The Call to Forgive Like Christ

Reflection

My little French bulldog Prince is… well, a bit stubborn. I love him, but let’s just say he likes to do things his way more often than I’d prefer. There are moments throughout the day when he follows me closely, step for step. You would think he was part of my body the way he clings. But then come the other times, when he decides the kitchen, my no-dog zone, is exactly where he wants to be. Suddenly, he's not following me anymore. He’s off doing his own thing, and he has plenty of reasons for it.

That reminds me of this moment in Matthew 4. Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew and simply said, Follow me. He didn’t offer a detailed explanation. He didn’t ask them to rearrange their lives first. He didn’t say, “When you’re done fishing, come find me.” The next verse says they “straightway left their nets.” That means immediately. No excuses. No delays.

Do you think they told Jesus, “We’ve got to make a living,” or “We just cast the net, give us a minute”? Scripture doesn't show that kind of hesitation. They understood the weight of the call.

We see this same call throughout the Gospels.

• Matthew left the tax booth to follow Jesus.

• James and John left their father and the boat behind.

• The rich young ruler was invited but walked away because he wouldn’t leave his wealth.

The truth is, following Jesus will always require leaving something. Sometimes it's family. Sometimes it’s comfort or familiarity. But the most pressing thing we’re called to leave behind is ourselves, our pride, our preferences, our way.

That’s what it means to follow Jesus. Not just walking behind Him, but learning from Him, submitting to His way, and letting go of anything that keeps us from being transformed into His likeness.

Jesus was teaching these disciples how to follow Him so they could eventually teach others. The same is true for us. We are not just following for our own sake. We follow so that our lives become a light, a reflection of His Kingdom here on earth. Not our ideas. Not our self-interest. But His truth, His purpose, and His glory.