Where have you heard the phrase “Follow me”? The most frequent place for me is when I’m at a restaurant. After the host asks how many are in my party, they say, “Follow me,” with the expectation the group will follow them to an available table. And with my mouth watering and stomach growling, I do!
I also hear it in crime dramas. When a police officer or FBI agent is trying to get a witness or civilian to safety while under heavy gunfire, they hunch down, look over their shoulder, motion with one hand, and say, “Stay close and follow me.”
In the biblical context, “follow me” refers to the words of Jesus. They are his invitation to his disciples to follow him — not just in the moment, not just in a dangerous situation, but in all of life. Jesus offers us the same invitation today.
For me, Jesus’ invitation came when I was a child. I grew up in church. I had parents who modeled love for each other and love for Jesus. Coming downstairs in the morning and seeing my dad’s Bible or prayer notebook open on the kitchen table spoke volumes to me about his relationship with Jesus. Thanks to my parents and my faithful Sunday school teachers, I made the decision to follow Jesus as a child, and I followed him as much as I could, in my childlike ways, with what I understood.
About ten years later, another invitation came: an invitation to join God in what he was doing. It was an invitation to know God more intimately, to recognize his voice, to understand his will for my life, and to make the commitment to trust him in that.
This invitation came through the study “Experiencing God” with our young marrieds small group. Our group longed to know Jesus deeply for ourselves as adults.
When Jesus invites us to follow him, he is declaring that it is a person we follow. In the Bible, Jesus mentions things we are to do, but it is always relational.
If we look at the story of Peter, we see how Jesus continues to invite him into relationship. Jesus gave Peter opportunities to recognize his voice and trust him with his life. A great picture of this invitation is in Matthew 14, when Jesus invites Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. Jesus says, “Come,” and Peter responds … and walks on water until he takes his eyes off Jesus.
This story and others show us Jesus’ invitation to discipleship and Peter’s response, sometimes full of faith and sometimes full of fear. Jesus invites Peter to connect with him in intimate conversations and moments, to grow by listening and interacting with his teachings, to serve by ministering to the people, and to share his story with the rest of the world. And when Peter fails, he also invites him to heal from the lies he believes about himself and about Jesus.
What can we learn from Peter’s life? The journey of following Jesus is relational. The invitation is personal. Jesus invites Peter to follow him, and he is inviting us to follow him as well.
What invitation is Jesus extending to you today?
One thing you can be sure of — you may forget the invitation or choose to take your eyes off Jesus, but he never takes his eyes off you.
