After Jesus teaches a group of professional fishermen how to fish, Luke offers a concluding observation. It is a simple sentence with profound implications:
“They left everything and followed Him.”
They left the fish from that catch, the boats, the nets and equipment, the business, their houses, and undoubtedly relationships. They left it all. They left it all to follow Christ.
What does it mean to follow Christ?
The word “follow” means what it sounds like — it means to come after or accompany a leader and do what he compels one to do. So to follow Christ means to accompany Him and imitate Him and obey His dictates. It is a word of discipleship, becoming like the Master, Jesus. It means not having any masters that supersede one’s commitment to Christ.
The word “follow” is commonly used in the NT for the Twelve disciples and for others who are committed to Christ.
- It was used of the large crowds that followed Christ (and who eventually left Him) (Mt. 4:25; 8:1, 10; 20:29; Mk. 3:7; Lk. 7:9; 9:11).
- It was used of individuals who repented and followed Jesus and the requirements of following Christ (Mt. 9:27ff; 27:55; Jn. 8:12; 12:26).
- It was used to expose false belief and lack of obedience and discipleship (Mt. 8:19-22; 10:38; 19:21ff; Lk. 9:23)
- It was used of the Twelve as they accompanied Christ in His ministry (Mt. 8:23; 9:9; 19:27ff; Mk. 1:18; 6:1; Lk. 5:11; Jn. 1:37ff; 21:19).
- It was used of Christ to denote the kind of leadership He offered those who followed Him (Jn. 10:5ff, 27).
The word emphasizes the importance of following; what and who you follow will determine what you will become. Your heart will be changed by the people and things you follow and those changes will be observed by all because everyone speaks and acts out of the overflow of his heart. So it is not enough to be a follower; not everyone is a wise, worthy, and discerning leader. Wise living only results from following Christ.
Following Christ is not like buying a house or a car — “I’m not going to do this right now because there might be a better deal ahead.” Christ is the best. You won’t find any place, any thing, or any person that is better than Christ. Many things will compete for your allegiance: social position, financial wealth, environmental and societal concerns, gathering possessions, relationships (marriage, parents, children, friends…), cultural influence, and political leaders and agendas. Virtually everything we see every day is asking us to prioritize it and follow it. It will prove to be empty, vain, foolish, and fraudulent.
Only Christ is worth following.
After being schooled on how to fish by the carpenter, Jesus, the disciples left every single thing they had and traded it all for following Jesus. They acted wisely. And when we emulate their faithful following of Christ, we also are wise. If we follow and have Him, we have everything we need, no matter what else we do not have.
“Follow the Leader” by Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Words of Grace 
