"Follow Me."

Old Testament instance-

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen... Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back.

New Testament instance -

Jesus said to another man, “Follow me.”

[...] Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

***

See the similarity and the difference? :) Both were called and both were willing to follow, willing to leave their jobs and families.

The difference:

But the difference is that Jesus calls for even higher and more radical measures than Elijah, who was under the old covenant. Jesus called for an immediate and 100% devoted response. For example, when He called the disciples, they immediately left their nets (their livelihood) and followed Him. Jesus won't accept anything less than 100% devotion because they're "not fit for service in the Kingdom of God". Sobering, huh?

The good part:

However high the cost of following Jesus may seem, it is the highest privilege - preaching and demonstrating that the Kingdom of God is at hand; this Kingdom that many have awaited for (and many are still awaiting to experience or hear about). We are called to preach the Kingdom and demonstrate the Kingdom (healings, deliverance, etc)! And He has equipped us with His very own Spirit and power to do this very task. We are called to a greater than the ministry of Elisha who followed Elijah (and they both did some crazy things!)

If you're a follower of Jesus, you are called to high things, glorious things... You follow the One who has no beginning or no end, whose eyes blaze with fire, and whose loving sacrifice has given us full access to the throne of Dad our God. He only asks that we put our hands to the plow and follow Him, wherever He may take us, no matter how uncomfortable it may be... with eyes fixed on Him, moving forward. Jesus, who thought we were worth Him sacrificing His life for, is infinitely worth it.