After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. After going a little farther, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets. At that very moment he called them. They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers. (Mark 1:14-20, CEB)
I love the calling of the disciples in Mark, Matthew, and I think Luke. I like John as well, but it uses a different word for follow. There are a couple of words in Greek that mean follow and the one that Mark and Matthew use for certain is the most interesting to me.
ὀπίσω μου. Opiso Mou. This is what is used here when Jesus says, “Come, follow me.”
Follow me. We think of this and I have heard it portrayed as a nice let’s go for a walk and hang out, be buddies, and do stuff together. But that is not the connotation of the word.
ὀπίσω μου is used in another part of the gospels where Jesus confronts Peter and says to him, “Get behind me, Satan.” ὀπίσω μου is literally get behind me.
Jesus is calling the disciples to know their place. If you don’t see the back of Jesus’ head, you are not following.
We are not the leaders. We are but followers of Jesus.
Love like Jesus.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 