I am always amazed at what a huge impact Jesus had on some people.  And I am even more amazed at how small an impression He made on others.  When He first approached the fishermen who were to be the first disciples, He simply asked them to come and follow him, and they did.  They left their boats, their jobs, all their security, and followed Him.   What an impact He had on them.  He changed their lives forever, and something about that first encounter gave them the faith to leave everything else behind.

     Others hardly noticed Him.  Or they were annoyed by Him.  Or they hated Him and wanted to kill Him. 

    What accounts for the difference?  I think we may find some clues in the way people respond today.  Just as in the time when Jesus walked on the earth, people encounter Christ.  Today, people will run into Him; they will hear His message, and they will hear the call to follow Him.  Like the early disciples, some people will drop what they are doing, will be convicted of their sin, and will repent and follow Him. 

     Others will hardly notice Him calling.  They may have grown up in church, and they may have heard a thousand sermons, but they are not following Him.  Long ago they made a decision to ignore the call of the Gospel, and live their lives without commitment.  They exist, and may even think of themselves as Christians, but they are not disciples. 

     I even hear of people who hate Jesus and would seek to destroy His work and His silence His call.  Just as it was two thousand years ago, there are those who are enemies of Jesus Christ.  They want to deny that He is the Son of God.  They want to make Him just another “great teacher.”  They want to limit His influence and make Him irrelevant to daily life. 

     What is your response to the call of Jesus Christ in your life today?  He is calling you to be His disciple, to be His follower, to be the leader and center of your life?  Do you ignore Him; do you resent Him; do you wish that He would leave you alone?   There is a place in your heart that wants to respond and say, “Yes, Lord.  Be my Saviour.”    If you do, your life will never be the same, and He will lead you where you need to go.   He is still making disciples today, and each life of discipleship begins with that call, “Come and follow me.”  How will you respond?