John 1:43-51
In our gospel Jesus engages Philip and Nathanael.
- In the process…both men become Jesus’ disciples and experience joy.
- In the paragraphs preceding our reading John the Baptist and his followers call Jesus:
- “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
- Jesus then calls two disciples…
- One of whom is Andrew.
- Andrew then goes and finds his brother Simon.
- He tells Simon about Jesus and brings him to meet Jesus.
- Jesus then changes Simon’s name to Peter (Petros – stone or rock).
- And in this way…initiates him into his band of followers.
This pattern continues…
- Jesus travels to Galilee and immediately finds Philip.
- Jesus calls Philip to follow him and Philip does so.
Jesus’ call is “Follow me.”
- It is a call to a way of life!
- It is not a call to an intellectual creed or philosophy.
- It is a call to a relationship!
Well then…how does Jesus find the people whom he calls?
- His method is simple.
- He simply walks around.
- He simply lives his life.
- He walks around and engages the people with whom he has contact.
- This is the 21st century…this is the 1st
- In other words…in the 21st century…we do exactly what Jesus did in the 1st century.
I follow the Jesus’ model in the same way.
- As such…I simply go about my day.
- In prayer…yammering…to myself…self-talk.
- I walk around and reach out to those who cross the threshold of my life.
- I have no agenda other than to be friendly and helpful to the men and women whom I meet.
My daily prayer is this:
- “Lord…in my journey today…who will you place in front of me?
- Who will you place in my path?
- Who needs to make a claim on your love through me today?
- Who needs to discover your joy today?
- Bring them into my path.
- ”
Try out this prayer as you move through your day.
- Through the halls of your school.
- The spaces of your place of employment.
- The check-out line at your grocery store.
- Your seatmate on the airplane you are flying on.
- The person sitting across from you in the waiting room.
- You will be surprised by what occurs.
Jesus continues to call his disciples today.
- Jesus is constantly on the move.
- Leading his people to spread God’s joy…grace…mercy and justice.
Our gospel reading models sharing the Gospel in a way that comes naturally to us.
- We do not have to create a new vocabulary or mimic the words of others.
- Philip just describes Jesus as he experienced him…and this is enough.
Why is this enough?
- Our personal story is sufficient because it is ultimately Jesus’ love who engages the other person.
- We matter-of-factly say:
- “This is how my life used to be…and let me share with you how my life is now.”
- And the response just might be:
- “I want what you have…I want the peace and joy that you have.”
- And we say:
- “Come and see.”
Our daughter Jennine was six years old…and we decided she was old enough to have her room redone a bit.
- You know? New paint. New bedspread. New carpet. New pictures.
- And when we were changing what was hanging on her walls there was a crucifix hanging there.
- Well…we were going to thrift shop the three or four pieces of artwork.
- But she insisted on giving her four-year-old brother the crucifix.
- We said:” But your brother really doesn’t know what that is yet…he’s too young to know.”
- And our daughter said: “Yes…he does know what it means!”
- And we said: “How do you know that he knows what it means”?
- And she said: “He knows because I told him what it means…
- I taught him how to sing…Jesus loves me…this I know.”
- “Come and see.”
And my son in law.
- He was shopping at Target and noticed a woman with her child being knocked and pushed around by a man who apparently was her husband.
- When her husband disappeared to another part of the store my son in law gave her his business card and said:
- “Call if you need help.”
- And a couple of weeks later she did call.
- My son in law referred her and her child to a safe house.
- “Come and see.”
The Gospel is not about convincing the world with our words and deeds.
- It is about inviting others into an relationship with Jesus’ love.
- Jesus is the one who engages.
- And we are Jesus’ hands and feet.
- We merely issue invitations to others to come and see.
- And Jesus does the rest.
“Teacher…where are you staying?”
- I am sleeping under the bridge with the homeless who have no one…who have no place.
- I am sitting at the same table with the poor kid no one wants anything to do with.
- I am watching TV with an elderly couple who live alone.
- I am holding the young woman who is terrified of the surgery she is facing.
- I am with your children when you are not there.
- I am with your spouse when you are apart.
- I am with you when you are feeling lost and alone.
- I am putting my shoulder to yours in bearing your crosses of illness…despair and catastrophe.
Where am I staying?
- Come and see.