Sunday February 13, 2022

You, follow me

When (Jesus) had said this, he said to Peter : Follow me. Turning around, Peter sees the disciple whom Jesus loved follow him, who also, during supper, had leaned on his breast and had said : Lord, who will betray you ? Peter, the seer, said to Jesus : Lord, and this one, what will happen to him ? Jesus said to him : If I want him to stay until I come, what does it matter to you ? You follow me. John 21:19-22

This is the last word of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel according to John. It is also for each of us. What is “following Jesus” ? This gospel reveals it to us ; it is to manifest the characteristics of Jesus, the man who came from heaven : he is life (chapters 3 to 7), he is light (chapters 8 to 12), he is love (chapters 13 to 17).

The life. A child of God has the life of Christ. This manifests itself in behavior, thoughts and words directed by the Holy Spirit. It produces joy and confidence for the future. The believer is then well placed to show the path of life to those around him. This way is Jesus himself, who gave his life on the cross so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus says to each of us : "You possess my life, so you follow me by sharing my ardent desire to transmit eternal life".

The light. Jesus was the light in a very dark period of human history. Likewise, in the world today, Christians, light in the Lord, are the only ones who can show a reflection of heaven. Their light may, alas, be obscured by their day-to-day concerns or lack of dedication or zeal, but this is not a normal situation. This is why Jesus says to each of us : “You are light in me, so you, follow me. Shine in the darkness and enlighten the men and women around you."

Love. Jesus showed his love to everyone he met on his way. So, let us follow him and we too love each person placed in our path, so that they grasp something of the love of God. Jesus tells us : “I love the sheep of my flock, they are precious to me, as my hands, my side, my feet pierced for them testify. You, follow me, loving them more than your own life”.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)