WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
John 1:35-39
Rev. Paul Wrightman 6/27/21
IN A REMOTE SWISS VILLAGE STOOD A STUNNING CHURCH.
IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT IT WAS KNOWN
AS THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY CATHEDRAL.
THE CHURCH WAS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT –
WITH ITS HIGH PILLARS AND MAGNIFICENT
STAINED GLASS WINDOWS – IT HAD THE BEST-SOUNDING
PIPE ORGAN IN THE WHOLE REGION.
PEOPLE WOULD COME FROM GREAT DISTANCES
TO HEAR THIS GREAT INSTRUMENT.
BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM.
THE HIGH COLUMNS WERE STILL THERE
AND THE WINDOWS STILL DAZZLED
WHEN SUNLIGHT POURED THROUGH THEM –
BUT THERE WAS AN EERIE SILENCE.
THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY NO LONGER ECHOED
THE GLORIOUS FINE-TUNED MUSIC OF THE PIPE ORGAN.
SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG WITH THIS SUPERB INSTRUMENT.
MUSICIANS AND EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
HAD TRIED TO REPAIR IT.
EVERY TIME A NEW PERSON WOULD TRY TO FIX THE ORGAN
THE VILLAGERS WERE SUBJECTED TO SOUNDS OF DISHARMONY – AWFUL PENETRATING NOISES WHICH RIPPED THROUGH THE AIR.
ONE DAY AN OLD MAN APPEARED AT THE CHURCH DOOR.
HE SPOKE WITH THE SEXTON
AND AFTER A TIME THE SEXTON RELUCTANTLY AGREED
TO LET THE OLD MAN TRY HIS HAND AT REPAIRING THE ORGAN.
FOR TWO DAYS THE OLD MAN WORKED IN ALMOST TOTAL SILENCE.
THE SEXTON WAS, IN FACT, GETTING QUITE NERVOUS.
THEN ON THE THIRD DAY AT HIGH NOON
THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY ONCE AGAIN WAS FILLED
WITH GLORIOUS MUSIC.
FARMERS DROPPED THEIR PLOWS,
MERCHANTS CLOSED THEIR STORES –
EVERYONE IN TOWN STOPPED WHAT THEY WERE DOING
AND HEADED FOR THE CHURCH.
EVEN THE BUSHES AND TREES
AND THE VERY MOUNTAINS THEMSELVES
SEEMED TO RESPOND AS THE GLORIOUS MUSIC
ECHOED FROM RIDGE TO RIDGE.
AFTER THE OLD MAN FINISHED HIS PLAYING, A BRAVE SOUL
ASKED HIM HOW HE COULD HAVE FIXED THE ORGAN,
HOW HE COULD HAVE RESTORED THIS MAGNIFICANT INSTRUMENT
WHEN EVEN THE WORLD’S EXPERTS COULD NOT.
THE OLD MAN MERELY SAID THAT IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB.
“IT WAS I WHO BUILT THIS ORGAN FIFTY YEARS AGO.
I CREATED IT – AND NOW I HAVE RESTORED IT.”
SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY, I CAN SEE GOD SAYING
THESE EXACT SAME WORDS ABOUT OUR BROKEN WORLD
WHEN GOD GAVE US JESUS.
LIKE THE BROKEN PIPE ORGAN IN OUR STORY,
HUMANITY WAS NO LONGER MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.
VARIOUS PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS STEPPED IN,
BUT NONE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SOUND EXACTLY RIGHT.
FINALLY THE CREATOR OF HUMANITY, GOD, STEPPED IN
IN THE PERSON OF JESUS TO SET THINGS STRAIGHT,
AND WE CAN METAPHORICALLY HEAR GOD SAYING,
CONCERNING BROKEN HUMANITY:
“I CREATED IT – AND NOW I HAVE RESTORED IT.”
WE HAVE A WINSOME PICTURE
OF WHAT GOD’S RESTORATION OF HUMANITY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
IN TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING.
WE FIND OURSELVES AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF JESUS’ MINISTRY.
JOHN THE BAPTIST WATCHES JESUS WALK BY AND EXCLAIMS:
“LOOK, HERE IS THE LAMB OF GOD!”
THIS IS ENOUGH TO INSPIRE THE TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES
STANDING WITH HIM TO LEAVE JOHN AND TO FOLLOW JESUS.
JESUS SENSES THAT HE IS BEING FOLLOWED, TURNS AROUND,
AND ASKS THESE TWO DISCIPLES OF JOHN
ONE OF LIFE’S DEEPEST QUESTIONS:
“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?”
OR, IN MORE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE,
“WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING?”
LIKE ALL JESUS’ QUESTIONS,
THIS ONE IS DIRECTED NOT ONLY TO
THE PARTICULAR PERSONS HE SPOKE TO BACK THEN,
BUT TO ALL PEOPLE OF ALL TIMES,
WHICH INCLUDES EACH ONE OF US, RIGHT NOW:
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? WHAT ARE WE SEEKING?
RIGHT AFTER JESUS ASKS THESE TWO DISCIPLES OF JOHN
THIS QUESTION, THEY RESPOND TO HIM
WITH A QUESTION OF THEIR OWN:
“RABBI, TEACHER, WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?”
IN THE COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE OF JESUS’ DAY,
TO ASK A RABBI WHERE HE WAS STAYING
WAS A SHORTHAND WAY OF ASKING HIS PERMISSION
TO BECOME ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, ONE OF HIS STUDENTS.
JESUS’ ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION ONCE AGAIN SPILLS OVER
FROM HIS WORLD TO OURS: “COME AND SEE.”
TWO VERBS:
COME: THIS IS JESUS’ INVITATION TO CHECK HIM OUT,
TO GIVE HIS TEACHINGS, MINISTRY, AND PERSON A TRY.
SEE: THIS IS JESUS’ INVITATIONTO LOOK CLOSELY AND DEEPLY
NOT ONLY AT WHAT HE’S DOING,
BUT TO LOOK JUST AS DEEPLY AND CLOSELY
AT WHO HE IS.
THUS, JESUS’ PROFOUND QUESTION
“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” OR WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING?”
COULD ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS
“WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” OR “WHO ARE YOU SEEKING?”
THE BEST CHRISTIAN THINKING THROUGHOUT THE AGES
HAS TAUGHT THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHS TO THE ONE GOD,
BECAUSE ONLY THE ONE GOD WOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE
MULTIPLE PATHS LEADING TO THE SAME DIVINE BEING.
SOME OF THESE PATHWAYS TO GOD
ARE THE HUMAN QUEST FOR TRUTH,
THE HUMAN QUEST FOR LOVE,
THE HUMAN QUEST FOR JUSTICE, OR GOODNESS,
AND THE HUMAN QUEST FOR BEAUTY.
ACCORDING TO THIS WAY OF THINKING,
TRUTH, LOVE, JUSTICE, AND BEAUTY ALL POINT TO GOD,
ARE ALL STRONG HINTS OF GOD’S BEING REAL AND PRESENT.
ACCORDING TO THIS WAY OF THINKING,
IF A PERSON SINCERELY AND PASSIONATELY
FOLLOWS ANY OF THESE FOUR PATHS
IT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH A PERSONAL GOD.
THUS, TO MENTION JUST ONE EXAMPLE,
THE PATH OF TRUTH WILL EVENTUALLY CONNECT
WITH THE PATHS OF LOVE, OF JUSTICE, AND OF BEAUTY –
AND BRING ONE INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CREATOR
OF THESE TRANSCENDENT REALITIES – GOD.
RETURNING TO OUR SCRIPTURE READING,
IT’S ALMOST AS IF JESUS IS SAYING TO THOSE TWO DISCIPLES,
AND TO US:
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TRUTH?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR LOVE?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JUSTICE AND GOODNESS?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BEAUTY?
IF YOU’RE SEEKING ANY OF THESE THINGS,
COME AND STAY WITH ME AND YOU WILL FIND THEM.
THE ORIGINAL BAND OF JESUS’ DISCIPLES –
MEN AND WOMEN BOTH –
DID INDEED COME TO STAY WITH HIM,
AND IN STAYING WITH HIM DISCOVERED
THE SOURCE OF ALL TRUTH, LOVE, JUSTICE, AND BEAUTY
IN THE GOD WHOM JESUS REFERRED TO AS HIS ABBA.
BY STAYING WITH JESUS, BY ABIDING WITH HIM AND IN HIM,
WE TOO WILL DISCOVER THAT
TRUTH, LOVE, GOODNESS, AND BEAUTY
ARE NOT JUST ABSTRACT REALITIES,
BUT PERSONAL, TRANSFORMATIVE REALITIES
THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE AND PARTICIPATE IN OURSELVES.
JESUS’ ENTIRE LIFE AND MINISTRY ARE TELLING US THAT
GOD CAN BE KNOWN AND TRUSTED,
THAT GOD’S LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL AND ABSOLUTE,
THAT GOD’S COMPASSION WILL BEAR THE WEIGHT
OF OUR BROKENNESS,
AND THAT FEAR OF ANY KIND HAS NO PLACE IN GOD’S REALM.
SO OFTEN WE ACT AS IF GOD
SIMPLY DOEN’T HAVE THE STRENGTH OR POWER
TO SEE US THROUGH.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING STORY
NOT AS A RECOMMENDATION TO BE FOOLHARDY ON ICE,
BUT SIMPLY AS AN ILLUSTRATION
OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT WAYS
OF “LEANING ON GOD’S EVERLASTING ARMS.”
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF OUR COUNTRY A WEARY TRAVELER
CAME TO THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THERE WAS NO BRIDGE.
IT WAS EARLY WINTER,
AND THE SURFACE OF THE MIGHTY STREAM
WAS COVERED WITH ICE.
COULD HE DARE CROSS OVER?
WOULD THE UNCERTAIN ICE BE ABLE TO BEAR HIS WEIGHT?
NIGHT WAS FALLING,
AND IT WAS URGENT THAT HE REACH THE OTHER SIDE.
FINALLY, AFTER MUCH HESITATION AND WITH MANY FEARS,
HE BEGAN TO CREEP CAUTIOUSLY ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE ICE
ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES.
HE THOUGHT THAT HE MIGHT DISTRIBUTE HIS WEIGHT
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
AND KEEP THE ICE FROM BREAKING BENEATH HIM.
ABOUT HALFWAY OVER
HE HEARD THE SOUND OF SINGING BEHIND HIM.
OUT OF THE DUSK THERE CAME A MAN,
DRIVING A HORSE-DRAWN LOAD OF COAL ACROSS THE ICE
AND SINGING MERRILY AS HE WENT ON HIS WAY.
HERE HE WAS – ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES,
TREMBLING LEST THE ICE BE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAR HIM UP!
AND THERE, AS IF WHISKED AWAY BY THE WINTER’S WIND,
WENT THE MAN, HIS HORSES, HIS SLEIGH, AND HIS LOAD OF COAL,
UPHELD BY THE SAME ICE ON WHICH HE WAS CREEPING!
LIKE THIS WEARY TRAVELER, SOME OF US HAVE LEARNED
ONLY TO CREEP UPON THE PROMISES OF GOD.
CAUTIOUSLY, TIMIDLY, TREMBLINGLY
WE VENTURE FORTH UPON GOD’S PROMISES,
AS THOUGH THE LIGHTNESS OF OUR STEP
MIGHT MAKE THOSE PROMISES MORE SECURE.
GOD HAS PROMISED TO BE WITH US.
LET US TRUST THAT PROMISE!
IN JESUS, GOD HAS PROMISED THAT GOD
IS COMPASSIONATE, FORGIVING, AND LOVING.
LET US TRUST THAT PROMISE!
IN JESUS, GOD HAS PROMISED
THAT DEATH LEADS TO NEW LIFE.
LET US TRUST THAT PROMISE!
AND LET US TRUST THE PROMISES OF GOD
NOT JUST AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS A CHURCH!
SO OFTEN WE DESCRIBE OUR CHURCH AS
STRUGGLING, SMALL, AND ALWAYS ON THE VERGE
OF NOT MAKING IT FINANCIALLY.
WE FORGET THAT IN BEING VITALLY CONNECTED TO A GOD
WHO OFFERS THE SELF-DEFINITION
OF ONE WHO IS ALWAYS WITH US,
OF ONE WHO WILL NEVER FORGET US OR FORSAKE US,
OF ONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN BRINGING LIFE OUT OF DEATH –
NONE OF THESE NEGATIVE WAYS IN WHICH WE SEE OUR CHUCH
CAN BE FINAL OR DEFINITIVE.
GOING BACK TO OUR PICTURE OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN WINTER,
THEY ONLY SERVE AS EXCUSES FOR OUR CHURCH
TO CREEP ON THE ICE, SO TO SPEAK, INSTEAD OF
STRIDING BOLDLY ON THE SOLID PROMISES OF GOD.
TIMOTHY KELLER WRITES:
“MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WOULD NEVER WEAR
A SEAT BELT IN THE CAR.
I BERATED HIM FOR IT.
THEN ONE DAY HE PICKED ME UP AT THE AIRPORT
AND HE HAD ON HIS SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS.
I ASKED, “WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT CHANGED YOU?”
HE REPLIED:
“I WENT TO VISIT A FRIEND OF MINE IN THE HOSPITAL
WHO WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT
AND WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.
HE HAD TWO OR THREE HUNDRED STITCHES IN HIS FACE.
I SAID TO MYSELF, “I’D BETTER WEAR MY SEAT BELT.”
“DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT IF YOU DIDN’T WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT
YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD
IF YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT?” I ASKED.
“OF COURSE I KNEW IT,” HE SAID.
“WHEN I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE MY FRIEND,
I GOT NO NEW INFORMATION,
BUT THE INFORMATION I HAD BECAME NEW.
THE INFORMATION [I ALREADY HAD] BECAME REAL TO MY HEART
AND FINALLY SANK DOWN AND AFFECTED THE WAY I LIVE.
(End Quote)
MOST OF US ALREADY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT GOD
THAT WE NEED.
BUT ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT GOD
IS NOT NEARLY THE SAME AS STAYING WITH GOD,
ACTUALLY TRUSTING GOD TO FULFILL GOD’S PROMISES TO US,
BOTH AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CHURCH.
JESUS ASKS EACH OF US “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR,
WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING?”
AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION THAT WE COULD ALL GIVE
IS THAT ALL OF US ARE LOOKING FOR
MORE TURTH, MORE LOVE, MORE GOODNESS, MORE BEAUTY.
BY INVITING US TO STAY WITH HIM, TO BECOME HIS DISCIPLES,
TO “COME AND SEE,” JESUS IS REASSURING US
THAT WE WILL FIND ALL THESE THINGS IN HIM.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE SAME JESUS WHO ASKED
THIS QUESTION OF QUESTIONS, “WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING,”
ALSO GAVE US THE PROMISE “SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND”
(MATTHEW 7:7).
AMEN.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What are some areas of your life where you would like to trust God more? Any ideas as to how to go about doing this?
If Community Church were to venture forth is some new directions, what would you like to see those directions be?
Any ideas as to how we might go about actually doing this?