Simon Peter said to him, ‘Master, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.’”
Jn 13:36
Could you simplify your job description down to two words?
In Jesus’ time learning to follow the way of God was caught as much as it was taught. Disciples would be invited to follow a rabbi (Jewish teacher) and would learn through emulation. You ate like your rabbi, slept like your rabbi, prayed like your rabbi, washed like your rabbi, and followed your rabbi wherever he went.
Discipleship was something connected to every moment and every movement of life.
Because of this, when Jesus hints at his own death by saying he is leaving, Peter immediately wants to know where – he intended to follow. He was a disciple of Jesus after all.
His job description was simple – follow Jesus.
Interestingly Jesus’ words would prove right decades later when Peter would follow Jesus even into death when according to most ancient accounts he is said to have been crucified under the persecution of the emperor Nero.
As disciples of Jesus, we have the same job description as Peter. We too are called to follow Jesus in all that we do.
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Question of the Day
What is one way that you can follow Jesus more closely today?
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