Follow

 January 3, 2023

One of the first commands Jesus ever gave was to Andrew and Peter: “Follow me!” According to the Gospels, they did just that, and did it immediately (a favorite word of Mark). He called; they followed…immediately. There’s significance in that word. Too often, we act as if we had all the time in the world, when in reality, our time is limited, perhaps more than we realize. That’s a topic for another day.

Peter took Jesus’ command seriously, and without hesitation, he left everything his life had been, and followed Jesus. But at the end of Mark’s Gospel, there is a change in the wording. Peter followed “at a distance.” (14:54). By following this way, he ended up denying Jesus and grieving deeply at his weakness. Peter was afraid to come out in the open, much like ourselves. How often have I kept quiet when I could have spoken his Name? How often, instead of giving testimony, I sank into the shadows? Whenever we follow at a distance, we lose courage, because courage isn’t taught; it’s caught, and to catch it, we must get close to the Source. Denial, grief, and regret always follow when we follow at a distance.