Faith and Focus: Jesus’ Example of Disciplined Living
I once imagined that Jesus’ life was chaotic and disorganized. Rushing from village to village, He went wherever people called Him, and He had to stay up late into the night to squeeze in prayer. As I studied Scripture, I realized that the opposite is true. Jesus lived a disciplined life. His life is a model for us of disciplined living in a fast-moving age.
Jesus Lived the Discipline of Scripture
The Savior is a Man characterized by the Word. He read, studied, learned, memorized, meditated on, and researched the Scripture, and He commended this practice to others. “Have you not read?” is a question that he would frequently ask – and His life demonstrated that He had, indeed, read.
Christ’s deep insight into the meaning of God’s Word meant that he could easily sidestep the pedantic questions of the Pharisees to reveal the essence of sacred Truth. His careful meditation on Scripture left Him prepared to easily answer theoretical questions about marriage and taxes – and to move on to what really mattered. The greatest commandment, he declared, is that “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” For Jesus, Scripture wasn’t an exercise in scholarship; it was the way to foster a relationship with God.
Because it is hardly mentioned, it’s easy to forget that Bible study was an essential part of Christ’s life. Yet it undoubtedly was. He knew God’s Words so well that after forty days of exhausting spiritual combat, He could still brandish Truth with ease against the thrusts of the Tempter. Jesus is a man who modeled the discipline of Scripture.
Jesus Lived the Discipline of Prayer
Our Lord placed supreme value on His relationship with His heavenly Father. Men find the time to do what they want, and Jesus certainly found the time to pray, even if it was inconvenient. Time and again the Gospel writers record that Jesus slipped away, early in the morning or late at night, to commune – for hours at a time – with God.
Christ’s prayer time was intentional, not haphazard. He rose early before the cares of the day. Other times He stayed up late, after hours of exhausting ministry, to pour out His heart to His Father. We are even told that Jesus would send the crowds away so that He could find time to pray (Mark 6:46). When was the last time that you sent guests away so that you could pray?
The 17th century Scottish theologian Henry Scougal observed this – “We may say His whole life was a kind of prayer, a constant course of communion with God.” This is true even though “He had no sins to confess and but few secular interests to pray for, which, alas!” Scougal laments, “are almost the only things that are wont to drive us to our devotions.” Truly, Jesus – the God-man – is a man who modeled the discipline of prayer.
Jesus Lived the Discipline of Compassion
You may be surprised that I describe compassion as a ‘discipline,’ but it certainly was for Jesus. He exercised it intentionally, devotedly, and even in the face of difficulty and discomfort.
For Jesus, people are a priority. Even when He was busy preaching and teaching, He never made those activities the ultimate goal. They were simply a way to minister to people and exercise compassion. When He headed out for a desert retreat with His disciples, after the stunning news of John the Baptist’s execution, Jesus decided to change His plans so that He could minister to the people who followed Him.
How could Jesus pour Himself out so consistently for others? He was moved with compassion because He recognized that people are “like sheep without a Shepherd” (Mark 6:34). He also knew that, as the good Shepherd, He was called to lay down his life “for the sheep.” While He had power to lay down or take up His life, He intentionally chose to lay it down of Himself. Jesus is a man who modeled the discipline of compassion.
Jesus Lived the Discipline of Mission
Far from rushing about without purpose, Jesus prioritized His mission. He was purposeful and intentional with the use of His time. When He experienced remarkable success in the town of Capernaum, Jesus refused to stay there since His mission called Him away. “Let us go on to the next towns,” He told His disciples, “that I may preach there also: for that is why I came out.”
Jesus had thought through the priorities of His life, and He knew what He was pursuing. He counselled His followers to do the same, recognizing that the most important mission is God’s kingdom and righteousness: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.”
While describing it in multiple ways, our Savior often referred to His mission in life. “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” The Gospel accounts prove this: Christ is never doing anything that doesn’t further the mission. His time and priorities are intentional and forward-thinking. Jesus is a man who modeled the discipline of mission.
Conclusion
Jesus is our great exemplar, the model after whom we order our lives. My challenge to you is to incorporate these four disciplines into your life. Prioritize Scripture, prayer, compassion, and mission. As you know by now, these things don’t come naturally. We live in a chaotic and undisciplined world; the undertow of life is powerful and haphazard. The good news is that the more we look at our Savior, the more we become like Him. I hope that you see Jesus in a new light – as a model and example of discipline in a world that pulls us toward chaos.
In place of comments, I would love to hear from you personally. Please reach out to me via the Contact Page to share your thoughts and perspectives on this post!
Enjoying this content? Subscribe to receive it directly in your email, once a week.
