Follow Me!

It started in the Garden of Eden: “She did it!” “He told me to do it!” And here thousands of years later: “What about him?” It sounds like children trying to get the heat off of themselves and focus on someone else. We hear it all the time in our homes, in the classrooms, in our back yards – wherever children are gathered. As adults, we may get a little more sophisticated about it, but it is still the same. When things get hot, we hope someone else will take the fall and not us.

“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’) When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’” John 21:20-22 Jesus was letting Peter (and all of us) know that it is a personal decision to follow him. It is not dependent upon anyone else’s decisions or life circumstances. Peter was eye to eye with Jesus and Jesus was not about to let him look away and change the focus.

Jesus had just told Peter what the cost was – he was going to die on a cross. And he was asking him to make the decision to follow him. Jesus knew Peter well. He knew that when Peter made that decision, he would not waver but would stick with it to the end.

I watch people today making excuses to not follow Jesus. “The church is full of hypocrites.” “When I was young, someone said/did something and that did it for me. I can’t be part of a church that does…” “This person claimed to be a Christian, but he did/said…” We’ve all heard them. Maybe we’ve said them. But Jesus looks me straight in the eye and says, “You must follow me!” He doesn’t want us to follow those that are messing up – he wants us to follow him. He doesn’t want us to look at others to see what they are going to do – he wants us to follow him. He wants me to follow him!

There are two kinds of following here. One is the ‘big decision’ from which we will not waver. The other is the daily decision, the circumstance by circumstance decision to follow Christ. It is the ‘fleshing out’ what it means to follow Christ. It is the effort to quiet the rantings of the world and listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit from which true knowledge and wisdom comes. It is learning everything I can about my teacher so that I can apply his teachings in new places and circumstances in my life.

And when I feel lost and alone, all I need do is look up and listen carefully for the voice. Then I’ll hear it, “Follow me!” And I’ll know which way to turn, where to go.