Mark 1:16-18



I will never forget the first time I saw the Sea of Galilee. I was with a friend and we had been travelling for a couple of hours up the Jordan valley. It was incredibly hot and our little car didn’t have the blessing of air conditioning. We greeted our first glimpse of the lake with great excitement. As we saw it, it was so easy to imagine Jesus walking beside the lake, coming across a couple of fishermen and inviting them to follow him. The truly incredible thing is that nothing has changed. 2,000 years ago Jesus invited people to follow him, and he still does!
It’s the personal nature of Christianity that makes it so different from other religions and philosophies. They normally have a set of beliefs and rules that you have to subscribe to in order to become a member. But for Christians it’s all about a person, and living a life that follows and pleases him. Life is instantly redefined when you follow Jesus. Nothing looks the same. Someone once described the difference as being like seeing life in colour after only ever seeing in black and white.



I find it fascinating that as soon as Jesus invited the fishermen to follow him, he gave them a job. You might have thought Jesus would have given them a while to get to know him and understand his teaching before inviting them to recruit others. But no, following Jesus always involves inviting others to follow him too. And that’s the way the Gospel finishes as well. When Jesus ascended to his Father in heaven, he commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations.
Whatever you are doing today, Jesus says two things to you. He invites you to follow him and asks you to recruit other followers as well.



QUESTION
Who might you be able to encourage to follow Jesus today?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for inviting me to follow you. Help me to follow you more closely each day and to find others to do the same. Amen

Released on 14 Feb 2023