Follow Him

“Follow Me.”

The man stands on the bank, stretching out the rough hands of a carpenter. The fishermen look at Him, their long, knotted nets still in their hands, surrounded by an abundant catch. Fish flop on the deck, their scales shimmering in the sunlight, their mouths gaping, gills pumping. They fill the bottom of the boat. Such a catch these fishermen have never made. But they have forgotten it.

“Follow Me,” He repeats, “And I will make you fishers of men.”

The Sea of Galilee is so beautiful today. Blue such as blue never was since time began, gleaming, shining in the hot summer sun. The sunbronzed arms and faces of the Galileans bear witness to the heat of that sun. The children and dogs run and laugh on the hot sand, and wooden boats fill the sea and dot the shore. And all of them know that with a catch such as this…oh the money that could be made! Greedy eyes watch them. But the fishermen do not notice. They do not think of what they are leaving behind. They want to follow. They leave behind their boats, the pride of their lowly lives, leave behind their catch of fish, leave behind their painstakingly knotted nets.

And they follow Him.

What are they following? A traveling rabbi with no home, but with the words of God in His mouth and the miracles of God in His hands. They will follow Him for three years. They will watch signs and wonders such as the world has never seen before, they will hear the authoritative teachings of a man who is more than a man. They will follow Him to His death, watch one of them betray Him, they will run from His presence in fear as He pays the penalty of a criminal; He, who committed no sin. His blood will atone for millions. It will atone for them. These fishermen will see Him alive again, the scars in His hands and side bearing eternal witness of the sacrifice He made. They will see Him ascend to the heavens and strain their eyes toward the skies, watching for His return. They will preach His words and spread His message for the rest of their lives. Once lowly and trembling, they will have gained courage and strength. They will die in His service…all but one a martyr’s death…with the songs of heaven on their tongues and the hope of glory in their hearts. One second they will see the lion’s mouth, and the next, the face of their Savior.

All because He said, “Follow Me.”

All because they obeyed.

So what of you? How much have you given? Will you follow Him? Will you receive an eternal reward? Or will you stay with your wooden boats and your knotted nets and let the Son of glory pass you by? Will you be so busy gutting fish that you neglect the opportunity He gives You? Will you be so intent on earthly treasure, that you reject the heavenly? That treasure which is eternal and incorruptible and priceless and imperishable? Will you ignore it for fondness of this world? And when He asks you, “Follow Me?”, will you go?
Will you tread in His footsteps and enjoy life and life abundant? Or will you wait by the boat and ignore the Savior’s call? So busy with your life and work, so stuck in the rut of menial existence, that you are afraid to risk everything and follow Him?

This day, the choice is yours. Which will you choose?