And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people” (Matthew 4:19, New American Standard Bible).

We cannot be sure this was the first time that Jesus met Simon and Andrew. John 1:40-42 tells us that Andrew had met Jesus earlier and introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. It seems as though this happened when they were not working. However, when Jesus called them to follow Him as disciples, they immediately followed Him. They did not seek a second opinion or ask Jesus for some time to think about it. They did not try to negotiate or see if another prophet or rabbi offered a better deal.

Jesus’ call to them, and all of His disciples, was “Follow Me.” All disciples of Christ are called to follow Him. We do not walk next to Him or run ahead of Him, telling Him to go where we want to go and to bless whatever we decide to do. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus told Peter to follow Him and go from catching fish to fishing for souls. In John 21:19, Jesus’ last words to Peter were “Follow Me!” This time, He was telling Peter to follow Him on a path that would lead to his own cross.

Jesus calls us to follow Him. Are we willing to follow?

Are you following Jesus or asking Him to follow and bless you? Share your thoughts below.

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.