Leap Into Life: John 1:29-42 - Second Sunday after Epiphany

²⁹[John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!³⁰This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ³¹I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³²And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³I 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.’ ³⁴And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
  ³⁵The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸When 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?” ³⁹He 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. ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). ⁴²He 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). (NRSV)

JESUS MAFA. The first two disciples, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

Back at my old job, we had a secret rule: don’t let new hires go to the restroom…

Now we didn’t actually enforce this, for obvious reasons… 

But it happened quite often is that a new hire would ask to use the restroom, and they wouldn’t come back.  They essentially walked off the job.

When we asked them why they quit, they’d always say, “this isn’t what I was looking for.”  To which I’d reply: “what were you looking for?”  “And how can you be so sure this isn’t it after only a couple of hours on the job?” 

As ridiculous as this may sound, I can’t honestly say that I’m not any more rational in the daily decisions I make.

§  Why do I worry about things I can’t change?

§  When I’m hungry, and I have healthy food in the house, why do I eat the bad stuff?

§  Why do I waste so much time watching crap on television when I could put my precious time to such better use?

§  Why do I spend money on things I don’t need?

§  Why do I rush through my prayer and Scripture reading—or skip it altogether—even while I know I need Jesus in my life?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks what is perhaps life’s most important question: “what are you looking for?”  In other words, what drives and motivates you?   What is that you really need, deep down into the core of your being?

Your answer to this question (even if you don’t know it) lies at the heart of everything you say and do, and every decision you make.  It is what set you on the path you’re walking today.  Surely, it is what brought you here this morning. 

What we see in today’s Gospel is what happens as you’re walking that path…and Jesus shows up…

John the Baptist is standing with two of his disciples when walks by.  He tells his disciples, “look! Here is the Lamb of God!”  Here is the one I’ve been talking about all along!

Immediately, the two disciples leave him and follow Jesus—which is when Jesus asks them, “what are you looking for?” 

At this point, I don’t think they don’t know for sure.  At least, they can’t articulate what they want.  They can only ask, “where are you staying?”  Jesus replies, “come and see.”

This chance encounter teaches us something every important in the Christian life: you don’t have to be looking for Jesus to find Jesus.  Jesus finds you.  But if you want to see more of him, you’re going to have to walk a different path.  He is going to invite you to take a leap of faith out of the world of the familiar—onto a different path, toward a different place, where his life and love will be revealed.

Today, Jesus is challenging you to think deeper about what it is you’re really looking for in life.  What is it that you need that you must have and can’t bear to live without?  What do you worry about?  Are your commitments and obligations are as important to Jesus as they are to you?  Do you have “disposable income”—and if so, what are you using it for?  Why did you come here today?  What are you looking for?

Speaking personally, what I want is to feel safe and secure.  I want to be a good father, a good husband, a good father.  I want people to love me!  I want to be as free from stress and worry and failure and rejection as I can possibly be.  I want to be in complete control of my circumstances, never to miss out on anything I consider good.  How can I be seeking Christ when these things are all about me?

In spite of this, Jesus still crosses my path and yours.  He comes as the One who will take away the sin that obstructs your relationship with God.  He comes to draw you away from the things I cling to for life but that can never give it.   He comes to bring you into the life you were created to live.  He comes to give you the bread that satisfies your hungry heart.  He comes to immerse you into the love of the Triune God.

If you’re looking for life, Jesus is that life.

Today, Jesus is here for you, no question.  So how will today be a turning point? 

It starts by letting go and breaking the routine.  You’re stepping out of the normal.  Doing something more “radical” than usual.

You can never know where Jesus will lead you or what he will do.  You can only go and see.  But it is in going that you will see.  He probably won’t lead you down the easiest path—or toward the most glamorous life.  But Jesus will lead you to new life.  He will lead you to abundant life, to where true joy and peace can be found.  Trust Jesus, and leap into life!