What do you seek? Come and see

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- John 1:35-42

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. It is John who announces Jesus to the world, and Jesus' identity. Jesus does not reveal Himself, but is revealed by the prophet and Forerunner, John. John said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! . . . I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" I find it very fascinating about the Gospels that they show us how this salvation plan works in its Incarnation. So much depends on the workings of the Spirit through other human beings. John the Baptist has not only revealed Jesus to others in yesterday's reading, but now he leads his disciples toward Him.

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" Again, we note, the initiation for Jesus' public ministry does not come directly through Jesus' open action, but through the human beings through whom God is at work in the world. The two disciples pursue Jesus. "What do you seek?" is Jesus' open invitation to them to ask specifically what they want of Him.

They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). Again, the human relationships that populate this story of the Gospels take precedence as the means whereby this great mission of salvation is at work. Jesus' disciples are friends, they come and stay with Him. They will spend time with Him as He teaches them His way - but it all begins with an invitation, an initiation through the Baptist, and time spent together. The tenth hour is about 4:00 in the afternoon.

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). My study bible suggests that the unnamed disciple of John the Baptist here is probably the author of this Gospel (whose own brother will also become a disciple of Jesus). But we see again the interworkings of the human beings that people this Gospel and this story -- each brings another to Christ. "Messiah," literally means "Anointed One" (as does Christ). It refers to the anointing of kings, and the identity of the Messiah as the "son of David." Later, in the next chapter of John's Gospel, when Jesus says He will "raise up the temple in three days," He will in some sense be alluding to the predictions about the Messiah. Simon, of course, is Peter; in the original Greek of the Gospel it is Petros, from which we derive his name in English - and which means literally "stone" or "rock." Jesus' first act is to reveal His knowledge of human beings, as "heart-knower." He sees deeply into the identity, and destiny in His Way, of those who come to Him. In a sense, Jesus reveals Peter to himself, in ways Peter cannot possibly see at this time.

So the depth of relationship is at work through the Gospel, right from its beginning. The knower-of-hearts knows us, but He wants us to "know" Him. Jesus does not come into the world imposing Himself and revealing Himself, but rather waits for the time when God, working through John the Baptist, reveals Him to the world. It all works through other human beings, those whose hearts are drawn toward Him in recognition and acceptance, and we must remember Jesus' words to Peter (that I referred to also in yesterday's reading) at Peter's confession of faith. The Father is at work behind all things, and through us as well. We help to bring one another into this kingdom, as we seek to reflect the light through ourselves in the world, to others, as Jesus will also teach ("You are the light of the world.") But once we are drawn in, then He comes to meet us and take us on His Way, to a destiny in Him. He peers into our hearts and knows us better than we know ourselves, and reveals, not only Himself, but us to ourselves, who we truly are. So, as we take that journey of faith, we must remember relationship and light: the light must shine through us before men, and His light shines in us and peers into us more deeply than we can even know our depths, and the depths that lay inside for us to know and to discover through Him. Are you prepared to walk in that light, with so many others and such grace working through all? Take the first step, as did the disciples in this story. He is always asking us, "What do you seek?" and inviting us to "Come and see."