Follow Me

“Follow Me”! Gentle, yet powerful words from Jesus. Gentle, but so strong are these two words that maybe they were even a command. At the very least, an invitation, “Follow Me”, and Matthew got up and followed. 

 When I was in the service in Ft. Benning Ga, there was a very moving and inspiring statue on the grounds of Ft. Benning simply known as the “Follow Me” statue, a Memorial, depicting an infantry soldier charging forward and gesturing for others to follow. “I am the Infantry! Follow me”, it says. A motto instilled in the mind of every soldier. 

 And to follow takes courage, and those who have ever been in or prepared for combat have an appreciation of the meaning of courage. To follow into the unknown, into any battle takes courage, and our journey to heaven places us in a battlefield every day of our lives. The physical pain and suffering we experience in life, the mental anguish, and the spiritual combat of fighting for our life against satan and temptation. 

These are our crosses, these are our battles, and, in spite of this chaos, Jesus tells us to “take up your cross and follow me.” Follow Me is not a suggestion, no, it is a command to follow Jesus into life’s battles and there we will find our strength, for he assures us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”. Yes, it takes courage to follow, soldiers have lost their lives on the battlefields; shed their blood for you and me. 

And, Matthew and every other Apostle, every martyr, help purchase our salvation by shedding their blood for Christ. Follow me, a motto for every Christian, is our key to heaven. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. By following our Leader, we can enter into the Kingdom of heaven With determination and courage, and through the power and grace of God, we become like that statue, charging forward, reaching out and gesturing for others to follow.

 Our world may be in turmoil, and our lives being tossed on the rough seas of life. But, there is an invitation to leave that world behind and to come to the shore. It is then, at that shoreline we become his Disciples. And when they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and they followed him.