Sermonette: 'Follow Me'

#1790s
James C. Stoertz
Given 09-Nov-24; 15 minutes 2024-11-09

We have all had one crazy week. And I think the storm is not over. But we are in the eye of the hurricane.

Most of us have social media accounts and we are encouraged to follow friends, follow businesses, follow trends, and accumulate followers. It is a symbol of status to have a larger group of followers. Telling the difference in status is obvious and easy. You can collect money and even get rich if you have enough followers. People use all sorts of honest or devious means to increase their followers, including acting a little crazy. In fact, acting crazy is particularly effective because you can gain followers among people who like what you do, and people who do not. “Follow me! Follow me! Follow me!” Many of those followers are not even real!

This electronic capability has exploded on the world scene in 20 years. And no wonder. It mirrors and exaggerates the human tendency to seek attention. This applies even to things we are revolted by like car accidents, where people on the highway slow down and rubberneck when they see an accident. Your electronic status does not differentiate between the good and the horrible; counting in your status ledger all things, the more extreme the better.

Electronic status-seeking has had a direct effect on politics worldwide and in the USA in particular. We have seen this phenomenon at its worst in the presidential election cycle that concluded this week. Have you followed the news? Have you followed the Republican candidate? Have you followed the Democratic candidate? Perhaps another candidate? Candidates and parties have been vying for the past six years to have the highest number of followers both in the news and in the polls. Their goal was to gain the highest social status at this moment by whatever means necessary.

But an ancient Turkish proverb goes: The dog barks but the caravan moves on.

Jesus Christ’s usage of the phrase, “Follow Me,” is actually vastly superior to all definitions under the sun, rendering politics, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, homogeneously vain, foolish, and vaporous.

As a general rule, words do not have exact translations between languages, especially regarding metaphorical usage and implications. “Follow me” is a broad term in English with many understandings, but a much more narrow scope in Greek. Therefore, it is useful to look at the original word, and then its English translation, eliminating all the meanings that are extraneous to the original language definition. Let us do that with the word “follow.”

In the Old Testament there are nine occurrences of the English phrase “follow me.” In Hebrew, the phrase is generally translated from the word to “chase” or “pursue.” The most unique use of this phrase in the Old Testament is in Psalm 23:6, which says:

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This phrase, “shall follow me,” is the same Hebrew word as is used for chasing down your enemy. It is the idea of goodness and mercy hunting you down, which certainly cannot be all bad. It is just not the same meaning as that which is translated as “follow me” in the Greek.

Turn to Matthew 4:19 where we see the first Greek usage of the phrase. It is the first thing Jesus says to any of His disciples.

Matthew 4:18-20 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Using “fishermen” and “fishers of men” is clearly a play on words in English. The translation is not exact. A Greek speaker would have gotten the joke, but the English makes it an enjoyable pun.

I would also like to point out that this is a short parable. In this case, the sea is the world. The net is the church. The fish are men. The catch is to be called out of the world.

But we really want to look at the word “follow.” I can assure you that it is not about social status and clicks. In English, “follow” has at least 23 meanings. Here are some of the more distinct ones:

• To go, proceed, or come after

• The forward spin of a ball when it is hit nearer to the top

• To watch that ball as it arcs through the air, following it with your eyes

• “I don't quite follow your thinking”

• “The new building follows the roof lines of the original”

• To subscribe to a feed, especially on social media

And there are 17 others. And of course, our definition, “put on the mind of Christ” is a definition that is not in Mirriam-Webster's dictionary. In the original Greek, however, there are three different words that are translated “follow.” In the first case, the phrase “Follow Me,” also rendered “Come follow Me!” It is deute mou!” (dyoo'-teh mu) It means specifically, “Come to Me!” and both words are emphatic. To those who understand, it is “You must come to Me now! There is no other choice. Why are you wasting your time following others?” These are the Greek words used in Matthew 4:19.

The original Greek in all the rest of the occurrences of “Follow Me” use one of two words that are more subdued, but both mean the same thing: “accompany me,” or “attend to me.” In the modern vernacular, we might say, “Come away and serve as one of our band of brothers.” This is the difference between a command and a supplication.

One way or another, the phrase “Follow Me” is a command because it has no subject. If you are in a trench and pull the pin on your grenade, do you think you should be commanded twice to throw it? And this raises a question: How many times do you think Jesus Christ commands you to follow Him? It is a worthwhile and deep meditation that you will not find simply with Bible study and prayer since you will have to search your own memory. How many times do we tell our children to do something? You children: How many times do you have to be told? There is a tendency (among us men at least) to think once is enough!

But there are at least three times recorded that Jesus gave this command to Peter. Peter was commanded to “Follow Me” by Jesus Christ once when Peter was called (as we read in Matthew 4:19). He was told twice more when Jesus Christ was serving him breakfast on the beach. We will get to that.

Jesus is recorded as saying, “Follow Me” 12 different times, some of them recorded in multiple gospels:

• Three times Jesus says “Follow Me” to the men who would become Apostles: Simon Peter and Andrew together; Matthew and Philip

• One time He says “Follow Me” to a zealous scribe to admonish him that it is not as easy as he thinks

• One time He tells us exactly what “follow Me” means

• One time, with a heavy heart, He addresses the rich young ruler knowing he cannot do it

• One time He talks to the multitude about the cost of discipleship

• One time Jews in the Temple express doubts about Jesus and want proof but he reproves them

• One time Philip and Andrew tell Jesus about Greeks worshipping at the Feast, but He tells them what is most important

• One time Jesus warns Peter that where He is going, Peter cannot follow. This is just before He says that Peter will deny Him three times

• Two times He says “Follow Me” in statements on the beach at breakfast.

Let us turn to Matthew 16:24-28 for the fourth recording of Jesus Christ saying “Follow Me.” Here is where we can find out what it really means to follow Him. This is a very intense moment. This is like a pyramid of knowledge with the definition as the capstone. Look at how we got to verses 24 through 28.

• Starting in verse 17 Jesus Christ tells the disciples that Simon Peter (Bar-Jonah) is not guessing about the identity of Christ but knows it because the Father has revealed it to him, thus explaining exactly how our faith works.

• In verse 21 Christ tells the disciples what they should have known that He is to be killed.

• In verse 23 Christ has told Peter that his hasty words come from Satan the Devil, implying that Satan is among us.

Matthew 16:24-28 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

We should all read this over very slowly and carefully on our own. It is a sermon unto itself. In brief summary:

• There is a huge price to pay for following Him (under the sun).

• There is a huge reward but you had better be prepared to pay with your life.

And He tells us a whole lot more. The parallel accounts of this lesson are in Mark 8:34-38 and Luke 9:23-27.

Let us turn to Mark 10 and explore another place where Jesus Christ says, “Follow Me.”

Mark 10:17-22 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Most people would gladly choose to inherit eternal life. But almost all of them have a price which is too much to bear. Most people are better off not to even know of the option than to reject it because of the price.

Please turn to John 21 where Jesus Christ tells Peter twice to “Follow Me.” Let us look at the story.

• Starting in verse 15 Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”

• In verse 17 Peter in anguish says, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

• In verse 18 Peter has been told that he (Peter) will be crucified.

• In verse 19 Jesus says to Peter, “Follow Me.”

• In verse 2I Peter then shows a sign of true anguish when he asks how John will die. It is a real question that any one of us might have asked if we did not know better from Peter’s example.

• In verse 22 Jesus says to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me,” repeating the same phrase again! Is it not clear just how important this command “Follow Me” is?

In Revelation, we can extrapolate that it is Jesus Christ explaining visions to John. But aside from that, the very first and the very last instruction of Jesus Christ to His disciples is, “Follow Me.”

This world’s idea of what “follow me” means is completely inadequate to be able to respond when Jesus Christ says, “Follow Me.” Influencers bandy the phrase about, begging viewers and readers alike to “follow me” attempting to improve their status.

What about us? Let us try bargaining with God like Abraham pleading for Sodom: Can we really follow 50 people? How about 45? What about 40? How about 30, 20, or 10? Can we really follow a political party and live? Is it really wise to bargain with God especially when it is for our own pleasure?

Fortunately for us, these are two completely different definitions of the word “follow.” According to the biblical definition, there is only one you can follow and live, and that is Jesus Christ.

JCS/rwu/drm