“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19).
“I want to be a disciple,” Sarah announced at the supper table.
Mom’s and Dad’s spoons paused halfway between their bowls and their lips.
“OK,” Dad responded.
“That’s nice,” Mom said with a smile.
The scent of freshly baked bread and steaming vegetable stew filled the kitchen as the little family enjoyed their meal together. Both Mom and Dad knew that when their daughter made an announcement such as this, she’d given it much thought, and something important was about to happen. “Can you start being a disciple after supper?” Mom suggested. “I don’t want your soup to get cold.”
Sarah grinned. “OK,” she said, taking another big bite of her warm slice of freshly baked whole-wheat bread. “But I’m kind of excited about it.”
Dad winked at his wife and nodded. “My daughter the disciple,” he said with a grin. “I like that!”
Later that evening Mom found her little girl curled up on her bed, reading a chapter from a picture book filled with Bible stories. Just a few years back she’d read those same stories to Sarah. Now the girl was reading for herself, thanks to the patient work of her teachers at school.
“So,” Mom said, seating herself on the edge of the bed. “What do disciples do?”
Sarah grinned. “Oh, it’s very exciting,” she enthused. “First, they learn all they can about Jesus. Then they go and show other people what Jesus was like.”
“That does sound exciting,” Mom responded.
“And they tell stories from the Bible—like these.” Sarah held up the book. “And they help people who are afraid and worried. Sometimes they travel here and there to make sure that poor people have food to eat and sick people have doctors to care for them. They even sing songs about Jesus. I know at least three great Jesus songs.” The girl paused. “Oh, and they cast out demons.”
“They what?” Mother gasped.
“Don’t worry,” Sarah giggled. “It’s not as scary as you think. I learned in Sabbath School that when you pray for a person, any demons that happen to be hanging around will leave in a hurry. Teacher said prayer also chases away the demons of anger, sadness, and shame. Powerful stuff!”
Mother reached out and touched the girl’s face. “Wow. My daughter the disciple. I think Jesus will help you every step of the way, Sarah. He’ll go wherever you go and teach you what to say and do. When we partner with Jesus, we’re in good hands.”
Sarah nodded. “That’s why I’m reading this book again. If I’m going to work together with Him, I need to know all I can about my Partner.”
Getting Ready to Go
Think of your favorite Jesus story. What three things about Him did you appreciate the most?
In what four ways can you be like Jesus as you share His love with others?
1 Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.
2 Texts credited to NIV are from the New International Version.
