. The woman loved her dogs. Perhaps you are wondering what the outcome was. The lady lost her job very shortly after I spoke to her and had to move away!
(b)Being set an hard task. Jesus tested his disciples. He sent them out two by two on a preaching mission. At the feeding of the 5000 he asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. John6v5and6. Jesus actually put all his disciples to the test at this time. They were thinking in terms of an earthly kingdom and Jesus was thinking about satisfying men's spiritual hunger. The disciples did not really pass the test but neither did they forsake him along with so many others. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John6v66 Jesus taught in parables and pithy, enigmatic, sayings in order to make people think. He was often ironical. This was a high-risk strategy because for 2000 years people, especially very serious, humourless people have misunderstood Jesus. But he was an excellent teacher. Any teacher worth his salt encourages his pupils to think things out for themselves. Jesus has given me hard things to do. It wasn't easy caring for my invalid father for four years. It isn't easy visiting the dying or the bereaved. I have been the Church Secretary of a small, declining, fellowship for the last 11 years. There have been many disappointments during this period. It has been devastating to watch people leave. During this time the nature of the Association to which my church belongs has changed. It has become much less tolerant of dissidents. I have come to feel something of an outcast. It seems likely that after spending all my Christian life serving the one local church I am going to be pressured into resigning over differences about a set of arid, man made, doctrines. This will be a severe test. As I write it seems more than I can bear. Forty years of service is put on the scales and weighed against these differences over doctrine and the forty years count for nothing. I know that the only way our faith is strengthened is by being tested. It is the way we learn to endure. We gain experience and come through with better characters, joy and assurance. James says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. I realise this is all true. I just wish I could be tested by having some success for once!
(c) Being permitted to fail. Jesus let his disciples fail. When he came down from being transfigured on the mountain he found his disciples unable to heal the epileptic boy. Jesus healed the lad. Afterwards his disciples asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "Because you have so little faith." Matt17v19and20. Peter was allowed to fail when he tried to walk on water and began to sink. Later he was not kept from circumstances that led to his denial of Jesus. Peter learned a lot from that tragic incident. All the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Mt26v56 Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. The disciples learned not to trust in their own abilities but to look to Jesus and his Spirit for strength and guidance. Elijah became aware that God was in the still small voice after he fled in despair from the threats of the wicked queen, Jezebel. I did not fail much during the first 30 years of my life. I have failed many times in the last 30 years. I think that when I failed as a teacher I was forced to examine my methods and find a better way of doing things. For a time, for example, my pupils got poor marks for their G.C.S.E. Geography Assignments. I worked hard to improve the situation and eventually got it right. I suppose my failures in Christian service have taught me that by myself I can do nothing. It has made me more sympathetic and less arrogant. I have been patient and quite longsuffering with my church. These are only my views - not everyone would agree with them!
(d) By using punishment.
There are instances in the Old Testament where God punishes individuals for the same sort of reason. God was displeased when Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" Numb12v1and2. Moses did not defend himself. God defended him. Aaron and Miriam were summoned to the Tent of Meeting where God spoke from the pillar of cloud on behalf of his servant Moses. We read, The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. Jesus very rarely inflicted pain in order to discipline his followers. It was not a method that he often thought was appropriate. I do not think that God makes much use of physical pain or bodily ills to discipline his children. Very few people think that the toothache is sent from God for their spiritual benefit. They are off to the dentist like a shot for relief of pain and discomfit. My father had Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years - I don't think it did him any good at all. It might have done me some good but this was a disproportionately heavy price for my father to pay for the good it did me. Perhaps the disciples needed chastening after their behaviour at the feeding of the five thousand. They may have sided with the crowd in wanting to make Jesus king. Certainly Jesus sent them away quickly before he dismissed the multitude. It wasn't long before they were caught up in a violent storm. Jesus' appearance walking on the water and his mastery of the elements convinced his disciples that he was the Son of God. Peter was chastened by a look after denying his master three times. It was enough to send him out broken-hearted and weeping bitterly from the courtyard of the High Priest. The fact that Jesus hardly ever used pain to correct his disciples makes it unlikely that God uses it today to discipline us. However we should not discount it all together. Several years ago, our last minister, Pastor Simon Ladd, organised a day of prayer. I think it is a good idea to pray together for a sustained period like this. However the prayer was organised for a Saturday when I played cricket. I have been a very, very, keen cricketer. I decided to pray in the morning and play cricket for the rest of the day. Perhaps God had other ideas. During a midweek match prior to the Saturday I received a terrible kick in the ribs. Our fast bowler came running down the wicket to retrieve the ball and I came running from behind the wicket to scoop it up and we collided - very violently. Two of my ribs were fractured. I attended every session of the day of prayer - in pain - hardly daring to breathe - harbouring less than charitable thoughts of my club's fast bowler. I did think at the time I deserved it and that God was teaching me a lesson. (E) God's motives for disciplining us.
The writer acknowledges the fallibility of a father in the matter of discipline. They correct their children as they think best and because some fathers lack wisdom this may not necessarily be for the child's good. A colleague of mine was complaining about his children's behaviour on holiday. They always choose the most expensive meals at restaurants. His son drinks at the hotel bar putting the cost of all his drinks on the father's bill. I said to him, "Why on earth don't you set them limits." He replied, "I don't want my children to think that I am an old meanie." Later he told me that his daughter was at University running up a bigger and bigger debt. She just didn't seem to know the value of money. My friend disciplined his children as he thought best but possibly not for their own good. God does know what is best for us. He knows infallibly without any doubt. So the set backs, disappointments, difficulties and rebukes may not be pleasant but they are for our good.
(b) So that we might share in his holiness God's desire is that we should be like Jesus. He wants us to share the beliefs and values of his son - to think, speak and act like Jesus. That is what it means to be a disciple. That is why he corrects and trains us.
(c) To produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Heb12v11. Many of our pilots in the early days of the Second World War went into battle virtually untrained. They took off to confront the enemy without ever having previously fired their guns. This wasn't conducive to peace of mind or competence. Many young men were needlessly lost. As the war progressed training and discipline greatly improved. It is very frustrating to have poor training. I have had some dreadful IT training in my time. It does not facilitate success or foster a sense of well-being. It has done the very reverse - increased my frustration and made me angry! God's discipline prepares us for the work he wants us to do. We are not asked to do what we have not been prepared for. Think how carefully God prepared Moses for the work he had to do and how expertly Jesus trained his disciples for the task of establishing the church. God prepared me for the care of my father. My years as a teacher meant that I could plan a head. I was very well organised, strong willed and emotionally tough. I was not called to resign from my job until I was prepared and ready to do so. (F) The disciples response
The wearing part of a teacher's life is exercising discipline - marking and correcting books, writing reports, keeping pupils on task during lessons, chasing up homework and running detention classes. Pupils should feel encouraged if a teacher does all this - it shows that he or she cares. We would have cause to worry if God didn't discipline us. The writer says, if you are not disciplined....then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. God takes trouble with those who have been adopted into his family. He prepares us for future service. What a wonderful privilege this is. We should feel greatly encouraged that he deems us worthy of his attention and training.
(b) We must not lose heart when God rebukes us: because the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Heb12v6. A driving instructor cannot afford to be indulgent. If he lets his pupil get into bad habits they will fail the test. A good, caring, instructor is strict. I had such an instructor. I did not like him very much. (Shades of Lucy!) But I passed my test first time. God is strict. He is not indulgent. When he disciplines us we should not give up. It will be great to pass his test and serve him in a vital capacity effectively.
(c) We must endure hardship as discipline. v7. One day I had an argument with our school caretaker. We got on very well, and it is advisable to get on well with the school caretaker, but we disagreed on some matters. He said, "All I wanted was for my children to enjoy school. I never worked hard at school. I larked around but I really enjoyed it." I disagreed with him....strongly. I tried to convince Bob of the importance of enduring hardship as discipline. I did teach his daughter - without much success. She was a very vivacious, happy, girl but she never achieved her potential. The work she does now is very mundane and unfulfilling. Yet she was very artistic and creative and with more endurance could have obtained the qualifications to secure a satisfying job. I can understand this attitude because I did not do myself justice as a cricketer. I opted to play for my home village and enjoy it rather than develop my talent at a big town club. Well it doesn't matter too much if we make these decisions as far as cricket or, indeed, work is concerned. It is, however, important to fulfil our potential as Christians - to be as good and useful as possible - to develop in the way that God wants - to endure hardship as discipline.
(d) We must submit and live. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! v9. I have taught pupils who have not had faith in my judgement. They have rebelled. I taught a lovely girl called Judy, good at Geography but irked by the discipline. She dropped the subject and died to it and me. Many Christians do rebel and it is usually over God's discipline. They cannot take it any more. They rebel like some of the Hebrew Christians the writer is addressing and die.
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