Come, Follow Me

It seems like an innocuous statement, but it got a few guys to leave everything including their homes and businesses, to go on the road with Jesus for a few years. How did such a small statement have such a profound effect?

 

I love that the Bible speaks to us today and that it is a historical text with context and meaning in the time that it was written. Today, we continue to use it to give us a greater understanding of its meaning.

 

In the Jewish education system, children would progress through “school” based on their learning. They would aspire to be asked by a Rabbi the equivalent statement of “Come, follow me.” This was a learned member of the community essentially calling a student to become one of their disciples. Being chosen to be a disciple meant that you had proved continually that you were good enough to follow in their footsteps. The hope was that you would learn from the Rabbi, and then possibly carry on their teaching. It was a sign of an individual’s value; that they were good enough.

 

But Jesus didn’t ask the top performing students from the local school. Instead, he said “Come, follow me” to local fishermen who were in their boats with their nets. If you were a fisherman, you had shown that you weren’t necessarily the best student and had been sent back to learn the family business. You weren’t chosen.

 

Jesus’ actions show again that what the world values and sees as good enough is not necessarily what God thinks. Jesus sees our hearts. He took men who had been told by society that they weren’t good enough, and with just a few words, he gave them a purpose and a value beyond what the world around them placed upon them. 

 

Jesus sees value and potential in you. There will be times when the world will make you feel that you aren’t valuable, but the invitation from our Saviour who loves us is always, “Come, follow me.”