Jesus Incognito

Scripture John 1:29-42  (CEB)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ 31 Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. 33 Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

35 The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?”  They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?”

39 He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40 One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ. 42 He led him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

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There is so much in this passage.  I really didn’t know where to start.  I had the section I planned to focus on all picked out a month or so ago.  But between the planning and the writing, sometimes stuff happens.   My eye falls on a different portion of the text.  And suddenly, that becomes the focus.  Suddenly little bits and pieces that I have been writing down and hanging on to for maybe months come together with a phrase to make an entirely different message happen than the one I was  expecting to preach.  Such is the case today.   I was planning to focus on how we often don’t recognize the Christ when we see him.  You know, because in this passage John, his own cousin, didn’t recognize Jesus as the Christ until he came to be baptized.   (Hence the title and artwork)

But this morning several things came together.  

Some months back I was listening to an interview with a truck driving country music singer, and the interviewer asked him, “Where are you coming from and what kind of freight are you hauling?”  He asked that question once as literal question for the trucker, and then again as a life question for the person. 

Yesterday I got a message from someone who comes to Worship Replay on Thursdays asking if there was going to be a Bible study anytime soon.  I told her about the Young Adult study.  But I also asked what she was looking for.  

This morning I was reading a book while eating my oatmeal. (Nothing uplifting.  

Urban fantasy.  Don’t judge.)  The main character, Cali, was watching people going into a church and thought, “A higher power to bring one’s troubles to sounded like a great idea but she hadn’t found one that called to her yet. Once a month or so, she wound up at a service of some kind and tried to listen for the call that others talked about. It had yet to arrive but she never failed to enjoy the unity of purpose that resonated through the places of worship.”

And in this passage from John,  “When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked “What are you looking for?”

What freight are you hauling?   What are you looking for?  What call are you listening for?  Maybe even - Why are you here?

A friend posted on Facebook one day, “Why people are leaving the church?" is a relevant question but the more relevant question for me is "Why people are staying in the church?"  (Rev. Nestor Gerente, UMC Pastor)

Some are here because they’ve been coming here their whole lives.  Their parents came here, and maybe their grandparents, even great-grandparents.  Some are here because a friend invited them.  Some found us through our music.  Some found the website and came out of curiosity.  Some came because they were looking for a place where they would find acceptance, and heard this was that kind of place.  Some came because they liked the preaching they found on our YouTube channel.  All have stayed because they were looking for something and found it here.  Maybe continuity. Maybe healing. Maybe love. Maybe a family. Maybe an opportunity to serve.  Maybe, for some indefinable reason, you just feel like this is the place you are supposed to be.  Why ever you are here, and why ever you stayed - this is the place and the people who have called to you to come and worship.  Come and serve. Come and be our sibling in Christ.  

When Jesus asked John’s two disciples who followed him, “What are you looking for?” they didn’t really answer him.  All they said was, “Where are you staying?”  That’s not an answer to his question.  They may not have been real clear on what they were looking for themselves. They addressed Jesus as Rabbi, and John had said that Jesus was greater than he, so maybe they were just looking for a better teacher.  But they did know that they believed what John had told them about him.   Because Andrew told his brother “We have found the Messiah.” 

Jesus invited John’s two disciples to come with him to see the place where he was staying.  And so they did.  Andrew’s brother Simon came along.  As we know - because we just read this - Jesus immediately changed Simon’s name to Peter.  Little did Simon Peter know that everything about his life was about to change along with his name.     

And that is the message.  That when we come, when we are called, when we show up to serve, everything about our lives will change.   We may not even know why we show up.  Or we may know, but we aren’t totally honest about it - even to ourselves. 

 In 1993, when I started going to church, when I found that little Disciples congregation in Port St Lucie, Florida,  I told the pastor (and myself) I was looking for a church was because my stepson needed it.  I’m pretty sure she didn’t believe me, but she didn’t call me on it.   I went because I was hungry and thirsty, and something about that pastor made me believe I could be fed in that place. I did not expect my life to be turned upside down. I expected that I would continue working as a secretary forever and that church would be a part of my life on Sunday mornings.  Then I started showing up for social events.  I brought food to pot lucks.  A few months later I volunteered to help with Vacation Bible School.  I went to the congregational meeting.  It was short.  They pretty much always are, at least  in every congregation I have been involved with. I had no idea what Jesus was going to call me to do, but in less than a year after I first walked into that church on a Sunday morning, I realized that I had been called to the ordained ministry.  And let me tell you, I did not want to answer this call.  I was quite sure that God had gone completely nuts.  I mean, me?  I do know I will be forever grateful to my pastor, the Rev. Dr. Betsy Steier Goehrig and to her dear friend, the Rev. Dr. Ben Bohren for gently guiding and encouraging me along the way - through college and seminary and right up to now.   

Today, right after worship, we will be asked to look at the slate of officers that the nominating committee presented.  Each of these individuals was asked if they were willing to serve the congregation in a specific way - as Deacon or Elder or Team Leader or Board Officer.   Each of them prayerfully considered the invitation and accepted.  Each of them will spend the next year or two or three, depending on the term for that office, giving of their time and energy beyond just showing up on Sunday mornings.    All of them have answered Christ’s call to work together to serve their siblings. 

Their service will probably not lead to the ordained ministry, but the opportunity to serve God is always life changing.  And mind you, even if you have not been called to serve in this sort of official capacity, if there is some way in which you would like to help, let me know.  Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” Whatever you would like to do, however you want to serve God and each other, we can make it happen. We are all called as partners in Christ’s service.