Years ago my family moved across the state from one small town
to another, and it was necessary to travel through a large city
on the way. My mother drove a separate car following behind my
father, who carried the only map. She worked hard to keep up,
but she lost sight of him in the city’s congested traffic and
the two got separated. Not accustomed to driving on streets with
lines painted on them, my mother found herself driving aimlessly
through an unfamiliar city looking for the right direction. I
learned a valuable lesson from my mother’s frightening
experience: When traveling through unfamiliar territory, it is
wise to follow closely behind the one who leads us. If too much
distance is permitted between ourselves and the one who knows
the way, we may wind up drifting off course. The theme of
following Jesus appears throughout the Gospels, twenty-four
times in Matthew alone. This theme certainly suggests more than
physical proximity; it signifies a relationship between Jesus
and others. Mark discusses fol