contingencies and conjunctions, in all the conflicts of life, this Man
strides in front of us and proposes Himself to us as Guide, Example,
Consoler, Friend, Companion, everything; and gathers up all duty, all
blessedness, in the majestic and simple words, 'Follow Me.'

It is a call at the least to accept Him as a Teacher, but the whole
gist of the context here is to show us that from the beginning
Christ's disciples did not look upon Him as a Rabbi's disciples did,
as being simply a teacher, but recognised Him as the Messias, the Son
of God, the King of Israel. So that they were called upon by this
command to accept His teaching in a very special way, not merely as
Hillel or Gamaliel asked their disciples to accept theirs. Do you do
that? Do you take Him as your illumination about all matters of
theoretical truth, and of practical wisdom? Is His declaration of God
your theology? Is His declaration of His own Person your creed? Do you
think about His Cross as He did when He elected to be remembered in
all the world by the broken body and the shed blood, which were the
symbols of His reconciling death? Is His teaching, that the Son of Man
comes to 'give His life a ransom for many,' the ground of your hope?
Do you follow Him in your belief, and following Him in your belief, do
you accept Him as, by His death and passion, the Saviour of your soul?
That is the first step--to follow Him, to trust Him wholly for what He
is, the Incarnate Son of God, the Sacrifice for the sins of the whole
world, and therefore for your sins and mine. This is a call to faith.

It is also a call to obedience. 'Follow Me' certainly means 'Do as I
bid you,' but softens all the harshness of that command. Sedulously
plant your tremulous feet in His firm footsteps. Where you see His
track going across the bog be not afraid to walk after Him, though it
may seem to lead you into the deepest and the blackest of it. 'Follow