Undertaking the Invitation of Jesus
In Matthew 4, we read about Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness preparing for what would be his three-year earthly ministry. After this 40-day preparation, Jesus went to the region of Galilee. Galilee was a rural, backwoods area. It was overlooked by the elites and powerbrokers of Jerusalem (and the surrounding area of Judea). Yet, Jesus went to Galilee to start his ministry. It was in Galilee that Jesus first began to preach and do miracles. It would not be long before Jesus began assembling his inner circle of students and disciples. Matthew records the simple challenge Jesus gave to his first followers. Never have there been greater words given to mankind than the words found in Matthew 4:19, “Come, follow me.”
I focus on those three simple words because they are the foundation of the Christian life - Christian discipleship. The fundamental issue for every person relates to who or what they will base their life on. We are surrounded by competing ideas and truth claims. This situation goes back to the beginning of time. In Genesis 3 we read about Serpent (another name given to the fallen Angel, Satan) having a conversation with Eve. Most people read Genesis 3 as a temptation account surrounding forbidden fruit, but it is more than that. Genesis 3 begins by detailing that Serpent was craftier than anything that God had made. The craftiness of the evil one was not simply related to fruit. Satan was telling Eve and Adam that they should not trust what God said. The damning lie that they were facing was that one could choose whatever truth they wanted. Serpent said, “You will not die if you eat the fruit. As a matter of fact, you will be like God.” The subtle temptation was that they could replace God and call the shots themselves. This has always been the chief lie and deception of Satan through the ages.
That is why the words of Jesus to his potential disciples are so important and revolutionary. Understand that through the ages God’s plans have always been to do more than save lost humanity from hell. Yes, Jesus paid the price for mankind’s evil and sinful rebellion, but the mission of Jesus was multifaceted. What good does it do to redeem mankind, if mankind continues to live in rebellion? God calls all people to relationship and fellowship. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus, the legal path back to God has been cleared and rectified. Through Jesus’ call of discipleship, our relational path is revealed. For many people, it is a new and novel idea that God wants to have a relationship with mankind. We would be wise to open our eyes to the fact that we were created to have fellowship and companionship with God. We yearn for a place of fulfillment and refuge. That place is with God. Sadly, most people seek to fill that void with things other than God, and the pursuit of “stuff” only leads to unfulfilled lives. Most people are looking for love, purpose, and satisfaction in all the wrong places.
With three simple words — “Come, follow me” — Jesus calls all of us to the greatest journey possible. This journey will take the rest of our earthly lives. It is often a long journey. It is always a challenging journey. It is important to remember that our enemy, Serpent, still lies and deceives. Until we move from this earthly life to the next, we will journey in “enemy territory.” Serpent is the false king of this world. Truth be told, most people do not know they are following the lies of Serpent, our greatest enemy. The challenge to follow Jesus requires an intentional decision to reject the lies and deception of our world.
The Christian life, the journey of discipleship, is an expedition where we relearn what is true, right, and godly. We are nearly always moving against the flow of this world. Another important truth to remember is that the call of discipleship will require us to examine what we think life is really about. We need to reexamine our allegiances. This reevaluation of our mind, heart, and life is called repentance. Repentance begins when we determine to obey Jesus’ call. Repentance will be a daily routine as we walk the long, satisfying road of discipleship. Keep looking up!