By Staff
"What do you seek?" This was a question Jesus asked two disciples in the gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 38. It seems a harsh question, and maybe out of place.
John the Baptist had just pointed out Jesus to these disciples by saying, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36). It was a needful question and one all of us must answer in our spiritual quest. "What do you want?" or "What do you seek?" separates the curious, the casual, the bread eater, and the miracle seeker from the serious searcher.
The men answered the question Jesus asked with another question: "Where are You staying?" This discourse and the resulting events are a mystery. Perhaps the disciples should have come up with a better response. We would be more impressed with a theological discourse, but Jesus responded, "Come and see" (John 1:39).
We do not know where Jesus took them. We know Jesus never had a place of His own. He said in Matthew, chapter 8, verse 20, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Maybe Jesus was a guest at somebody's house or maybe He was camping out somewhere. We do know Jesus took these men, showed them where He was staying, and spent the day with them.
Imagine spending the day with Jesus Christ looking at His sleeping place and His meager belongings.
We are not told, but Jesus likely had a meal with these disciples. Maybe these two men carried a lunch. It is more likely that Jesus shared His food with them.
"What do you seek?" These men wanted time and fellowship with the One whom John said was the Lamb of God. Jesus responded quickly and comfortably. These men were simple followers of Christ.
Being a Christ follower is not an arduous task. We wrongly think it would take great preparation on our part to come to Jesus Christ. The call of Christ was always "come, follow Me." Jesus had neither enterprise nor organization; He lived life and asked others to join Him. Jesus was always intent on teaching and sharing the ways of God versus the ways of the world. He had time; He gave time.
Jesus taught against accumulating things in Matthew, chapter 6, verses 19-21. He taught against worry in verses 25-34. He said to not worry about food, drink, or clothing. He said that as God the Father takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, so He would take care of us. Jesus also said not to worry about tomorrow. Live today; tomorrow will take care of its own things.
When these two men asked to see where Jesus was staying, maybe they expected to see a well built, comfortable house and many nice things. Jesus was 30 years old and was from the family of a craftsman. Surely, He would be well established.
What do we want: security, status, potential? Jesus provides all that, but not like we think. We like to play God by thinking we can accumulate enough to be secure and comfortable, and then we will be able to give and share out of the abundance we have laid up. Giving and sharing out of the abundance we have accumulated may glorify us more than God. We may credit God, but underlying may be the fact that we think we did it.
Jesus lived and gave. The only abundance was the Father's. We are to live and give. Jesus never had a base of operations except His relationship with His heavenly Father. He wants us to do the same. Live and give now, not at some distant point in time when we feel comfortable enough in our supply to do it.
What do you want? How about spending a casual, intimate day with Jesus? How about the rest of our lives spent worshipping and serving Him?