2nd Sunday after Epiphany 2023 John1:29-42. What are you looking for?
Last week we looked at Jesus’ baptism by John and today’s reading begins, “the next day.” So to put today’s gospel in context, it is the very day after Jesus was baptised by John.
Now there is a whole series of sermons on what John the Baptist has to say in today’s gospel in vv.29-34. But today we are going to look at what happens next
These two disciples are so intrigued by what John had just said of Jesus that they went after Jesus, who turned and asked them, “What are you looking for?” This is a simple yet profound question. Not ‘who are you looking for?,’ or ‘what do you want?,’ but ‘what are you looking for.’ These are the very first words spoken by Jesus in John’s gospel, and they could, perhaps, define the whole book.
The question, ‘what are you looking for?” means a lot more than just, ‘did you lose something? Can I help you find it?” Jesus is really asking, “What are you searching for in life? What is your soul’s deepest desire? What are you seeking with all of your being?”
I’d like to suggest that Jesus asks us the same question. What are you looking for? What do you seek? What are you hunting for, to satisfy your soul’s deep longing? He’s asks because he knows we are really good at looking for all the wrong things, in all the wrong places.
Now the minute that Jesus asks this question of Andrew and the other disciple, their lives are changed forever. In all four gospels, whenever anyone has an encounter with Jesus, with the notable exception of the proud and the self-righteous, their lives are changed forever by just a word.
The two disciples, just by being asked, now know what they are looking for, and they don’t go back to John the Baptist.
Because of John’s testimony and coming face to face with Jesus, they suddenly realize that the thing they’ve been seeking is this man standing in front of them. They respond with a question of their own. “Rabbi, where are you staying?”
The word translated “staying’ in Greek means to permanently abide. It’s the same word Jesus will say later in this gospel, “if you abide in me, I will abide in you” (15:4). What they are really asking Jesus is, ‘teacher, what is it like to abide with you? Is there room for us in your life?’
Being disciples of John they were seekers of God, so they are asking ‘can we come and live where you live? Will you teach us? Because what we are looking for is something we can devote our lives to.’
‘We are looking for someone who will teach us the things of God. If you are who John says you are, we want to spend every possible moment in your presence. Where are you abiding, so we can come and abide with you?’
And Jesus invites them to ‘come and see’ (v.39). He invites them immediately into his life. He does this with the understanding that they may choose not to follow. Once they’ve seen his accommodations and had a taste of his teaching, they may not want to stay. But his invitation is open anyway. Come and see.
When Jesus asks us, ‘what are you looking for?’ he’s asking if we are ready to be disciples. If we are looking for comfort, or security, or some assurance that we are right, we might be looking in the wrong direction. If we are looking for acceptance or affirmation from others that we are ‘good people’, we might not be ready to ask where Jesus lives.
But if we want to be with him day in and day out from this moment and for all eternity, if we recognize that following Jesus is the only way to know the fullness of God’s love, then it just makes sense for us to want to spend every moment in Christ’s presence.
Now we often talk about inviting Jesus into our hearts, or making Jesus part of our lives. But I think it’s important to see that it is Jesus who is drawing us to God, the action is all God’s.
Jesus is welcoming us into his life? Jesus invites us to come and see where he lives. He offers us the opportunity to become part of what he is doing.
His invitation is open, but it’s up to us to follow, up to us to “come and see.”
We understand this from one question from Jesus and one response in the form of a question from the two disciples.
We also need to see what happens next. Andrew goes and gets his brother Simon, to show him Jesus and the instant Jesus meets Simon, he gives him a new name; Peter, rock.
Last week we spoke about our own baptisms. The reason they are sometimes called ‘Christenings,’ is that was when babies were named – given their Christian names.
Jesus gives each of us a new name the moment we meet him, too. Last week, we spoke about the new name given to us when we are baptised. Since our baptisms we are called, ‘Beloved,’ and “Child of God.’ These are our new identities.
As John writes in his first letter to the Church, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:10.)
But Christ gives us another name, a specific one, just as he renamed Simon to indicate what his new mission in life would be. Maybe your name is “mother” or “father,” or “Godly friend,” or “teacher,” or “visitor of the sick and lonely.” Whatever our new name is, it is an invitation to live into our new identity as a follower of Jesus in a particular way.
Following Jesus to where he abides or stays and living with him, is the only way we are ever going to find what we are seeking. Entering into a life-long commitment to be part of Christ’s life is the only way we will ever fulfill the deepest longing inside us. It’s a longing that you might not even be able to name. But it’s there.
Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” Are you looking for grace and forgiveness? Are you looking for abundant life? Are you looking for an abiding and deep connection with the God who created you just so he could love you?
Jesus isn’t sitting around waiting for us to invite him into our lives. Instead, Jesus invites us into his life. With his “come and see” Jesus includes us in his Lamb of God work. It isn’t really about looking for something to fill a God-sized hole in our lives. It’s about filling the us-sized place we can claim in God’s family by accepting Christ’s invitation to grace … Let me pray.