"Come, Follow Me"—Jesus

The call of Jesus to Simon, Andrew, James, John—and later to other disciples—continues to reverberate in our world today. For centuries, people have wondered what it was that led these individuals to drop their nets and follow. Luke and John give us glimpses of earlier encounters, but Matthew and Mark are silent on those details. In their telling, Jesus calls, and they go.

That simplicity is part of what amazes us. We want to understand what was happening—historically, socially, psychologically—that made them say yes. But when we spend all our energy focusing on them, we risk shifting our attention away from the one who called them. It’s like standing before a beautiful piece of art and only noticing the frame.

Reflecting on Jesus calling Levi in Mark 2:14, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:

“This encounter is a testimony to the absolute, direct, and unaccountable authority of Jesus. There is no need of any preliminaries, and no other consequence but obedience to the call.”

Bonhoeffer reminds us that Jesus doesn’t call as a teacher or model of a good life, but as the Christ—the Son of God. His call doesn’t require explanation. It demands obedience.

We are in a season that invites us to grow in awareness of God’s self-revelation in Christ. And like those first disciples, we are called to leave behind whatever no longer defines us. To obey Christ is to be drawn into a life that is being transformed—so that we might reflect more clearly the image of the one who calls.

What does obedience look like? That depends. Simon, Andrew, James, and John left their boats. Levi left a tax booth. Paul had to rethink everything he thought he knew. But for others, obedience has looked like joining a small group, serving in worship, learning a new skill, showing up for someone in need, tending the community garden, painting a wall, cleaning a floor, writing a note, making a phone call, saying sorry, choosing forgiveness, or simply saying yes to serve.

“Come, follow me” is still the invitation. Still the call. Still the summons to leave behind fear and step toward Christ.

How will you respond this week?

Let’s keep walking together—learning, growing, and becoming more like Jesus.

Let’s love God and love others.