“Come Follow Me…!”

“Come Follow Me…!”(Mk. 1:14-20).
According to Mark Jesus began his ministry just after John was put in prison. Today’s generation may raise the worry why Jesus had no concern about John’s incarceration! Perhaps the lesson we should learn from Jesus’ nonchalance concerning John’s imprisonment is that we should not always expect too much from the Lord regarding our comfort.
When evil days fall on us, God is not always going to intervene in our favour. But that does not mean that he has abandoned us. Life is a drama. We mount the stage, play our part and exit the stage.
That aside, Jesus started his ministry with this message: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” This message is timeless; so it is timely for all generations.
Let us shift our focus to the calling of his first four collaborators. Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew doing some fishing. He told them to follow him and he’ll send them to fish for people.“At once they left their nets and followed him.”
A little farther he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee with their father. He called them “and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”
Lesson: God does not necessarily use you within the confines of your profession. God takes you out of your comfort zone, out of where your daily bread is assured to a place of discomfort and uncertainty.
God does not compel us to go, but his Spirit makes us just willing to go. Gideon thought he was a nobody, coming from the least of the tribes of Israel, but the LORD told him, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand…I will be with you…”(Jge. 6:11-24a).
When Jesus called Simon and Andrew they did not have any second thoughts. In the same way the sons of Zebedee just abandoned their father to follow the Lord.
My friend, there is this one assignment which the Lord calls on all of us to do for him: to fish for people. We are all privileged messengers of the good news. We are all called upon to repent and bekieve the good news. We are all called to tell others to repent and believe the good news.
We should count it all joy that we are all useful tools in God’s hand. The path we trod may be rough and dreary, but we must trust Christ who says he will be by us till the end of the age.
We must not all necessarily go out to proclaim the good news, but we can all show the good news as we stand out and be the difference. As has been said, Be the Bible that somebody is reading!”
Paul advises, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life…”(Phi. 2:12-18).
Sunday prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, whatever the task, I will do, and wherever you send I will go because you have assured me of your constant presence. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.