Deuteronomy 8:5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

This is a very important concept, repeated in Proverbs 3:12, which is quoted in Hebrews 12:6. However, the Japanese uses “punish” in those passages, while it uses “train” in this one. That’s because Japanese lacks a word that means exactly what we mean by “discipline,” (including elements of training and punishment) which is unfortunate indeed. In English, even the spelling makes it clear that there is at least a connection between discipline and discipleship, so to make the concept a little more understandable to Japanese, I often explain it as “discipleship training.” And that, of course, is the theme of our daily Bible readings. In Japanese, the word for “disciple” is the same as for “apprentice,” which might seem confusing to Westerners, but actually is helpful for understanding. Otherwise, Westerners might forget that a disciple is actually supposed to do something! For Japanese, the image of the harsh training that apprentice sumo wrestlers endure is helpful in grasping discipline. When you bring in “self control,” which is essentially the same as “self discipline,” then the picture gets clearer all around. However, in modern society, the image of “as a man disciplines his sons” blurs things again, because parental discipline is sadly lacking in all too many households today. Proverbs makes it clear, not only in Proverbs 3:11-12 but also in 13:24, that parental discipline is an expression of love, and God’s discipline of us is certainly no different. God knows that being Christ’s disciples is the very best that we can be, not simply in accomplishment but in peace, joy, satisfaction, and all of that. It is precisely because He loves us that He desires that we be dedicated, obedient disciples.

I had the great blessing of growing up in a household where parental discipline was seen as an expression of love, without neglecting other expressions of love. However, I see few people around me who have had such an advantage, and as a pastor and counselor I am called on to deal with the problems that have resulted. I am not to look down on people because of their lack of understanding of discipline, but neither am I to leave them in ignorance. I am to strive to teach them accountability (which is another term that is linguistically lacking in Japanese), not simply to me but to God. I am in loco parentis (in the place of a parent) for many people, so requiring them to be accountable to me helps teach them their accountability toward God. God wants us all to stand tall in Christ at the final judgment, which isn’t just about whether we’re guilty of sin but also about how much we have accomplished for the kingdom of God. True discipline/discipleship is about avoiding sin and being effective in God’s kingdom.

Father, I’ve tried to teach this multiple times before, but this seems clearer than I’ve been able to express it previously. Guide me in when and how I am to express it to the congregation, so that they will have hearing ears and receptive hearts. May Your Spirit continue to transform us into the likeness of Your Son, for our blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!