The Call to Follow
John 1:35-51
When we read the calling of the disciples, we often don’t think about the intricate details of their lives as they were when Jesus called them. I’ve been watching The Chosen, and the thing I love the most about it is seeing each disciple as the humans they were. When Jesus calls us, he is calling us as we are. When Jesus calls Nathaniel here in John 1, he sees him, a man with a story, under the fig tree—that moment of Nathaniel under the fig tree meant something to him because when Jesus brought it up, it was an immediate response of belief.
Jesus doesn’t call us arbitrarily, nor does he call the most robotic yes men to follow him. He sees us. He knows our stories, knows our names, knows the sin we’ve committed and will commit. He knows our deepest desires and greatest longings. When he calls us, he offers us to come as we are and to let him transform us, knowing all about us. We see this through many different stories in the bible, but one great example is the story of Zacchaeus, found in Luke 19. He was a chief tax collector, which means he was an outcast for betraying his people by working for the oppressive Roman government; he was a thief who stole money from his people when collecting taxes. Not only did he do that, but he did it more and better than any of the other tax collectors. So, to sum it up, he was the best at being the worst. Yet, Jesus knew this and still called him, still went to his house, and because of this, Zacchaeus was transformed and gave up that life to follow Jesus.
We live in a culture suffocated by the tension of living our true selves, but only the true selves society finds acceptable. We must be put together and vulnerable to human life's complexities. We must be a mess, but a hot mess that is not that messy. Yet, Jesus doesn’t care about perfection because his perfect life was enough. He doesn’t care about the mess because he is in the business of healing and restoration. He calls those who follow him here and now dirty, ashamed, and ready to say yes to Jesus despite all those things.
Go back and read John 1:35-51.
Remember when Jesus called you out of darkness into light with the words, “Follow me.”
What does Jesus know about you?
Thinking about what Jesus knows about you, what do you think about Jesus calling you already knowing you?
The weight of Jesus calling you into discipleship is heavy with confusion. We know we are not worthy to follow Jesus, yet He still calls us. Sit on that grace-filled voice who beckons you to follow Him.
