Why Would Jesus Follow You?

Jesus will only follow us if by faith we follow Him and we will help someone else……

While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. Matthew 9:18-19.

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." Matthew 8:5-6.

We could identify several reasons why Jesus followed these 2 men because there is reason for certainty and another might be pure speculation. This does not mean that the 2 reasons that I have chosen are exactly correct, but they seem to be obvious.

1. Faith. These men demonstrate their faith in Jesus. The Lord says this to the Centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." Matthew 5:7.

These men believed in their souls that Jesus of Nazareth could make their family and friends well if He would simply come to where they lay. Of course, the daughter was already dead, "My daughter has just died.” and the slave was seriously ill, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."

Why, then, did Jesus commit himself to follow these people? Certainly we can say the obvious. Jesus had compassion for the sick…and the dead who, in His way of seeing things, were only asleep. Jesus reason for healing the sick is simple enough, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17.

2. Jesus is willing to follow us if we are not self gratifying.

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48.

Neither of these men were looking out for themselves. They were interested in the afflicted. Certainly we could say that the father came because of his personal grief and that the Centurion was interested in the fact that his financial investment was about to go away. However, Jesus is who He is, He is Lord. Therefore, I personally believe that these 2 men were asking Jesus to ‘do His thing’ for the sake of others and not for themselves.

In the end, Jesus will only follow us because we deny ourselves, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33.