I am technologically challenged. Just ask my husband. I am challenged when operating the TV remote and trying to access various streaming services; I am challenged when trying to show a DVD or connect my computer to the large TV in the Fellowship Hall; and I am challenged when something happens to my computer. While technological understanding comes very naturally to some (my husband for example), I always find myself befuddled and cannot seem to make sense of what needs to be done. I have always been one of those people who needs to learn and verify things experientially. I am an experiential learner and I usually must seek out someone to show me what to do, how to do it and thereby, through that experience, finally understand.
Because I am an experiential learner, I appreciate the sequence of events described in today’s gospel reading. Today we are told of John the Baptist who has the experience of baptizing Jesus. John has the experience of seeing the Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and then he is able to confidently point to Jesus as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s experience gave him insight and he could then assuredly proclaim who Jesus is.
Because of John’s experience, two of his disciples decide to follow Jesus to try and learn more about this unusual man. As they begin following him, Jesus turns to them and we hear the very first words Jesus speaks in the gospel of John. What is so fascinating is that Jesus’ first words appear in the form of a question as he asks, “What are you looking for?” Jesus, as he frequently does, uses a question to draw these two men into relationship, into the experience of relationship with him. It is helpful to look at the original Greek when listening to what Jesus asks. Jesus’ question would be better translated as, “What are you seeking?” or “What do you hope to find?” or “What do you long for?” And, what I find so captivating is this – Jesus speaks these same words to each one of us as we meet him. Jesus asks a question that goes directly to the deep yearnings of our hearts. Jesus’ words invite us to look into the depth of our being and ask, “What is my deepest longing, what is it I hope to find in this one called Jesus?”
I believe there are many seekers around us who are asking the same question. As a Faith community that desires to engage the greater community, this is something we should keep in mind. I know there are many in our greater community who are longing for something more, something deeper in life. As we work to connect to those beyond these walls, I have to ask each one of you, what is the hallmark of this Faith community that we can lift up so others may see who we are, see whose we are, and what we offer in this place?
It is interesting that the disciples reply to Jesus’ question by asking where he is staying. Again, it is important to look at the original Greek as we try to make sense of this experience. The disciples’ question to Jesus goes much deeper than simply asking about a geographical, physical location. The Greek word used implies they are really asking about where Jesus is dwelling, where he is abiding (a word we find used over and over again in the gospel of John). The disciples are asking Jesus where he is remaining, abiding, and indwelling. This question takes us to a deeper place. They want to know where they can come and simply experience being with him.
We live in a culture that is all about doing. Our lives are all about what it is that we do or must get done. I intently feel this focus on doing, this doing aspect of life every single day. And I am very aware of it every time we gather for worship. Quite honestly, the plethora of focal points that demand intense doing in people’s lives takes away from participation in the life of the Faith community. Each focal point attempts to demand ultimate concern in people’s lives, and a life of faith no longer fits in that ultimate concern slot. Furthermore, in a culture where more and more of us have our faces buried in our phones or tablets, simply being with, abiding with, intentionally remaining with, and being present to someone is increasingly rare. So, what does it mean for us to reply to Jesus’ question by desiring to come and simply be with him?
It is intriguing that Jesus does not offer an answer to the disciples’ question. Instead, drawing them ever more deeply into the experience of relationship, Jesus’ response is a simple invitation to “Come and see,” an invitation that is profoundly relational and experiential. His invitation is non-threatening, simple and very clear. Jesus’ response is so beautiful because it is open ended and does not require any prior pre-judged concepts of Jesus. And isn’t that the miracle of the Jesus journey? Despite the countless layers of doctrine, dogma, and varied identities the church has put onto Jesus, as well as the requirements so many communities put on prospective followers before they even begin a faith journey, Jesus does not do this. His invitation is simply to come, see, and experience. Come and see. It is an invitation to unprejudiced, undetermined encounter and relationship. It is an adventure where the disciple and the teacher live together in relationship. It is an invitation to come and participate in this Jesus reality and it is the pathway to life, eternal life which, in John’s gospel, means life that truly matters.
Living in relationship is what this faith journey with Jesus is all about. When we respond to Jesus’ audacious invitation to come and see, we begin an experiential journey of continual discovery as we learn that this God of whom Jesus speaks is all about relationship and love. We will discover more about our very selves, and we will grow in ways we never before thought possible. We will discover true life that is always relational, life that is all about a flow of love and a dance of grace.
Jesus’ answer, “Come and see!” is an answer that captures a primary message of John’s Gospel: If you want to know the Word made flesh, come and see Jesus. If you want to know what love is like, come and see Jesus. If you want to experience God’s glory, to be filled with bread that never perishes, if you want to quench your thirst with living water, to continually be born anew, to abide in love, come and see Jesus. If you want to behold the light of the world, to enter into life everlasting and to experience life that truly matters, come and see Jesus. If you want to know God, come and see Jesus!
On this weekend we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. We remember the work he did, work which brought transformation to culture. He was able to do that work because he answered Jesus’ call to come and see. He was a person who abided in Christ’s love, abided in Christian community, and through community brought change to so many people’s lives. That abiding enabled and brought forth necessary change in culture. It happened because all kinds of people came together and experienced living in relationship as the body of Christ.
I said at the beginning that I am an experiential learner and I deeply want to live a life that truly matters. As I long for this in life, I cannot think of a better learning experience than responding to Jesus’ invitation to come and see and experience the joy of living in relationship with Him. And, that is something one richly experiences when you live in relationship to others in the Faith community, when you participate in the life of the Faith community, and when we live together as the Body of Christ in this place. Lutheran professor, Andy Root, when talking about living together in relationship as a community of Faith, writes:
Relationships of persons encountering persons are the very way that we encounter Jesus Christ…..[We live together and go through life together], sharing in the humanity of each other as the very joyous journey of sharing in the life of God.
As we move into a new year, let’s be intentional about making this journey together. Come and see, experience what the body of Christ has to offer.