What Did Jesus Teach About Following Him?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

This is the seventh part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. Today, we'll explore what Yeshua taught about following him and about following God. Before we continue, let's review the last lesson in the Leadership and Servanthood series which was called What Did Jesus Teach About Patience and Stewardship:

In a nutshell, Yeshua taught that being a leader isn't being a big shot. It isn't having a title, a fancy education, or being an ethnic type. That stuff only works in the secular world, not in God's world. In God's world, people are leaders when they're servants. People are greatest only when they're least. People are the strongest when they comfort the weakest.

What Yeshua taught is also mirrored in a well-known Mishnah in Avot 4:1:

Who is wise? He who learns from every person. Who is strong? He who subdues his personal inclination. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot. Who is honored? He who honors others.

Many of those in leadership in the Christian and Messianic realms would do well to humble themselves and heed these words...as would we all.

It's time to move to another topic. It took five blog posts just to cover all of his teachings about leadership and servanthood. Let's press on to see what Yeshua taught about following him.

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. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. -Matthew 4:18-22

We see that when we are called to follow Yeshua, we are to do so without hesitation. Think of how many times people have asked you to do something and you've responded "Just a minute" or "I don't have the time right now". In most of those cases, you've probably had very good reasons to delay an immediate response, but for the sake of the Kingdom, there can be no delay. On those occasions when you've been called to follow the Master, have to always responded instantly? There also seems to be another cost involved:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." -Matthew 8:18-22

This one isn't always easy to understand. In the case of the fellow who wanted to bury his father, the father wasn't dead yet. The guy was asking to wait until his father had died and his affairs and responsibilities were wrapped up before following Yeshua. The Master is a higher priority than even family, which can sometimes be difficult to accept. After all, we're commanded to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12), so this is a difficult teaching Yeshua gives us. Of course, he also teaches:

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." -Luke 12:49-53

As hard as it may be, if we have to make a choice, as disciples, we must follow our Master before even our own families.

As far as Yeshua's response to the Torah teacher, we see what could be interpreted as a warning about making enthusiastic statements such as I will follow you wherever you go. We all would like to think that we have the faith to move mountains and the strength and dedication of the Prophets, Warriors, and Kings of old who served God and lived in a time of mighty miracles, but wait! When was the last time you failed the Master? What did it take to result in your failure? Chances are, it wasn't that much of a temptation, weakness, or distraction. Don't make promises you can't keep. You don't know where the Master is going and don't assume following him will be all that easy or glorious. For all you know, like the Son of Man, you may have no place to lay your head. Here's more:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." -Matthew 16:24-28

Again, Yeshua talks about a matter of priorities. Just how much do you want to be a disciple of the Master? How many of your own personal priorities are you willing to give up? Is there anything too important in your life that it prevents you from denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following him?

When sending out the twelve (in Matthew 10), we see what else Yeshua teaches about following.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. -Matthew 10:28-33

We get the impression that we're automatically going to be asked to sacrifice our lives or to live in extreme poverty because we are disciples, but we need to put things in perspective. Who do we serve? Is His arm too short to provide or to save? While God doesn't "promise you a rose garden" (at least in this life), He does promise to always be with you and if you acknowledge the Father before men, Yeshua will acknowledge you before God. Something good to remember when you feel you are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom.

We've already seen the teaching found in Matthew 10:34-39 presented in Luke 12:49-53. Yeshua may also have been considering the words of the Prophet Micah:

For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man's enemies are the members of his own household.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
-Micah 7:6-7

I wish evangelists and others spreading the Good News of the Messiah would teach some of these lessons. I seriously doubt that most people, Jewish or Gentile, who have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, Lord, and Savior were told that it wasn't all going to be tea and cookies. Becoming a disciple is like getting married. In the beginning, we are all in love and not able to see the costs and sacrifices that need to be made for the sake of the relationship. I think it's why we're supposed to take a vow before God when we wed...for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health... This is the difference between a wedding and being married. This is the difference between accepting Yeshua and living the life of a disciple. However there are also these words:

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" -Matthew 14:25-31

We always remember Yeshua walking on the water, but no one remembers that Peter walked on water, too. As long as he kept his eyes on Yeshua and his faith was strong, he could walk on water; he could do anything, no matter how impossible it seems to human minds and reason. The minute his gaze faltered and doubt crept in, he sank like a stone.

Perhaps this teaching can be summed up in a few simple sentences:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. -Matthew 7:13-14

Conclusion: What does Yeshua teach about how we are to follow him?

1. When we are called to follow, we must respond immediately.
2. The highest priority in our lives is following the Master, not our life circumstances, our families, or even our own lives.
3. If we acknowledge God to men and are faithful, God will be faithful to us.
4. Don't be afraid. You are worth a lot to God. He'll take care of you.
5. If we keep our eyes on the Master and our faith strong, we can do anything.

In a nutshell, in today's lesson, we learn that when we choose to be disciples of Yeshua, we are not promised trouble-free lives and despite the difficulties, we must always make the purposes of the Kingdom our first and unconditional priority. If we are faithful to God, God will be faithful to us and take care of us. If our faith is strong and our eyes are on the Master, we are able to do anything he asks of us.

Most of the time, when evangelists share the Good News of the Messiah, they talk about all of the benefits and the highlights of the relationship. They talk about everything Jesus will do for us; eternal life, fellowship, freedom from sin. They don't often talk about our responsibilities to God, to the Kingdom, and to our fellow human beings, especially those who are not believers and especially those who don't esteem believers in Yeshua.

Yeshua, on the other hand, didn't pull any punches. He laid it all out in front of us and explained exactly what was and is required of those who choose to follow his path. There are great, fantastic rewards, but while the gift of salvation is free, it's not guaranteed to be easy. If you're looking for the easy path and the wide gate, then being a disciple of the Master is not for you. If you're looking to save your soul and work for the sake of God but not necessarily your own life, joining the Master is the right thing to do.