You cannot read the Gospels and miss Jesus’ repeated phrase, “Follow Me!”
But what does it mean? Can we still follow Him now even though we can’t literally see where He’s going and follow Him like the disciples did?
And if we can’t see Him with our physical eyes, how can we possibly follow Him? Is this some imaginary construct of our minds… just close your eyes and imagine yourself following Jesus? That would be an illusion or delusion as Richard Dawkins would say, but it certainly isn’t!
Most of us have probably played some version of the game “Follow the Leader” or “Simon Says” when we were kids. The game basically begins with a leader whose task is to do certain things (raise his hand, jump, etc.) and the group has to mimic his actions exactly either by seeing him do it or hearing him say it. And according to Wikipedia, “When only one person other than the leader remains, that player becomes the leader.”
Is that what Jesus means when He asks us to follow Him? Well, I’m sure it’s a little deeper than that 🙂
Ever met a married couple and were amazed at how similar they’ve become to one another? Even if they’re not physically in the presence of each other, they sometimes have the same looks, the same laugh, the same comments… why is that? I don’t think they intentionally try to imitate one another, but their years of being together has brought about this similarity.
My friends, I have met men and women of God who sound like Jesus. Have you? They have spent so much time in His word, so much time in daily, minute by minute communication with Him, that they are like Him! When they talk about Him, they talk about someone they’re in love with, someone they know deeply. They are filled with such overflowing passion that you can’t miss!
I believe this is what Jesus means when He asks us to follow Him. Follow me so closely that you think like me, feel like me, see like me, are like me. I know that we will never fully be like God, but He desires for us to be on this life-long journey of being transformed from our weak image to His glorious image! Of being so united with Him, that we don’t need to stop and think WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) but are so changed that we automatically do what He would do because we are more and more like Him.
In following Him, Christ doesn’t invite us to do what He does but to be more and more like who He is. And that requires us to hear His “follow me” daily, with every decision. Every decision? Yes. But He has billions of people to worry about! I sometimes feel like I don’t want to burden Him. Don’t worry, He can handle it 🙂 He desires to be in such intimate fellowship with you; to be in this kind of 24/7 communication with you. He desires it so much that it led Him to the cross!
And just like in the game, when you’re like the leader enough, you become a leader to others. That’s the Great Commission; “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). When we are so like our Supreme Leader, then we too can lead others to Him and make the bold assertion with Paul, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). What a responsibility! But if we don’t do it, who will? “If the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (Matthew 5:13)
Choose to follow Him today. And if you pay close attention, you might even hear Him call you by name. It will be glorious experience, and the farthest possible from an illusion!