John
1:29-42
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! 30 This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead
of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came
baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to
Israel." 32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 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.' 34
And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." 35
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he
watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 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?" 39 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. 40 One of the two who
heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He
first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the
Messiah" (which is translated Anointed ). 42 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 ).
They said to him, "Rabbi" …,
"where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see."
·
Jesus says “Come and see” when he is
asked by two of John’s disciples where he is staying. Most of us would expect
to get a factual and even geographic answer to that question, like “I’m staying
with Solomon’s family down the road” or “I’m at the third house on the left.”
Instead they receive an invitation to “Come and see” for themselves.
There is no information given and no threat added (“Find me or else!”) It’s a
simple invitation to the two and they take Jesus up on it.
·
We don’t know where they went or what exactly
went on, although the Evangelist tells us They came and saw where he was staying,
and they remained with him that day.
·
Jesus doesn’t invite them so much to a place as
to a relationship. He is the place and being with him is more important
than a location on a map. From that, his followers invite others to come and
join them – such as when Andrew finds his brother, Simon Peter: He
first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the
Messiah" (which is translated Anointed ). He brought Simon to Jesus…
When Simon comes to see Jesus for himself, Jesus immediately strikes up a
relationship with him and in that relationship, changes the man’s name to “Peter.”
Many relationships can cause such a change and we could say that Peter was the
better for it.
·
We might say that things don’t work that way for
us today. We might say that we don’t receive a personal invitation from Jesus
to see where he lives. We could say that we do not hear the words, “Come
and see” any longer.
·
Still our faith tells us the invitation is there.
Our baptism assures us of that. Every time we hear the word in the worship
service or in our own reading of the Scriptures, the invitation is there.
·
We are invited to Come and see as
Andrew and the other man who followed Jesus that day by the Jordan. We are
invited to come and see no matter what our state in life might be. The
invitation is to come and see and remain
with him in whatever we are doing. We might even say “ready or not.”
·
That invitation might be to discipleship in a
life of work for the betterment of our family. Or it might be to discipleship
in teaching others about Jesus and faith… within the family or within the
community of faith. It might be to serve as a witness to the presence of Jesus
in the world as we know it to be, with all its faults and failings (and our own
faults and failings.) It maybe to serve others as Jesus’ disciple in so many
possible ways.
·
Now all that could be frightening. I think we all
know that. We can be unsure of ourselves and unsure of just what we’re being
called to. That would be natural.
·
There is, however, one thought that is comforting
in all this. When Jesus says Come and see, he is saying “come with me
and see.” He is calling to join him in where he is – where he is staying –
and in where he is going.
·
Where could we go that God could not be found
there? Is there such a place – in the world or in our own selves?
·
The Psalms tell us this:
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your
presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you
are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest
limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold
me fast.
(Psalm 139:7-10)
·
Where ever we might go, the presence of God and
the grace of Jesus Christ are there waiting for us. Even in whatever fear we
might experience in such a new or strange situation (or possibly even in a
comfortable situation), we are assured that Jesus has accompanied us there and
is actually there before us, letting us see and ‘uncover’ his presence there,
as if he were saying “come and see where I am
already before you.” Even John the Baptizer says, "After me comes a man who
ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”
·
Even if we face our own suffering and even our
own death, Jesus has already been there. That’s what resurrection is all about
for us.
·
This year, we will be hearing from Matthew’s Gospel
for the readings during the Service. It is worth remembering the final words of
Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, which are in fact the last words of the Gospel. In
the 28th chapter, Jesus says And remember, I am with you always, to
the end of the age. (Matthew
28:20)
Come and see… and remember, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.
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