Sermonic Reflection: John 1:43-51, "Don't just follow Jesus, follow him."

There is an old saying that goes, "a good disciple follows his rabbi so close that he is covered in the dust kicked up by the rabbi's feet." This is the picture, for some, of what discipleship looks like. But I, for one, think it is an unbiblical approach to Christian discipleship.

In today's text we encounter Jesus looking for, finding, and ultimately calling, Philip. When he says to Philip, "follow me," akolouthei moi, Philip apparently does not follow; at least not in the way that the above quote suggested he should. No, the next thing we find Philip doing is looking for his friend Nathaniel. Why isn't he following Jesus? What a poor way to begin a discipleship journey. He gets one command, "follow me," and he can't even do something as simple as that. Or maybe he does...

Philip follows Jesus not by being so close that his feet get dusty because of Jesus' stride; no, he follows in a much truer way. Remember, we find Jesus looking for Philip, and after finding and calling Philip we find Philip looking for Nathaniel. So Philip is following Jesus; not by stalking him, but by doing as he does.

Anyone can walk behind someone closely, but the true test of discipleship is what you do when the rabbi is not there! I equate the disciples who embody the "dust" quote above to people who are really scripturally learned. They study Jesus so much, they know all the scriptures by heart, all they do is study. But they don't live it! Their discipleship doesn't affect anyone but their argument. Then you have Philip, his discipleship informs his life. The things he learns and see's Jesus doing he goes and puts in into practice. No Jesus dust for this guy, he is to busy finding the lost to bring them to Christ, the same way that Christ found him. He's a disciple.

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." - John 1