Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 4, 2007 - St. Elizabeth Seton
[1 John 3:7-10 and John 1:35-41]Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi...where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and you will see."
A large part of the theology of the Gospel of John is contained in that brief exchange, which does have its comic moments. We can imagine the two disciples, who heard John the Baptist identify Jesus as "the Lamb of God," sort of waiting and then following to see where he goes literally. But Jesus turns and asks them a question that is about much more than a location. "What are you looking for?" When they stammer back at him, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" They are saying more than they mean. They are asking about Jesus' identity. He responds, "Come and you will see!" In the Gospel of John, the word "to see" is often the equivalent of "to believe." So, disciples gradually learn about Jesus, and they understand his question initially only on a physical level - something that occurs over and over again in the Gospel of John. I mention all of this because the Gospel of John consistently and simultaneously works on more than one level at a time. Thus we are pulled into more than a "story" level. We are pulled into a "meaning" level and are invited to participate in a reality that is more profound than it seems at the moment. If we feel attracted to Jesus and wish to follow him, we had better be prepared for the very profound question: "What are you looking for?" Our answer might surprise us! AMEN
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