Follow me
Follow me.
Jesus’ invitation was simple.
He didn’t answer a lot of questions most of us would ask. Where are we going? When will we get there? Why are we going? How are we going to get there? Who else is going? If you’ve ever been part of a group, you know we can come up with limitless questions.
He told the disciples only what they would become. He told them they would have a new focus. They would be “fishers of men”.
The Bible mostly tells us of those who chose to respond positively. Those who said “sure, I’m in”. I imagine there were many who opted out, though. Jesus just didn’t provide satisfactory answers to their questions. And there must have been a good number of invitees who were not too thrilled by the question Jesus did answer. Can’t you hear the people walking away grumbling about how only the foolish would want to fish for men?
I wonder if others initially said “yes, I’ll follow”, but didn’t really buy into the actual invitation Christ was giving. Maybe they didn’t completely understand. Or perhaps they thought it would be much easier than it was. More than likely, some figured they could get Jesus to bend His mission to their desires.
Jesus is the one who was, who is, and always will be. His invitation is still the same. The outcome is still the same. People are still people. Some hear the the invitation and say “I’m in!”. Others walk off mumbling about worshipping god their own way, and how only the foolish follow Christ or go to church. And some people still believe they can say “yes” but do something other than become “fishers of men”.
A lot of times they are nice people. Even “good” people. They are active in our churches and our communities. But they are not ultimately following where Jesus is leading. They are off course, and destined to end up some place else than “fishers of men”. Some times these people are us.
It’s in those moments we have to stop, and evaluate: are we willing to fully follow and obey Jesus? To be baptized and to be taught to obey his teachings?
This is discipleship. It means accepting Christ’s goal and destination. It’s accepting His focus and His sovereignty. It’s wild and crazy and foolish and scary to a lot of people. We are following with a ton of questions and only one answer. What we will become.
Jesus is standing face to face with you. He is looking in your eyes. You hear his invitation. “Follow me”.
You answer “I _____”