"Come, follow me," he said.
Mark 4:17
Ever wonder if you are up to a task? Maybe you feel like you don't know enough, or don't have enough skill or strength. Maybe you don't know the right people, or have the right look.
As I read through the Book of Mark, I am noticing how Jesus invited people to "come, follow me" with no expectations or requirements. Fishing? Come, follow me. Collecting taxes? Come, follow me. Teenager? Come, follow me.
Jesus didn't care if you were a woman or man, young or old, educated or skilled. "Come, follow me" is the invitation for each of us. People simply dropped what they were doing to follow and learn. As they spent time with Jesus, they learned new skills, and built new relationships with people they may not have known before.
Jesus wanted them to live their lives differently - not by being someone they weren't, but by seeing the world as Jesus saw it. Jesus wants us to love other with God's eyes. Jesus wants us to spend time with others. Jesus wants us to heal the hurts in other people's lives. They were still tentmakers like Paul, and fishermen like Peter, and homemakers like Martha. But they loved people differently because of Jesus.
Jesus invites us to "come, follow me" today as well. Are we willing to drop what we are doing and see the world differently? Jesus is ready for you right now. The question is whether we are are ready to step up to Jesus' side. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa Hunter
January 17, 2024
