When people asked about him he always diverted attention away from himself. “I am not the Messiah. I am not Elijah. I am not the Prophet. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’ The one coming after me goes before me,” he said.
Even later, when disagreements arose between Jesus’ disciples and John’s, John settled it by deferring to Jesus. “Look! He must increase, but I must decrease.” He used his time encouraging people to anticipate Messiah.
Then one day Jesus walked toward him. John recognized him: “Look! The lamb of God! Suddenly all eyes were diverted away from him and toward Jesus. All saw Jesus in the water, baptized.
The next day John the baptizer was with two of his disciples, Andrew and John, son of Zebedee. “Look!” he said. “The lamb of God.” That was enough for them. In a rare occurrence the two men left the baptizer and began awkwardly following Jesus.
Jesus turned. “What do you want?” he asked.
“Uh, rabbi,” they stammer. “Where are you staying?”
“Come have a look!” And they accompany Jesus to his lodging, and probably stay for the night because it is four in the afternoon.
Apparently an overnight stay was enough to convince them. Andrew sought out his brother Simon and said, “Look! We have found the Messiah!”
It occurs to me that our lives together as God’s congregation are to be spent diverting attention away from ourselves toward Jesus. We should, like John, point people away. He must increase, I must decrease. Look!
When we say, Look!, what are we pointing to? Coolest worship in town with latest music, lights, and multi-media? Most polished preaching that wows everyone with a relevant pep-talk every week? Amazing ministries that attract donors and volunteers to give and the needy to receive? I guess the question is, when people walk away from an experience with our embassy, did they encounter Jesus? What did they see when we said, “Look!” What will they talk about among friends? What will they point to?
These are difficult but important questions. But they must be asked because they help us identify exactly what we are pointing to when we say, “Look!”
At worship: does our worship reflect Jesus and his message of grace and hope every time? Do the words we pray and sing reflect the Scriptures or our own desires and tastes? Does the liturgy we follow (and we all have one) reflect the story of creation/fall – incarnation – re-creation? When we say, “Look!” what do people see?
At ministry: does our ministry truly reflect Jesus and his passion for justice and re-creation. Does it truly reflect restoration from the effects of our sin and a hope for an eternal kingdom? When we say, “Look!” what do people see?
Our culture prizes a brightly packaged, highly relevant, and carefully marketed “ministry” that will attract the unchurched. It says, “Look!” and points to a really great show. But is that really what Jesus wants? He seemed to prefer things done quietly, and discretely. Stand on the street corner and parade your piety, Jesus said, and you have your reward. Receive your healing, and keep it quiet.
I believe Jesus prefers a worship gathering that only points to him. I think he is more at home with casual conversations, random acts of kindness, and genuine and heartfelt piety that says, “Look! Let me introduce you to Jesus.”
After following Jesus home and spending time with him Andrew went and found his brother Simon. “Look who I found!” Philip found Nathaniel, studying with another rabbi. “Look who I found!” Matthew met Jesus and threw a party, inviting friends over to introduce them to Jesus. “Look who I found!”
Jesus told a gathering that John was the greatest of all prophets, but least in the kingdom. He was the greatest because he was the least, serving briefly but effectively only to point the way to Jesus. And when John saw him, he said, “Look!”
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP)John 1:29-42 (2 Epiphany A)
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