Jesus lived in the ancient city of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and was considered a famous Rabbi who exemplified the characteristics of a great teacher. In this region, it was a big deal to be a sage, a Rabbi, or someone who knew the Torah (first five books of the Bible), and had a group of people following them. Many great Rabbis in Jesus’ day had different interpretations of the Torah and its most important commands. This was called a Rabbi’s yoke. If a Rabbi was famous, he would pass on his yoke, or teachings, to his disciples. He wanted them to carry on with his interpretation of the Torah. They were to live, walk, look, teach, care, and even tell the same jokes as their Rabbi. 

Rabbis were the great pillars of society. If a student was gifted and very bright, a Rabbi would say, “come follow me.” Becoming a disciple was a major accomplishment, like getting accepted into Harvard University. As Jesus encountered Peter and Andrew, all He said was “Follow me.” This was their greatest honor. Jesus summoned them, and they were not going to wait. 

Friend, Jesus asks you today to follow Him! He thinks you are good enough to be His disciple. He knows you can carry His yoke. He is certain you can remember all that He’s teaching you. Without a shadow of a doubt, you can become like Him!