When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” …He said to them, ‘Come and see.’-John 1:38-39

Dear Friends, 

When did you realize that the first words spoken by Jesus in John’s Gospel are in the form of a question? As it currently goes, “I was today years old when I realized that.”

Jesus is going about his day, maybe lost in thought, when something causes him to turn around. Then he finds he is being followed.

That “something” he heard was John the Baptist shouting:

[A]nd as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36)

Maybe Jesus was jolted out of his thoughts by John’s booming voice. Maybe he turned to look to see who John was shouting about. And what he finds is two people following him.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be rather startled and maybe even afraid if I were preoccupied by my thoughts going from point A to point B, and someone shouting drew me out of those thoughts, then I turned to see two people I did not know following me.

I’d probably be pretty defensive and say something like, “What do you want?” or “Why are you following me?” or “What do you think you’re doing?”

But Jesus’ first words in this very strange scene are more like one offering help. What are you looking for? Do you need directions? How can I help? Jesus is not even further startled that they don’t answer him, but just ask where he is staying. As if following through that they need help, they need direction – instead of pointing them to the place, he says “Come and see.”

Have you ever been in a situation where you know how to get somewhere and it would be much easier to take the person with you than to try to explain the way? I think that is what Jesus did. Maybe his preoccupying thoughts as he was passing by were not about what he needed to do but were a prayer about how he can help people find their hearts, their wells of compassion, their connection to each other.

Maybe as we move through our days, prayer about how we are connected and help finding our wells of compassion are more helpful. Maybe that is how we follow Jesus. And then one day, Jesus will surprise us and turn – not with accusation or in fear – but in love and invitation: Come and see.

Blessings on our week.

In Peace, Dina+