Come and Follow Me

     Once there was a man walking the streets of a city. All around him he saw the filth of sin. It was on the buildings, it spilled out into the streets. Its stench filled the air. As he walked he tried to avoid the puddles, but inevitably some splashed on him. As he continued on, his clothes became stained and torn, tattered rags.

     Then through the haze of sin a hand reached down. A voice said, "Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." The man grabbed hold of the hand and was lifted out of the city, above the sin. He found himself somewhere between Heaven and Earth. Heaven's gates stood before him and the Earth and its sin behind him. Jesus stood before him and said, "Your sins are forgiven." Instantly his clothes were made white as snow, the filth of sin had been washed away. Then Jesus told him, "Come and follow me." The man started to stride boldly towards the gates of Heaven only to notice that Jesus was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled he looked around to see where the Savior had gone, to his surprise Jesus was headed back towards the filth of the world.

     Jesus calls us to win others to Him. To do that we must follow Him, not through the gates of Heaven but into the world.