What
does it mean to “follow” Jesus? Do you have to go to Israel, which would be
very risky at this time? No—to follow Jesus is just to do what He taught. That
can be mainly summed up in two points: Love God and love your neighbor as
yourself. There are lots of people offering excuses for not going to church,
reading their Bible, praying, telling others about what Jesus has done in your life,
or even just hanging out with Christians.
Do you need a camel to follow Jesus?
Camel at the Judean Desert in Isreal.
What
is your excuse? Jesus asked numerous people in different walks of life to “follow
me.” Some, like the fishermen, just left their nets, their boats, and
immediately followed Jesus as He traveled around Israel, especially the Galilee
region, teaching and healing the people there. His twelve disciples did include
fishermen and tax collectors, possibly a political activist, and other unspecified
trades, maybe even a farmer resting under a fig tree. A couple of followers,
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, although not disciples, were known members
of the High Council which was made up of Sadducees and Pharisees.
There
were other people, like these two young men in the focus scripture today, who
wanted to follow Jesus, but they just didn’t want to give up their current life
style or family responsibilities. Are there people today that fall into that category?
Do you? Would you rather watch another movie on Netflix or do an Old Testament study
on the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem? Are you seeking Jesus…or
looking for an excuse for not following Jesus?
As
they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you
wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and
birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head."
He said to another person, "Come, follow me." The man agreed, but he
said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." But Jesus
told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to
go and preach about the Kingdom of God." Another said, "Yes, Lord, I
will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." But Jesus
told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not
fit for the Kingdom of God." Luke
9:57-62
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, I don’t want to have an excuse for not seeking You. I want to
know more of You every day. Open my heart and mind, giving me wisdom and
understanding as I hear You call, “Come, follow me.” Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayers.
Meditate.
Will you follow Jesus?
Verse
of Salvation ~ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away
from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow.
But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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