Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 4, 2024 - Jan. 4
[1 John 3:7-10 and John 1:35-42,284]John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher, where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. [John]
JANUARY 4, ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON
The Gospel According to John does not have an "infancy narrative, like those of Matthew and Luke. The "Prologue" to the gospel speaks of "the Word" existing before time began. When we meet Jesus in this gospel, we meet an adult Jesus who is presumably among the followers of John the Baptist, whom the Prologue takes care to identify as one who would bear witness to "the light." The scene in today's gospel portrays John the Baptist as pointing to Jesus and identifying him as "the Lamb of God." This is not a casual title but identifies Jesus with the lamb of sacrifice at Passover. The two disciples are intrigued by John's words and "follow" Jesus. Jesus turns and hits them with a big existential question: "What are you looking for?" When they seem to blurt a question about where Jesus is "staying," Jesus challenges them to "come and you will see." They go and "stay."
"Staying" is translated elsewhere as "remaining" and is a major descriptive word of the relationship between Jesus and a believer. "Seeing" is a major theme in the Gospel According to John. All of this fits into a bigger picture of an encounter of faith with Jesus which, besides the two disciples, includes those they go and tell, as well as the Royal Official, the Samaritan woman, the crippled beggar, the crowd at the multiplication of loaves and fishes, the man born blind and finally, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
The question posed by Jesus to those two curious disciples is one that can be asked of us as well. What are we looking for, not just in the Christmas/Epiphany season, but in our own broad journey of faith? Whatever we manage to stammer out, Jesus' response is the same: "Come and you will see!" We are invited to "remain" in him [John 15:4] so that he can remain in us. AMEN