“Come and See”

(John 1:29-42)

The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.”  And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  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.’  And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John again was standing with two of his own disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  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?”  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.  One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).  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).

When you read or listen to most passages in the Gospel of John, you will notice several things.  One is that the Gospel writer goes into lots of detail as he tells the story of Jesus.  Also, he repeats himself a lot (probably to drive his points home).  He likes to be our teacher, and almost everything he tells us about Jesus is working on both the reporting level and the deeper meaning level.  So, always watch out for the symbolism when you read the Gospel of John.

For example, the verses you just heard contain at least one big theological concept.  Scholars for centuries have asked the “who Jesus is” question, and John the Baptist answered that question in this way: he called him Lamb of God, the same way he did at Jesus’ baptism.  It was the confirmation for all of us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed.  This testimony of John the Baptist sticks out right in the middle of the first calling of Jesus’ disciples.  And John the Baptist’s work leads right into Jesus’ ministry. 

So, right here we’ve identified several worthy sermon topics as well as fun discussions for a Bible Study, but there is one thing in the reading that always catches my attention.  And that is the first question that Andrew and Simon posed to Jesus.  Now, we know that they had already decided to follow Jesus. 

Their question came after Jesus had asked them, “What are you looking for?” (which is interesting in its own right).  The disciples replied with the odd question “Teacher, where are you staying?”  Jesus’ answer was: “Come and see….”  You can be sure that his answer is not as simple as it may seem….

…You won’t be surprised to hear that when I’m planning my sermons I look in my files.  This is to see what I’ve done with a particular scripture text over the 34 years that I’ve been preaching.  I never just pull out an old sermon and preach it as is because that wouldn’t make any sense.  You’re a different audience, and this is a different time.  So, I always edit and rework.  Sometimes I just grab the main idea in the sermon but go a different direction.  Sometimes I don’t use old stuff at all.  This week, though, I like what I had done before and decided to use some of it. 

You may remember several books that were popular a number of years ago.  They were part of The Mitford Series, and the author was Jan Karon.  I’ll be referring today to the first book whose title was At Home in Mitford.  It’s about the trials and tribulations as well as the joys in the life of an Episcopal priest known as Father Tim.  He serves in a small-town church set in the mountains of North Carolina.  It’s light reading, but now-and-then has been for me, thought-provoking.  It’s often instructive and a good reminder about the integrity, focus and sense of humor required for this calling that I along with others have answered.

What these books remind me of is that God’s work ‘most often takes place in the day-to-day, ordinary happenings of our lives with “relatively normal” people.  The important things really are our relationships, our conversations, and daily happenings.  When we pay attention, when we’re mindful, we may just see God in those times that seem routine.  And then, our usual surroundings may become sacred ground for us.

            There is one theme that is woven throughout most of this first book.  It is the famous orange marmalade cake that is discussed a lot (I do not remember who the baker is, but the cake is much revered).  In this case, the cake comes up missing from a church meeting.  It was so strange.  It just disappeared, but after a few days people sort of forgot about it because they never figured out what happened to it. 

Then we get another clue.  One day Father Tim noticed that the cupboard where the extra kitchen supplies were kept was very empty.  Also, he thought he had heard an unexplained sound. 

Another day a couple of weeks before Christmas, Father Tim needed some “spiritual time” and decided to clean the columbarium closet where a few urns of cremated remains were stored.  He picked up Mr. Parrish Guthrie’s urn to dust off the top and heard what sounded like sea shells rattling around.  This was odd because he expected, when he moved the urn, to hear the usual “shifting sand sound” of human cremains.  He opened it to investigate and discovered little cheesecloth bags.  Out of those bags came what appeared to be precious gems.  Because it was just before Christmas and the choir was preparing a special program, Father Tim chose not to call the local police.  He just didn’t want them swarming about during the Christmas season.  He didn’t have time for that sort of thing.

When, finally after all the Christmas activities were over, he did let the police chief know about all this (this was after his attorney cousin told him he might be going to jail because he was probably in possession of stolen goods).  So, he and the chief looked in Mr. Guthrie’s urn, and it was empty, totally empty.  It occurred to them that someone had recalled how wonderfully the gardens had grown that fall.  Anyway, the police combed the place for evidence and found nothing but a candy bar wrapper in the attic.

A few weeks later on a Sunday morning the priest and the congregation were stunned when the steps from the attic came down right in front of the altar (perhaps not the best design).  What appeared before them was a skinny, bearded fellow who made his way down those steps right in the midst of the service.  He asked Father Tim’s permission to speak, and once it was given he began to tell his story: the tale of his deceitful life. 

A few months before, the attic man had heard from a friend who had talked about his part in a million dollar jewel heist.  The fellow from the attic decided to find the place where his friend had stashed the jewels.  He found them, he tucked them away in his pockets and started driving.  Soon he found himself in Mitford at Lord’s Chapel (the name of Father Tim’s church).  He sneaked in and there in the attic he had been holed up for several months.  He had listened to each Sunday’s sermon.  He had even eavesdropped on a man’s search for God one morning. 

Father Tim remembered that day.  He had heard shouting in the Chapel.  So he rushed in to discover a man with his fists clenched yelling, “Are you up there?”  The attic man, at first, thought these words were directed at him but eventually realized the struggling man was shouting to God. 

Not knowing the attic man was there listening, Father Tim engaged the searching man in conversation.  He suggested to him that the question is not whether God is up there, but whether God is down here.  The downstairs man was sharing that he did not feel God’s presence at all.  Father Tim told him that God’s presence is not a matter of feeling, but, rather, a matter of faith.

 Though the man was still not convinced, nor certain of anything, he agreed to pray a simple prayer about faith with Father Tim.  It was this: “Thank you, God, for loving me, and for sending your Son to die for my sins.  I sincerely repent, and I receive Christ into my heart.  As your child, I turn my entire life over to you.”

The attic man told the congregation, “That was a real two-for-one deal because I prayed that prayer with them.”  After that day he sneaked down and took Father Tim’s Bible, and he read it.  He said he found amazing peace and closeness with God that he had never known.

So it was, on that Sunday morning after his witness to the congregation, the man prayed a prayer of confession and turned himself in to the police.  The story goes on about how the little village took care of him in jail before the FBI came to get him.  In addition, the mystery of the disappearing orange marmalade cake was solved.

…So, what does all this have to do with this morning’s lesson?  Well, let’s go back to the words of the downstairs seeker, “Where are you, God?” They really are similar to the disciples’ question: “Where are you staying, Rabbi?”  Father Tim’s answer is good for all of us, “The question to God is not, are you up there, but, rather, are you down here with us?”  Which really does go along with Jesus’ answer to the disciples.  “Come and see.”

The attic man wanted to witness to the congregation about how knowing Jesus had changed his life in that short time.  He found out a little bit about where Jesus was staying.  He discovered that he had to come and see….

…On this Martin Luther King holiday weekend, we needn’t look too far to see where Jesus was staying during the difficult 1950’s and ‘60’s.  To experience the power of that time and place we need to “come and see…”  Come and see the churches throughout the nation where King preached, giving hope to folks who had been treated as less-than-human for so very long.  Come and see the marches.  Witness the people who were focused on protesting in a non-violent way to leverage change, change that would affect our nation forever.  Where was Jesus?  Come and see….

Come to Washington DC in August of 1963 and hear again that electrifying “I Have a Dream” speech that began to change the hearts and minds of a nation that was so divided.  Where was Jesus?  Come and see….

Where is Jesus when we are still struggling with racial tensions (and we are!), when so many young, urban men are dying in the streets (remember Jayland Walker in Akron), when our poor children and elderly go without basic needs.  No food, no health care and prescriptions.  Where is Jesus when there are still people who are homeless among us, when people are hungry, when immigrant people are being ripped from their families, when protesters are dying in the streets.  Where is Jesus staying?  Why, he’s among those who are hurting.  We need to come and see. 

And where is Jesus staying today?  Why, he is staying amongst us.  It’s the truth of the Christmas season:  Emmanuel has come, God is with us.  It’s the truth of Epiphany.  The light has come to overcome the darkness.  Where is Jesus staying?  He’s with the poor, the tired, the hurting, the struggling, those who are in harm’s way, those who are grieving, those who have lost their way, those who need to be found, those who are imprisoned, those who don’t know how they will pay rent and buy groceries, those who are separated and distanced from God, those who are confused and wanting to feel God’s presence.  If you are searching and in need of Jesus… come and see….

Come here and see what Jesus is doing in our separate lives and our lives together.  Come here and be reminded that we all are weak and heavy-laden, and it is with God that we will find rest.  Come and see how Jesus can come into your heart and transform emptiness to overflowing love.  Do you know where Jesus is staying?   Come and see….

When I think of the courage and the faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, I know that he knew where Jesus was staying.  I know that his faith was greater than a feeling, and his whole ministry depended upon Jesus being present among us.  In a world that desperately needs the love of Jesus; in a world that needs the church to be the body of Christ, come and see….  And then, let us here today be the light that shines where we and others are searching….  Come and see….  We’ve got this!