Follow Me: With Your Heart

When children identify heroes and role models, they quickly begin to pick up on the habits and mannerisms of the people they admire. They show they are followers by imitating the behavior they see and hear. Being a follower of Christ is certainly not less than imitating him—but it runs much deeper. Today in our Gospel reading, Jesus sets the record straight about what it means to follow him. It’s not about falling in line with how everyone else around you behaves. It’s not about going through the motions of piety. Following Jesus is sharing his values, his desires, and his heart. God gave us his Law so that we might see his nature. When we look at and listen to Jesus, we learn what God values, desires, and does. By God’s powerful work, our hearts are changed to see wonderful forgiveness in his Son and wonderful things in his Law. May God continue to bless and keep us close to his heart!