Follow, I Will Follow

John 1:35-39

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

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If you walkaway, walkaway
I walkaway, walkaway
I will follow

"I Will Follow" by U2 lyrics by Bono, music by U2, from "Boy"

According to U2 legend, Bono wrote these lyrics about his mother who died when he was a teen. The song is about a mother's unconditional love. In Rock and Roll Devotional this could be the obvious choice, but some choices are not always so obvious.

John the Baptist was a Teacher, a Rabbi. By the people in the temple he was considered a weirdo-in-the-wilderness, but he had followers. One day, Jesus was walking along a ridge and John cries out, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John had been preaching about the coming of the Lamb and what he would do. The work of the Lamb was so impressive, so important, that two of John's disciples left to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew and the other was unnamed in scripture.

They must have followed at some distance. Jesus noticed them, of course and asked the big question, "What are you looking for?" They asked their question, "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine a coy smile and maybe a cock of the eyebrow as the Lord said "Come... and see." There they stayed. They stayed together until the crucifixion and until the ascension.

Jesus walked. They followed.

When they followed their world opened up. They lived the greatest story ever told, and went on to tell it themselves. Andrew is known as the great evangelist, and the first person he brought to the Lord is his brother Simon, the man who would become Peter, the Rock upon whom Christ would build the church.

Jesus walked. They followed.

On that first day and on every day until that last fateful day before Pilate, Andrew, his brother Simon, and all of the rest except for Judas followed. They traveled over all of Judea. They went throughout the nation of Israel. They didn't have a home base much less a home. They stayed with friends. They stayed with family. They stayed where someone longed to hear the word. And after the ascension, the kept following.

Jesus ascended. They kept following... they followed where the Spirit led.

Bono wrote "I Will Follow" as an expression of a mother's unconditional love. No matter how far a child strays, the mother follows. That's the difference between a mother's love and the love of God. No matter where we stray, there is no where the love of God is not already there to meet us and meet us with unconditionally.