Cushendun, Co. Antrim
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers – Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew… Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-20 NLT
What so caught the attention of the first disciples, that they walked away from their jobs and followed Jesus? Was something of his immortality breaking through? Or did his charisma draw them? Maybe he spoke with such authority, they had to follow him. They soon saw that Jesus was the Messiah. In John’s Gospel, the first disciples heard the Baptist announce that Jesus was “the Lamb of God” and immediately set out to discover more. They turned their attention from God’s prophet to God’s Son. ‘To follow’ is to choose to go to the same place as someone. They want to keep close to Jesus. Over time, the Church came to understand that to follow Jesus was to choose to live one’s life dedicated to God to the degree that Jesus did. It was to create a distinction between my preferred path through life and the one God invites me to follow.
I remember the story of Sleeping Beauty that my parents read to me. The prince, searching for his princess, cut his way through a fast-growing forest. It demanded courage and determination. These initial disciples exhibited a similar resolve. Their hearts were captured by something intangible, beyond the descriptive powers of the gospel writers. They left their livelihoods and homes simply to walk with a stranger with whom they established a friendship, and were introduced to a completely different perspective upon the world in general and the purpose for their lives in particular. Today, I stand alongside them. I set aside what I once imagined was my lot in life to pursue the stranger, Jesus. Over time I have grown more familiar with him, and would now call him my friend. Following him has demanded everything, cost me so much, yet gifted me the deepest sense of peace.
How is God calling you? Have you chosen to walk it, or do you still find it impossible, for fear of where it might lead you?
QUESTION
What path is God calling you to follow?
PRAYER
May I follow faithfully, with your help, Lord.
Cushendun.jpeg