When Jesus heard him, He marveled and said to those who followed Him [who adhered steadfastly to Him, conforming to His example in living and, if need be, in dying also], I tell you truly, I have not found so much faith as this with anyone, even in Israel. (8:10) And after He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. (8:23)
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, Be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. And he rose and followed Him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners came and sat (reclined) with Him and His disciples. (9:9-10)
One of the important ideas I am focusing on this year is the concept of following. “Following” is at the very heart of what it means to be a disciple. A disciple of Jesus is a follower of Jesus who adheres to His example and lives (and possibly someday dies) for Christ. Many mistakenly believe there are two classes in the church: those who identify with Christianity (as opposed to another religion) and those who are super serious about Jesus and the Church (disciples). However, in the bible, disciple is synonymous with Christian. Thus, if you are truly a Christian, you are a disciple. The question is, are you a good disciple or a bad one?
In these chapters, Matthew notes the consequences for those who “followed Him.” One benefit of being a disciple is that you hear directly from Him. Notice the story in chapter 8 after Jesus’ encounter with the centurion with great faith. Jesus leaned over to His followers (disciples) and confided, “I have not seen greater faith in anyone else, even in Israel.” Walking with Jesus meant getting the inside scoop, having a deep, abiding relationship with Him, and accessing things the rest of the crowd did not enjoy. Following Jesus also meant experiencing opposition that others did not experience as well. Right after this text, they “followed” Him right into a boat, which ended up in the middle of a violent storm. Being His disciple does not insulate you from suffering. On the contrary, it almost ensures you will face suffering, yet He will be with you as you pass through.
In addition to greater access to the truth and uncommon challenges, followers of Jesus also find themselves moving among those with the greatest needs. Jesus always went where the Father had him go, and He always went with a purpose to minister to those with the greatest needs. You can’t follow Jesus and not rub shoulders with lost people—with the tax collectors, drunkards, and sinners of varying degrees. Being His disciple means going where He leads and joining Him in His work. He comes to seek and save the lost; He comes to those who need a savior, which means that if you go with Him, you will have to get your hands dirty. Following Him means going where the greatest needs are, and those are often some of the most uncomfortable places to be. Genuine disciples don’t draw borders around their obedience; they go wherever and do whatever needs to be done. What kind of disciple are you?
