"Walk with Jesus, don't walk alone"

by Pastor Ben Dolby

The memory work for September sets the tone for the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24

Can I start you off with some comforting Gospel? When Christ begins the passage with, “If anyone would come after me…” it may sound like a challenge to put the pressure of success squarely on our shoulders. However, this is an invitation, a loving reminder to rely on his capabilities rather than our own. Jesus indeed challenges us, but he challenges us to not look to ourselves or our own strength. Jesus invites us to walk with him, to follow him…rather than trying to walk alone to earn anything by our own failing capabilities.

The comforting Gospel is that this is completely dependent on the One True God. The conviction of the Law may be that we may need to see how quickly we try to depend on our own capabilities before God’s. We need to turn away from trying things by our own strength! Hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling to you: Walk with me, don’t walk alone.

Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow him. It is incredibly tempting to avoid, forget, or skip over what the Messiah said before that: You want to follow me? The first step is denying yourself.

Walking with Jesus means denying my tendency to walk on my own until I feel like I’ve got everything put together. When I am “good” in my heart, mind, and entire being by my own estimation, THEN I’ll catch up to Jesus and walk with him.

Jesus led and taught by example. He gently invites you to walk with him. Your Messiah challenges you to trust him over yourself, over your preferences, over your comfortable manner of accomplishing things. Quite the challenge, no? When we are honest with ourselves, Jesus’ challenge offends our sinful nature and the incessant desire to worship our favorite false gods: me, myself, and I.

Hear again the call of Jesus: Walk with me, don’t walk alone. Do not wait until you are in a better state according to your own eyes and your own judgment. Turn to me, repent! Receive what only I can give, declares the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who takes away the sin of the world. You know who is included in the world, right? You, yes you! Jesus has taken your sins away!

Walk with Jesus, don’t walk alone.

As we begin this academic year for 2025-2026, reflect on the opening verse of one of my favorite hymns, #765 in the Lutheran Service Book.

Let us ever walk with Jesus, Follow His example pure,

Through a world that would deceive us, And to sin our spirits lure.

Onward in His footsteps treading,

Pilgrims here, our home above, Full of faith and hope and love,

Let us do the Father’s bidding.

Faithful Lord with me abide; I shall follow where you guide.

This hymn expresses the newness of life in which the baptized child of God walks by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Justified by His saving work, the believer does not follow Jesus to earn salvation, for Christ has done all that is necessary for our redemption. Rather, in thankfulness and loving obedience, the Christian wants by faith to follow closely in the footsteps of the Savior. – Lutheran Service Book Devotional Edition

Walk with Jesus, don’t walk alone. Do not start your days by chasing after the busyness of all our earthly business. Rather, start your day in God’s Holy Word, in payer, and open the wonderful tool of Luther’s Small Catechism. Start your week with the body of Christ, the Church. Walk with Jesus and your fellow forgiven brothers and sisters. Do not walk alone.

When we walk with Jesus in his Word and his Church, we will have all we need to serve the world in his name. Alleluia and Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Dolby