Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B

JOHN 1:35-42

IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, ANDREW IS ONE OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES, AND RUNS TO TELL HIS BROTHER SIMON, “WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH!” BUT WHEN YOU READ THE STORY, IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE JESUS FOUND ANDREW. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT ANDREW HAS BEEN SEARCHING, MAYBE MORE THAN HIS BROTHER. AFTER ALL, ANDREW HAS BEEN A DISCIPLE OF JOHN, AND ANYONE WHO DECIDES TO BECOME A DISCIPLE IS PROBABLY NOT CONTENT WITH HIS LIFE AS IT IS. BECAUSE IT IS WORK TO BE A DISCIPLE. IT ISN'T JUST A MATTER OF SITTING AT YOUR MASTER'S FEET AND LEARNING. A DISCIPLE HAS TO RESHAPE HIMSELF ALONG THE LINES THE MASTER PROPOSES. SO ANDREW HAS BEEN SEARCHING.

WHEN JOHN TELLS THEM, AND THIS WILL BE FOR THE SECOND TIME, THAT JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD, ANDREW FOLLOWS HIM, CURIOUS, BECAUSE OF JOHN'S STRANGE STATEMENT. THE WORD “LAMB” MEANT SOMETHING TO A JEW; A LAMB WAS SENT OUT INTO THE DESERT SYMBOLICALLY CARRYING THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE. A LAMB WAS SACRIFICED TWICE A DAY IN THE TEMPLE FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE; AND THERE WAS THE PASSOVER LAMB, AND THE BLOOD SMEARED ON THE DOORWAY THAT SHOWED THE DESTROYING ANGEL THAT THIS HOUSE WAS TO BE EXEMPTED FROM THE PUNISHMENT THAT GOD HAD ORDAINED FOR THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT. AND ISAIAH AND JEREMIAH BOTH COMPARED THE MYSTERIOUS SUFFERING SERVANT WHO WOULD SOMEDAY TAKE ON THE SINS OF HIS PEOPLE TO A LAMB BEING LEAD TO SLAUGHTER. DID ANDREW AND HIS FRIEND INTEND TO BE DISCIPLES OF JESUS? WHO KNOWS. I SUSPECT THAT THEY DID NOT. THEY WERE MERELY CURIOUS. AND AS THEY WERE FOLLOWING HIM HE ASKS THEM, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” A LOT HAS BEEN MADE OF THEIR REPLY, “WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?” SOME SAY THAT MEANT, “WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? WHAT MAKES YOU TICK?” OTHERS SAY THAT IT MEANS, “TAKES US HOME WITH YOU AND TEACH US, LET US BE YOUR DISCIPLES.” I THINK IT MEANS JUST WHAT IT SAYS. ANDREW AND HIS FRIEND ARE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED TO BE SINGLED OUT. AND RATHER THAN ANSWER JESUS' QUESTION, THEY TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT. BUT JESUS KNOWS THEY THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, AND SAYS, “COME AND SEE.”

JESUS ASKS YOU AND I, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” BECAUSE IF HE DOESN'T ASK THE QUESTION, WE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT WE ARE SEARCHING. IT'S EASY TO GET SO BOUND UP IN JUST WHAT HAS TO BE DONE EVERY DAY, THAT YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT PART OF YOU THAT NEEDS TO BE SATISFIED, THAT PART OF YOU WHICH ONE WRITER REFERRED TO AS A “GOD-SHAPED HOLE” IN EVERY HUMAN BEING. BUT WHEN WE STOP FOR A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT IT, THAT IS THE VERY NATURE OF A HUMAN BEING; WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO FILL US UP, SOMETHING TO COMPLETE US. IT LEADS US TO MARRIAGE, TO OUR CAREER, TO ADDICTION, TO SEEKING AFTER POWER, OR RICHES, OR FAME. IT LEADS US TO THAT NEW CAR EVEN THOUGH THERE ISN'T MUCH WRONG WITH THE OLD ONE. I READ ABOUT A MOVIE ACTRESS WHO HAS TWO HUNDRED PAIRS OF SHOES. AND WHEN JESUS ASKS “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” HE INVITES US TO SLOW DOWN AND REALLY CONFRONT THIS EMPTINESS IN US, THAT SEEMS DESTINED NEVER TO BE FILLED UP.

AND THEN HE SAYS, “COME AND SEE.” HE COULD HAVE SAID, “I AM WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, I CAN FILL YOUR EMPTINESS." BUT HE HAS ALREADY WATCHED US TRY TO FILL OUR EMPTINESS. NO MATTER HOW I ADVISE MY CHILDREN THAT CIGARETTES ARE NOT ONLY EXPENSIVE AND UNHEALTHY, BUT WILL NOT FILL THEIR EMPTINESS, ONE OF THEM HAS TO TRY THEM. WHAT ALCOHOLIC OR DRUG ADDICT CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT SHE WAS NOT TOLD THAT HER FAVORITE CHEMICAL WOULD NOT BE THE ANSWER? AND WHICH OF US HAS NEVER MADE A PURCHASE OF SOMETHING BECAUSE, AS MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO SAY, "MONEY IS BURNING A HOLE IN MY POCKET." WE AREN'T GOING TO TAKE ANYONE'S WORD FOR IT, WE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT IN ORDER TO KNOW WHETHER IT WILL FILL US UP. SO JESUS SAY, "COME AND SEE."

AND ANDREW AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE TAKE JESUS UP ON HIS OFFER AND SURE ENOUGH, A FEW HOURS LATER, ANDREW IS PROCLAIMING THAT HE HAS FINALLY FOUND WHAT HE NEEDS TO BE COMPLETE, HE HAS FOUND THE MESSIAH! AND THIS OF COURSE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE AS ANDREW CONTINUES TO GET TO KNOW JESUS, HE REALIZES MORE AND MORE HOW THIS JESUS IS WORTH GIVING UP HIS CAREER AS A FISHERMAN; JESUS IS WORTH WANDERING THE COUNTRYSIDE OF GALILEE, MISSING A FEW MEALS, SLEEPING OUTDOORS, LOSING FRIENDS AND ALIENATING FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE DECIDED THAT JESUS IS NOT ONLY MISGUIDED, BUT A POSITIVE THREAT TO THE TRUE RELIGION. AND WHEN JESUS RETURNS FROM THE DEAD AND ASCENDS INTO HEAVEN, ALL THE REST OF ANDREW'S LIFE IS DEVOTED TO TELLING OTHERS, "WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH!" WHILE COUNTING THE MINUTES UNTIL HE HIMSELF WILL BE RE-UNITED WITH THE ONE WHO TOLD HIM TO "COME AND SEE."

THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS PARISH WHO HAVE TAKEN JESUS UP ON HIS INVITATION. YOU CAN USUALLY TELL WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE SPENDING SOME OF THEIR TIME AND SOME OF THEIR TREASURE DOING THINGS THAT JESUS WOULD HAVE DONE. THEY FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THE NAKED, VISIT THE SICK; THEY BRING COMMUNION TO THE SHUT-INS, THEY COUNT THE COLLECTION, THEY TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE FAITH. THEY HAVE SEEN, AND NOW THEY PROCLAIM, "WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH!" IN WHAT THEY DO. AND THEY FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE HE HAS PROMISED THAT WHAT YOU DO FOR THE LEAST OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU DO FOR HIM; AND HE HAS PROMISED THAT EVEN IF ALL YOU GIVE IS A CUP OF COLD WATER, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR REWARD.

ITS INTERESTING TO MEET PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN JESUS UP ON HIS INVITATION. THEY ARE HAPPIER, MORE JOYFUL, BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. THEY HAVE LESS NEED OF "STUFF" BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN THAT IN THE LONG RUN, MATERIAL THINGS OVER AND ABOVE ENOUGH TO KEEP OURSELVES SHELTERED AND FED AND CLOTHED REALLY DON'T SATISFY US IN THE LONG RUN. AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE DISCOVERED THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, IT'S NO PROBLEM FOR THEM TO LET GO OF EVERYTHING ELSE SO THAT THERE IS MORE ROOM FOR JESUS.

YOU AND I HEAR A LOT OF SERMONS AND READ ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE TO BECOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS. YOU'VE SEEN THE EXAMPLES OF THE SAINTS AND MARTYRS, WHO GAVE UP EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW JESUS. BUT JESUS KNOWS THAT WORDS BY THEMSELVES DON'T MOVE PEOPLE; ONLY THROUGH EXPERIENCE WILL WE BEGIN TO REALLY FIND THE TRUTH. AND SO HE SAYS TO YOU AND TO ME, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? COME AND SEE. "