A Disciple's Journeyনমুনা

Following Jesus Means Imitating Him

The first thing we learn in Mark 6 is that following Jesus means imitating Him. For the first five chapters of Mark, Peter has been following along closely with Jesus, mostly as a spectator. He’s been watching Jesus work and seeing how He does things. Peter has been learning more and more about the identity of Jesus.

But in chapter 6 of Mark’s Gospel, there’s a big turn. Following Jesus doesn’t mean being a fan of Jesus, just being a spectator of His works or a consumer of His content. Following Jesus requires action. It means getting up off the sidelines and getting into the game. It means doing what Jesus does the way that Jesus does it.

Just imagine how Peter must have felt when Jesus told the twelve to go “out two by two,” and when He “gave them authority over the unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7). They weren’t even allowed to take any supplies with them—no food, no money, not even an extra change of clothes (Mark 6:8–9). He gave them a few instructions about what to do, depending on whether they were accepted or rejected. And that was it. Sink or swim!

We are told that Peter and the disciples did three things: proclaimed that people should repent, cast out demons, and healed people (Mark 6:12–13). These are the same three things that Jesus Himself had been doing and would continue to do throughout His ministry. Being a disciple of Jesus, being His follower, means doing what He does. It means imitating Him.

Later, when the apostles returned from their mission trip, Jesus told them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). This was exactly what He Himself had done after a busy season of ministry that involved preaching, healing, and casting out demons, back in chapter 1 (see Mark 1:35).

So for us, we have to realize that we’re called to live like Jesus and be like Jesus. It’s not like being a sports fan. All they ask you to do is buy a ticket, sit in the stands, and munch on popcorn while you cheer for the athletes doing all the hard work. That’s not what discipleship is. It’s more like signing up to train with a master climber who is going to show you how to climb Mount Everest. He’ll teach you the ropes. But then he expects you to start making your way up the mountain, climbing up the same paths that He climbed.