Following Jesus

Follow Me!

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Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”        John 21:21

As Jesus and Peter walked along the beach in conversation about God’s will, Peter turned around and saw his friend John following close behind. Maybe John just wanted to see if Jesus would talk with him also or maybe like a younger sibling he was simply eavesdropping! When Peter saw John suddenly the question came to him that often comes to us all: “What about him? Why won’t he have to experience the same things I do? “Lovingly Jesus turned Peter’s focus back to where it needed to be: “Follow Me!”

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As Americans we are raised on fairness. We grow up with it in the home, we hear and see it in the media and it is almost written into our DNA! But our God does much better than being fair with us: He gives us His grace. What a wonderful rest will enter into the DNA of our soul once we settle the matter of His grace and His will. What others will or won’t have to do will fade away and the eyes of our heart will begin to see Jesus clearly as we hear His plain message; “Follow Me!”

 

 

Follow Me!

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”        John 21:21

As Jesus and Peter walked along the beach in conversation about God’s will, Peter turned around and saw his friend John following close behind. Maybe John just wanted to see if Jesus would talk with him also or maybe like a younger sibling he was simply eavesdropping!

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When Peter saw John suddenly the question came to him that often comes to us all: “What about him? Why won’t he have to experience the same things I do? ” Lovingly Jesus turned Peter’s focus back to where it needed to be: “Follow Me!

As Americans we are raised on fairness. We grow up with it in the home, we hear and see it in the media and it is almost written into our DNA! But our God in his grace does much better than being fair with us: He gives us His grace. What a wonderful rest will enter into the DNA of our soul once we settle the matter of His grace and His will. What others will or won’t have to do will fade away and the eyes of our heart will begin to see Jesus clearly as we hear His plain message; “Follow Me!”

Going through Samaria

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But He needed to go through Samaria John 4:4

In Jesus’ day Jews rarely went by way of Samaria. We could speculate that Jesus needed to go through Samaria to avoiding the Jewish leaders or maybe just because it was shorter and he was tired! We don’t know the reason but we can all identify with having to go somewhere that we would prefer to avoid.

Samaria was a bit like the business district we go around so we don’t get stuck in traffic. It could be a job you don’t like or a family commitment that is getting heavier every day. You may have to sit by the bedside of a loved one for whom the doctors have to hope. There could be a surgery or a crushing debt that must be paid looming on your horizon. All of our Samarias are different but the one thing they each have in common is that we must go through them.

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It is comforting to know at those times of trial, temptation and weariness that Jesus doesn’t just command us to keep going, He has gone ahead of us to prepare the way. Jesus had to go through Samaria because Samaria is where he found you and I. Samaria is where He gave us hope. Samaria is where we discovered we could be accepted by God. Samaria is the place Jesus chose to go and He calls for us to go with Him through our own Samaria today.