“What Are You After?”
NO 1/20/08 MW
Scene
My first reading of today’s Lectionary passages left me thinking, “Bah, hum bug.” It was a time of wondering when we might get to something more exciting. However, I continued to read the passages and think about them. Then there is time of prayer seeking the Lord’s help – especially, when beginning with bah, hum bug. All of a sudden, unexpectedly, I got excited re-reading the passages. Next, these passages were taken to the Bible Study groups and with both groups there was a quiet silence and then the sparks began to build into full excitement for us. These passages overflowed with meaning for the moment with a promise that more would be coming.
The Biblical Scene
John has been baptizing east of Bethany, a rugged stone throw from the Dead Sea. That is harsh land for anything. However, folks keep coming to John, repenting of their sins, and being baptized. Jesus walks past and John identifies him as the Son of God. Two of John’s disciples hear him and decided to follow Jesus. No doubt, John has been preaching and teaching about the Son of God showing up and baptizing with the Spirit rather than water even though he does not understand what he’s preaching other than, “Repent and be baptized.”
Two Follow Jesus
Two of John’s disciples decide to follow Jesus. There is no explanation provided even though the implication is they want to know more about the Son of God.
“What Do You Want?”
Jesus turns to these two men and asks the question that has echoing through the centuries right up to this very moment so that each of us is asked, “What Do You Want?” Let’s for a moment, pretend that Jesus is sitting in the pew in front of you and turns to ask, “What do you want?” how do you respond? What do you say to Jesus?
“Where Are You Staying?”
Both Bible Study groups had a good time with the response offered by John’s disciples. I can almost hear, “Ah, ah, well, you see, John as been telling us about you and ah, ah, where are you staying?” Of course, I’m making all that up because the Bible does not tell us there is any sort of hesitation or stuttering. Their response, however, is almost non-sense at first glance. Like they are caught off guard and are just putting some words in the air and letting them fall where they may.
“Come and See.”
Jesus’ reply is not so different from theirs, “Come and see.” I know why this seemingly senseless conversation stands out so quickly to me.
First Clinical Pastoral Education
Between my middler and senior years at Candler, I toke advantage of a summer of special training as a pastor. This was in a treatment center for alcoholics and other addictions and there was a steady flow of nonsense conversations. Even our supervisors used this as a method for teaching something even though we students did not know what. A student would ask a question and one supervisor would turn to the other and say something like, “I like peanut butter too, don’t you.” And then go on as if that was an answer to the question.
This conversational exchange between John’s disciples and Jesus has a little flavor of this sort of wanting an answer but one without any strings attached.
The Reality Scene
Folks, the Bible Study groups took these somewhat bah humbug exchanges and turned them into a truly exciting and intense encounter with our Lord. I witness to you that there was much more going on than one would capture at first glance with John’s disciples and Jesus and with our Bible Study.
“Where Do You Live?” & “Come and See”
John’s disciples were, no doubt, well informed about the “Son or Lamb of God.” Throughout their childhood, they would hear about the Lamb or the Anointed One or the Messiah. They knew that for centuries their people had been pleading with God to send this Messiah. They were an oppressed people and they wanted new freedom and all the prophets promised that freedom was just a Messiah away.
Perhaps these two men were afraid to approach Jesus even though they were willing to leave John on the chance of becoming a Jesus disciple. What a risk. They were following and when Jesus turned to them, their heart rate jumped and they could hardly believe that he was talking with them.
Not only did Jesus speak to them but also he gave what may be the most powerful command ever given to them and us – Come and see!
A Totally New Life
It is important that John recorded what happened in this exchange and how Jesus didn’t say, “Let me tell you about myself.” Jesus didn’t say, “Now, here are the rules. If you live by the rules you will be okay.” It is important that Jesus did not provide them or us with a set of behaviors that would somehow make us special when compared to others.
Jesus told them to “Come and See!” This is the same kind of answer Jesus was going to give John when questioned about who he is – “Tell John to look at what’s going on and make up his own mind.” He is saying to Andrew and the other disciple, “Come spend the day with me. Live with me. Come into my life and take a look so that our relationship will be an experience rather than some intellectual game.”
The Games Christians Play
What do you want from Jesus? One of the realities of our generation is that people do a lot of church shopping. They move from church to church until they find the qualities that agree with how they think and that becomes their church until it changes and they are no longer pleased.
People in churches often become demanding that their way be the way of the church. I served a church one time that had nearly all of its decision made by one person. I asked the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee what the church was going to do when he either quit or died. Their response, “We don’t know, but we suspect the church will die.”
We Christians get caught up in who is right and who is wrong – we do this with our traditions as well as within our local churches. Generally, this can be disastrous unless the differences are all above the table and part of the on-going conversation. The Bible records that even the disciples got to bickering about who’s right and who’s wrong and about who’s most important. These kinds of things have been going on forever. Perhaps they cannot be avoided. However, if we all, with all our differences, hear Jesus’ command then we will be in the same direction.
“Come and See”
Jesus commanded those two disciples to come and see where he lives and to live with him that day. The next thing we find is that Andrew is out finding his brother, Peter, telling him they have found the Messiah – the Anointed One. Peter then comes to see and we know a lot about his story – he lived with Jesus.
This is what happens when we live with Jesus rather than living to know about Jesus. Living with Jesus means that we will turn away from our usual life-teachers and follow Jesus and then share our experience. It’s not so much about learning as it is about experiencing -- living.
Conclusion
One of the things that came from both Bible Study groups was that each person would answer Jesus differently. Each has different needs and different reasons for following Jesus. It is clear that Jesus not only expects our differences but also has responded to each of us, as we need Jesus. And then Jesus grows us, transforms us, as we live with him.
Once again, the question was asked, “What do you want?” or “What are you after?” and one person in our Bible Study said, with an obvious struggle with that deep intensity that comes from the very bottom of our soul, “I know one thing that I want from Jesus.” There was a deep silence in the room and all eyes faced this person. Then the words with quiet strength, like the telling of a deep secret, spilled out, “I want to get a glimpse of God through Jesus every once in a while.”
If we will live with Jesus and see what he does and then do it with him, we will have those glimpses throughout our lives. We don’t have to understand even though we continue to try. We don’t have to know the answers even though it seems we can’t put down the effort to be able to say, “I’m right.” Indeed, Jesus turns to us and asks, “What do you want?” Our answer need only be, “To live with you!” “Come and see” is Jesus’ invitation to each of us to live with him.