Follow Me

    As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 

-Mark 2:14 (NIV)

    I'm reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic book, Discipleship . While doing so, it is bringing me back to the simplicity of the command by Jesus Christ to every Christian, "Follow me." The simplicity eludes us. Nowadays, discipleship is treated as a program or as a curriculum. This practice, unfortunately, obscures the very essence of the call. The manner by which we follow is explained by Jesus Christ further in the gospels.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23 (NIV) 

    Following Jesus Christ is a call to self-denial. It is not a self-centered, self-satisfying, self-enhancing, self-helping, self-enriching, and self-fulfilling call. Jesus continues on to say, "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he's the one who will save it (Luke 9:24)." Would I truly abandon everything good about this life for the sake of following Jesus Christ? That's the question for you and me.

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”-Matthew 8:18-22 (NIV)

    Following Jesus is a call to give up comforts in this life. Would I stop following Christ if it means that I have to give up a comfortable lifestyle? That's the question for you and me.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."       -Luke 14:26 (NIV)

    Following Jesus is a call to give up relationships in this life. For a disciple, the Lordship of Jesus Christ in his heart is far above his human relationships. Would I stop following Christ if it means that I have to put my family second behind obeying and living for Jesus Christ? That's the question for you and me.