The Bible records Jesus saying “Follow Me” 22 times…..give or take. But the interesting part of that is not the number of times he said it…..it was the response…..the response was immediate.
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.? “Come, follow me,”Jesus said,?“and I will send you out to fish for people.”?At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.?Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.?As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth.?“Follow me,”?Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
Did you follow that, those are not ordinary responses…..because money (their money) suddenly becomes unimportant. Simon and Andrew left their nets (and their boat). They left their tools and their means of making a living. James and John did the same thing, plus they left their father standing in the boat, (probably dumb founded). Levi left the tax booth, and all the money was still sitting on the counter. (The Centurion had to deal with it).
They left the money, because they sensed they had found the Messiah.
No one had told them Jesus was the Messiah, because it was later that Peter spoke those words. In the beginning, they sensed it by the spirit. The words Jesus spoke….”Follow Me”…. were anointed by the Holy Spirit. The words were no longer “logos”, (words in normal conversation). The words were “rh?mati”, (words anointed by God). That is why the disciples responded so quickly and without question. Words anointed by God produce results because they speak to our spirit.
When a spirit filled person, invites another person to “Follow Jesus”…..the words are no longer our words. The words and the invitation are “rh?mati”, the word of God. The word of God (rh?mati) is filled with life (zóé), and it is filled with love. God spoke it at creation, He spoke it to the disciples, He spoke it when you were born again,……and by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it is anointed when when you speak God’s word to others. Words anointed by God produce results. His results.
For His word will not return to Him empty.
SELAH
SCRIPTURES: Mark 1: 16-20
Mark 2: 13-14
Matthew 4:4 (Greek)
Isaiah 55:11
Matthew 13:46
PRAYER FOCUS: He is the Pearl of Great Price.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Rh?mati….the anointed word of God….filled with love…from the Father to his child.
~ Written by Gene Bennett