What Are You Looking For?
Rev. Lee Ann Bryce
Community Christian Church
January 16, 2011
Last week our text was the baptism of Jesus as told in the gospel of Matthew. Today, the lectionary gives us a gospel text from John. You might recall that Jesus’ baptism appears in all four gospels. Today our passage from John picks up the day after John has baptized Jesus. John chapter 1 beginning in verse 29:
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John packs a lot into his impromptu testimony. Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away” the world’s sin. Jesus existed before John – he came before me, John says. Jesus bears the Holy Spirit. He is the son of God.
We remember, of course, that the gospel of John is the last gospel written of all the gospel accounts included in the Bible. Mark came first, then Matthew and Luke, and John was written last, perhaps as much as 70 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. So it’s quite likely that John the Baptist did not, himself, understand Jesus with this lengthy description that is attributed to him in this passage, but rather this view of Jesus reflected the theology about Jesus that had formed by the time John was written. Nonetheless, these are important theological assertions that deserve attention. I’m not, however, going to preach about them today.
As I prepared my sermon this week, the next part of the passage grabbed my attention. And since that’s what grabbed my attention, that means you’re stuck with it too. John chapter 1 continues with a description of the next day, meaning the day after the day after Jesus’ baptism. We continue reading chapter one in v. 35.
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus
walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter.)
I want to point out some aspects to these verses. First of all, look back at v. 35, “The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples.” The story that follows is about how Jesus called his very first disciples to follow him. In the other gospels, Jesus calls his followers differently. In Matthew’s gospel, there’s the story of Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee and he sees two fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew. In Matthew’s gospel, the two brothers are casting their net into the sea when Jesus walks by and says, If you follow me I’ll make you fishers of people. They immediately drop their nets and follow Jesus.
In John’s version of Andrew’s call, Andrew is described, not as a fisherman, but as one of John’s disciples. Isn’t that interesting? Jesus’ first disciples, according to this passage, were already disciples of someone else. They weren’t new to the disciples business. They were already disciples of John. And because of John’s testimony, because of how John spoke of Jesus, Andrew and the other un-named disciple (who some speculate might have been John), turned to follow Jesus. This tells us something about John the Baptist. He is true to his word that his purpose is to announce the coming of Jesus and he appears to let his disciples go when Jesus shows up. Usually when someone has disciples following him, he’s not quite so easy with letting them go to follow another.
Jesus wises up that he’s being followed. (It’s funny to think about, the picture of Jesus sort of looking over his shoulder – what – nervously? With curiosity? With annoyance? Who knows.) For whatever reason, Jesus turns around and says, “What are you looking for?” This simple, direct question goes to the heart, doesn’t it?
What are you looking for? Sometimes a line from scripture jumps out for its simplicity and clarity. What are you looking for? With Jesus’ question he invites the two men to some self-reflection. What exactly is it that you want? What makes you think you’ll find it following me? Haven’t you found what you’re looking for by being John’s disciples?
In Jesus they sense something worth following but the response of the two men is a bit random. If someone asked you, “What are you looking for?” do you think you’d say, “Where are you staying?” It’s like they are engaged in completely different conversations. Why do you suppose tis behind the disciples ask Jesu, “Where are you staying?” Are they being friendly, trying to engage the so-called “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” in some friendly banter? What other questions for Jesus did these sparkling conversationalists have in mind? Hey, what kind of music do you like? Are you dating anyone? What’s your sign?
Maybe the two men are more perceptive than I’m giving them credit for. Maybe, like many of us, they are looking for more – more meaning, more purpose, more truth than they have found before. They sense that the “more” they are seeking can be found in “staying” with Jesus; in learning how Jesus lives; how this man is able to be so filled with peace and clarity with such power to heal.
Jesus, of course, is willing to show them exactly what they want to see. He responds, “Come and See.” It is a simple invitation that echoes in our ears still today. For like those disciples, Jesus calls us to identify what we’re looking for. Exactly what are we doing with our lives? What are we seeking? With all of the activity we’re engaged in every day from the morning alarm to brushing our teeth before we turn in for the night – what are we doing? What are we looking for? And we all gather here, in a church, because we sense in Jesus the Christ someone, something that compels us to follow, to go deeper, to get closer.
Just as Jesus responded, “Come and see,” to his disciples, he speaks to us. Do you want more in your life? Come and see. His invitation is for all of us; all who wish to grow deeper in our faith or who long for more meaning in our lives. Jesus says to us, Come and see.
It’s interesting to note that when the disciples ask Jesus, “Where are you staying?” Jesus does not answer their question directly. He says, “Come and see.” In other words, he issues an invitation that will allow them to find the answer for themselves.
We seek more for our lives. Maybe we want answers, a point-by-point plan, a voice from heaven with clear instruction; a lightning bolt to accompany it would be nice. We’ll never get that from God. But we can count on a standing invitation to dwell with the holy, to stay with Christ, and if we follow, to find the answers for ourselves.
What are you looking for? Come and see.
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