Following JesusSample

“. . . and so did His disciples” (Matthew 9:19) In this passage, we see an example of Jesus’ disciples following Him without questioning, debating, reasoning or delaying. The very fact that Jesus “got up” and began to follow a synagogue leader to his home where his daughter had just died was enough for Jesus’ disciples to follow after Him.  

Are we as quick to do the same? When we see Christ’s responses of action toward needs around Him in the Scriptures, do we take these responses as how we are to follow Him? Do we follow Him like His disciples did in this situation? Or do we argue? Reason? Or even try to rationalize that Jesus is God and we are only human?

Jesus has not given us a response to follow in every situation that we face in our lives. This is true. But He has given us basic responses that we can follow to many of the situations we have in our lives. He tells us that if we see that someone is hungry, we are to feed him. If we see that someone is without clothing, we are to clothe him. If we see our enemy before us, we are to show kindness to him. If we see that God has asked us to do something that we do not feel capable of doing nor maybe even don’t want to do, we are to do it. And in all cases, we are to love. 

Paul defined love for us in his letter to the Corinthian house church as behavior that exhibited patience, humility, kindness, goodness, trust, hope and grace. Do we hesitate to show these things to others? Or do we hesitate to embody them in our souls? Jesus showed us where He was going when He loved us, and He asked us to do the same by following Him and loving others.

He is our example. We are to do the will of our Father, God, as Jesus did the will of the Father when He lived on earth. When God reveals that will to us, and in many ways He has already revealed it, we are to do as He has said. Without arguing. Without rationalizing. Without reasoning. And without delaying. 

We are to respond as Christ’s disciples did and follow Jesus’ lead.