WATCHWORD:
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20
Meditation:
Follow Me – Part 2
The parable continues: Now, it was much later in the afternoon, the children were returned to their father, and my Master had died on the cross. In my grief watched as the two Pharisees, the ones that were so sad, stepped up, took the body of my Master away, and placed it in a tomb. I could not understand why all this happened. Just yesterday the Master told us to be at peace, then he was beaten and crucified. Now he is dead and buried and I am lost, but strangely at peace? How can that be? And His voice said, “Follow Me”.
Follow? Who? The one I followed is gone. I looked around for John, maybe he could help me, but he was nowhere to be found. He’d been sitting with Jesus’ mother and the other Mary, now all three were off somewhere, probably grieving. I still did not know where to go or what to do. And the voice said, “Follow Me”.
It was the next morning when I sought out the hidden place, a safe room, a gathering of people who had been followers of Jesus. The room was filled with sad people; some were crying, there was wailing, some simply praying. There was Mary, the mother of my Master, in the midst of grieving, angry, upset people, but she was bringing a different message; smiling, reassuring, and saying something that I will never forget. She said, “Remember who He is and what He told us, just days ago, to be at peace.” And in the remembering, I heard again the voice saying, “Follow Me”, and I knew I had found God’s Peace.
We live in a violent time, a time where ego and wealth seem to be idols of choice, and where the worship of the Heavenly Father could bring wrath down upon your head. People have been beaten, as Jesus had been. People have been killed, as Jesus was. But people have also been resurrected into a new life because of it. And the voice is still saying, “Follow Me.”
We too often grieve at length and get angry at the violence that is directed towards those who follow the Master, even unto death. And we cry for blood when we should remember Jesus’ words, “Forgive them for they know not what they do,” and, in turn, celebrate the lives of those who showed the courage to step up and say without hesitation “He is Lord and Savior, He is the creator God and I will only worship Him,” and because they did, I, too, will find the courage to heed the call to follow Him. Amen.Prayer:
Written by Stan Escott soli deo gloria. September 19, 2025
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. I give my all to you Lord Jesus. Amen.
