For a season, it felt as though Mary of Bethany kept following me into worship. At the house of prayer where I regularly attend and lead extended worship, song after song seemed to return me to the same place: the feet of Jesus. Nearly every time I sang, I found myself thinking about Mary and asking God to steady my attention on Him. I did not want to sing to impress anyone. I did not want to "perform" devotion. I wanted to minister to Jesus, worship Him, and see Him more clearly as He truly is.

I remember singing:

“I won’t neglect, I won’t forget — it’s about ministry to You. You are the Vine, and I will abide, and it’s okay that it takes time.”

Another song prayed:

“Teach us to discern the moment, when to serve and when to sit here at Your feet. Keep us awake to what’s important, just like Mary chose the better thing.”

As I sang those words, something struck me with fresh force: The person who seemed to understand the heart of Jesus most deeply was also the one who remained closest to His feet.

That is no coincidence. Mary listened while others were distracted. She discerned what mattered while others were preoccupied. Later, she poured out costly perfume while others questioned the value of her devotion. What looked unproductive to others was precious to Jesus. What looked excessive revealed that Mary understood something they had missed.

She knew that Jesus Himself was worth the time, the attention, and the costly outpouring. Jesus said that her act of devotion would be remembered wherever the gospel was proclaimed. He was not exaggerating. Centuries later, we are still speaking about her. Her perfume has disappeared, but the fragrance of her devotion remains. Her life still calls us away from distracted service and back to the feet of Jesus.

Perhaps the most surprising truth is this: The one who appeared to be doing the least was ministering to Jesus most deeply.

Perhaps this is where discipleship must begin — not with everything we hope to accomplish for Jesus, but with remaining near enough to know His heart.

Jesus Is the Center of Discipleship

In a previous article, A Theology Through the Lens of Jesus Christ,  I argued that Jesus is the governing center of Christian theology. He is the fullest revelation of God, the fulfillment of Scripture, and the One in whom all things hold together. But theology never exists for its own sake. It exists to lead us into life with God.

That raises a second question: If Jesus is the governing center of theology, should He not also be the governing center of discipleship?  I believe the answer is yes. Just as every doctrine finds its proper meaning in Christ, every part of discipleship finds its proper place in Him.

Jesus is not one important part of the Christian life. He is the center that gives every other part its meaning. We do not follow Jesus merely so that He can teach us certain principles, after which we move on to mastering the Christian life. Jesus is the Christian life. He is the One we know, love, and follow. His life is formed within us and expressed through us.

Jesus never said, “Master discipleship.”  He said, “Follow Me.”  Mary understood this. She was surrounded by many good things that could be done for Jesus, but she chose Jesus Himself. That is the heart of discipleship.

Discipleship and Ultimate Reality

Paul writes: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:17 NIV. This statement reaches far beyond personal spiritual growth. Jesus is the Creator through whom all things came into being. Humanity was made through Him and for Him. All things hold together in Him, and history is moving toward Him.

Therefore, following Jesus is not merely one beneficial practice among many. Nor is discipleship simply for Christians who desire greater spiritual maturity. Following Jesus is the most reality-aligned way a human being can live.

Discipleship brings us into relationship with the One who knows what humanity was created to become. In Jesus, we encounter both our Creator and the perfect revelation of redeemed humanity. He does not merely teach us how to live a better religious life. He restores us to the life for which we were made. 

Discipleship is not something added to an otherwise complete human life. It is the lifelong realignment of the whole person with Jesus Christ Himself. Sin draws us out of alignment with reality. It distorts how we see God. It also distorts how we understand ourselves and the world. Jesus restores our vision. As we follow Him, the Holy Spirit renews our minds. He reorders our loves and reshapes our lives. We increasingly learn to perceive reality through the eyes of Jesus and live under His loving reign.

Jesus does not merely explain ultimate reality or show us how to live within it. He is the Creator, sustaining center, and destination of all things. This is why the Christian life can be wonderfully simple even though Christ is inexhaustible. There is no end to His wisdom. There is no limit to His beauty. There is no bottom to His love.

Yet His greatness does not scatter our attention. It gathers our lives around one Person. Christian maturity is not moving beyond Jesus into more advanced things. It is spending a lifetime discovering that everything necessary for true life was always found in Him. You get Jesus, you get it all.

This does not mean Jesus gives us everything our self-centered desires demand. It means that in Him we receive reconciliation with God and discover what humanity was created to become. In Him, we find the truth by which all of life is understood. He is not merely the Giver of life. He is our life.

Abiding Before Fruitfulness

Many of us sincerely desire maturity, wisdom, and fruitfulness. So we begin collecting the right pieces. We study Scripture. We practice spiritual disciplines. We develop ministry skills. These things matter. The problem begins when we seek the results Jesus produces without remaining close to Jesus Himself. We seek knowledge because we want maturity. We seek methods because we want effectiveness. We seek influence because we want impact. Jesus invites us into a different order: Seek Me. Know Me. Remain with Me.

This reflects the order Jesus taught: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33 NIV.  We do not manufacture maturity and then bring it to Jesus. We come to Jesus, and He matures us. We do not produce effectiveness and then ask Him to bless it. We remain with Jesus, and His life becomes fruitful through us.

Jesus described this through the image of a vine and its branches: “Abide in Me… Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” — John 15:4–5 ESV.  The branch does not produce fruit by concentrating on fruit. It remains connected to the vine. Fruit grows from abiding.  This does not make us passive. A branch draws life from the vine and then bears fruit. In the same way, life with Jesus produces obedience. It overflows into service and mission. But the order matters. Fruit does not create connection. Connection produces fruit.

This also helps explain what people noticed about Peter and John. They were considered unschooled and ordinary, yet their courage and wisdom astonished the religious leaders. Luke gives one simple explanation: “…they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” — Acts 4:13 ESV.  Their greatest qualification was not merely what they knew. It was Whom they knew. Their knowledge had become embodied through relationship. They had watched Jesus, received His correction, and learned His way of life. They were not merely studying a system of truth. They were following the One who is the Truth.

Practices Are Pathways to Jesus

If Jesus is the center, what place do Scripture and spiritual practices have? The answer is not to abandon them. It is to restore them to their proper place. The goal of discipleship is not to become highly skilled at Christian practices. The goal is to become deeply acquainted with Jesus.

Practices are pathways for knowing Him, becoming like Him, and participating in His life. Scripture helps us know Christ more faithfully. Prayer brings us into communion with Him. Worship teaches us to delight in Him. Spiritual practices also help restore our perception. 

Sin teaches us to interpret life apart from God. Practices repeatedly place us before Him so that the Spirit can correct our distorted vision. Confession helps us see ourselves honestly. Thanksgiving teaches us to recognize God’s goodness instead of living from scarcity. Silence helps us become attentive to His presence.

These practices do not transform us by their own power. God transforms us through the Holy Spirit. Yet we join in His transforming work by becoming attentive and available to Him. We do not study merely to become knowledgeable. We study to know Jesus. We do not pray merely to become disciplined. We pray to commune with Jesus. We do not learn ministry methods merely to become effective. We learn to participate with Jesus in what He is already doing.

Practices are not destinations. They are pathways into deeper life with Christ.

The Beautiful Simplicity of Discipleship

Discipleship can therefore be expressed simply:

• Be with Jesus — To be with Jesus is to abide in Him, listen to Him, and share life with Him.

• Become like Jesus — To become like Jesus is to join in the Holy Spirit’s transforming work as He forms Christ’s character within us. He renews our minds and teaches us to perceive reality through the eyes of Jesus.

• Live as Jesus lived — To live as Jesus lived is to participate in His love, obedience, and mission.

Everything else belongs within these three realities. Scripture and prayer help us be with Jesus. The Spirit and the Church help us become like Jesus. Training and mission help us live as Jesus lived.

This framework is not simple because there is little to learn or do. It is simple because everything is gathered around one Person: Jesus Christ.

Returning to the Feet of Jesus

At the end of this exploration of discipleship, I find myself returning once again to Mary of Bethany. She did not possess all the language we now use to describe spiritual formation. She did not have a complete system of discipleship to master. But she knew where to sit. She remained near Jesus.

Because she spent time at His feet, she learned His heart. She recognized what others missed and understood what love required in the moment. Her costly worship was not merely an emotional outburst. It was discerning devotion. She understood the moment because she had learned the Person.

Mary reminds us that discipleship is not first about how much we can accomplish for Jesus. It is about becoming the kind of people who know Him well enough to recognize what He desires. Others were occupied with many things. Mary chose the One in whom all things are found. She chose Jesus — and in choosing Jesus, she chose everything.

May her example call us back from distracted service. May it free us from the need to impress. May it awaken in us the desire to remain near enough to know the heart of Jesus.

The deepest theology leads us back to His feet. The fullest discipleship begins by remaining there. You get Jesus, you get it all.

 Be with Jesus. Become like Jesus. Live as Jesus lived.