Writings: Following Jesus

By: Dr. Gregory S. Neal

What does it mean to follow Jesus? When I was a youth in Boy Scouts, our troop leader had an exercise that he liked us to do; it was called “Follow the Leader.” One person was chosen to the be leader, and the rest had to follow their lead, doing what he did and changing actions as he changed them. If the leader lifted his foot and balanced on the other one, we all lifted a corresponding foot and balanced as best we could. If the leader turned around in a circle, we all turned around in a circle. If the leader patted his head with one hand while rubbing his tummy with the other, we all did the same. It was really very simple, with the objective being the development of attention, coordination, and flexibility.

Following the leader – in this case, following Jesus – requires all of this, and more. We can see this in the calling of the Disciples.

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:17-18)

There’s no indication that these two fishermen debated among themselves the pros and cons of following this itinerate Rabbi; there’s no indication, neither in Mark nor in the other Gospels, that they ever hesitated or said: “Let’s fish today and follow Jesus tomorrow.” Indeed, it doesn’t even say that they drew in their nets before leaving to follow Jesus. It says that they “immediately ... left their nets and followed” Jesus. “Hey, Simon, what about the net?” “Leave it ... we’ve got bigger things to catch.”

Talk about a response! Talk about attention, coordination, and flexibility! Simon and Andrew had it, and with remarkable immediacy! We don’t respond to God that way anymore, do we? We take our time, ponder the ramifications, consider the implications, worry about the consequences, and debate the advisability of just about every change. Indeed, like other Biblical characters we are often prone to throwing up qualifications, bargaining, setting terms and conditions upon our following the leader. We’ll even find ourselves arguing with God: like Moses, crying “choose someone else!” or like Abraham, saying “Sarah and I are too old!” Yes, we’re quick to find excuses ... and not so quick to drop everything and just follow.

That wasn’t Simon and Andrew. We often pick on Simon – whom Jesus nicknamed Peter – because he was often impetuous. And he was! He certainly was here! Peter and his brother immediately left their nets and followed Jesus! They didn’t wait around or even pause to haul back in their nets! If only we were so quick to respond to God’s call!

Something similar happened with the Zebedee boys, James and John.

As [Jesus] went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. (Mark 1:19-20)

Zebedee’s sons were busy; they were working hard, tediously repairing their nets for future use. Their dad and his hired hands were working beside them, for it was a family business that also furnished fruitful employment for others. They had lots of immediate responsibilities; and, from the midst of all that, when Jesus called them, they abandoned their work and followed him! Again, there’s no indication of any debate between them; there’s no indication that they paid any attention to their responsibility to their father – which, by the way, is a huge issue for another story, and one that we often overlook here. It simply says that they left their father in the boat, with their hired hands, and followed Jesus.

Attention to the call; a willingness to act together in following the call; absolute flexibility to with all the changes that the call demands. Simon and Andrew, James and John ... they had it all. And, it’s not like they were bored, unemployed, or had nothing to do: they were busy with everyday life, working to make a living while caring for family and employees. And, in the midst of all that, they dropped all of their responsibilities: they leave their nets in the lake, their boats on the seashore, James and John leave their Dad in the boat, and without debate or delay, they follow Jesus.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? It means that set aside whatever it is that we’re doing and follow him immediately. We don’t wait around to do it. We don’t hesitate until the timing is right. We don’t bargain for better working conditions ... among the Disciples, they did these things later. At the very first, when they heard the call, they simply dropped what they were doing and went.

I think it’s unusual for people to do this today. Oh, sure, many of us may have had a moment, a definable, identifiable moment, when we decided we were going to follow Jesus: that time when we first accepted God’s call to commit our lives to Christ. Some did it because others were doing it. Some did it because they were pressured into it by family or friends. Some did it because they were scared of going to hell or had been frightened by warnings of being “left behind!” Others seem to have grown up following Jesus, in families where being a Christian was almost in the air we breathed and the food we ate. Even here, however, there is usually an identifiable moment where the reality of committing to Christ becomes true to us, personally. Regardless of how it happens, rarely is the decision, or the resulting change, “immediate.” Often Jesus has to pass by and beckon to us, again and again, before we respond, drop our nets, and follow him. Usually, we feel like we have to bring in our nets, pull our boats ashore, make provision for ourselves and for those we leave behind, and in other ways make ourselves ready to follow Jesus. And, thankfully, Jesus is patient ... even when we’re stalling him in this way.
Following Jesus calls forth from us a willingness to act; a willingness to change; a willingness to pay attention to Jesus and the needs of those around us; a willingness to say what Jesus says and do what Jesus does. And, sadly, if we’re honest with ourselves we will have to admit that we have a lot of trouble doing so. Let’s take one simple example of what Jesus calls us to do in following him, but which we stumble at all the time.

Jesus calls us to forgive others as God has forgiven us. When he says to forgive, we hesitate, argue, stall, try to bargain, set limits and qualifications: we do everything but forgive. “I’ll forgive Jane ... for this but not for that.” “I’ll forgive Mike ... but only when he begs me for forgiveness.” “I’ll forgive Steve ... but only after he’s suffered some more.” “I’ll forgive Lori ... but only after she promises to never do it again.” Jesus doesn’t allow for any of that.

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

We pray these words, week after week, but I’m convinced that we don’t really believe it. We want to be forgiven ... period! As for our forgiving others ... well ... let’s talk about possibly doing that at some later time. Not today.

Yep. That’s us. If I were Jesus, I’d dump us all and get some new Disciples! And, indeed, Jesus had plenty of problems with his original twelve, but thankfully he didn’t dump them! And, thankfully, Jesus doesn’t dump us!

What does it mean for us to follow Jesus? Will we follow Jesus? Will we have at least some of the willingness to drop all of our competing concerns, and simply follow Jesus? I’m not going to say that we don’t have real, compelling, competing concerns, because we do; and so did Jesus’ original Disciples! But Jesus’ call on us is just as real, just as demanding, and just as immediate today as it as when he called his first Disciples. He calls us to drop everything and follow him. What are we going to do?

© 2021, Dr. Gregory S. Neal
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