In Mark chapter one when Jesus calls Andrew and Simon, most translations say that Jesus said to these brothers, “Follow me." And certainly, this is not bad translation. Except that in many ways those who claim to be followers Jesus in our day (perhaps the most beloved term for being a believer nowadays) seem to use this term to place themselves front and center. The point becomes their life of following. It can be “look at me, I am following Jesus.â€
But here is where Greek underlying can help us. What is translated as follow me is literally, “Come behind me.†Yes, we must never forget that to follow Jesus is to come behind him. To follow is to let him lead. It is to make sure that in all we do Jesus remains out in front of us. If people see us and laud us primarily in our living our Christian lives, we are in the wrong position. We have placed Jesus behind us. If we follow well, we will not be seen at all. Jesus alone will get the glory. So make sure that your following is about being behind and not in front of Jesus.
