“We should follow Jesus.”
The sentence is said in churches everywhere, every week, all over the world. Regardless of denomination, worship style, or types of programs offered, the core message is often articulated the same way: We should follow Jesus.
Yes, we say, and all nod our heads. We agree. But it begs the question: what does that actually mean?
For so many of us, if we were to ask how that belief manifests in our own lives, we would point to the regular events: the church services, the Bible studies, maybe the interesting faith-related podcast that we listen to. Maybe we read a book or even volunteered at a service.
When looking at what following Jesus looks like, we can always look back to the Bible for contextual help: what did it look like for the disciples to follow Jesus?
If you are like me, you might imagine the disciples strolling behind Jesus, all taking notes as he speaks prolifically, pausing occasionally to perform a miracle or two. They would then make flashcards, get their practice in, and then go out and be the disciples they were made to be. After all, they went to college for this.
Wait. That’s not quite right.
In fact, these disciples were likely (mostly) teenage boys. They were essentially “dropouts,” deemed unfit or not good enough to continue their education from an earlier age, or else they wouldn’t have resorted to a manual family trade. It’s possible that many of them wouldn’t even be able to read or write. They were all from different parts of society – some were hated tax collectors, some were blue-collar fishermen, another was a fiery zealot seemingly bent on political gain. They weren’t used to being holy men roaming around co-opting religious norms, and they certainly hadn’t followed someone around while they were performing miracles.
Yeesh. Sounds like they weren’t exactly first-round draft picks. At least they weren’t expected to go out and do it without Jesus there with them. After all, they were following, right?
Wrong again.
Matthew 10 is where we get a really clear picture: he gave them instructions and told them to go. Don’t worry about if you’re rejected, he said. “Take your peace with you.” Don’t worry about challenges – don’t overpack, and don’t worry about what might happen. Jesus told them that the God of the world, seen and unseen, is with them. After they had seen Jesus do incredible things, he was now telling them that they could go and do the same.
There are a lot of ways we can look to implement following Jesus in our lives, but the important part is indeed that it is in our lives: our faith is an integral part of how we deal with every day. I’m not saying we need to have some performative sense of faith or only engage with “Christian media,” etc. I’m saying that following Jesus is living our everyday lives the way that he would, the best that we can.
Question for reflection:
- What does it look like in your own personal everyday life to follow Jesus’ example?