Where are you staying, Jesus?

Epiphany 2-A 1/20/2008

Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-41

I know a Catholic priest who is a biblical scholar, who was teaching at a university. He recalled that a student came up to him one day after class to ask, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?”

As a Catholic, a scholar, a devout and committed Christian, the professor was taken aback. “Let me think about it, and get back to you,” he said.

Many things ran through his mind. He could of course give formulaic responses, from the cathechism, from the creeds, from the church teachings. The question also reminded him of times when he had been caught off-guard by missionaries, earnest young people who came up to him with such questions, looking for another notch on their belt of “the saved.”

The professor thought it over. A week or so later, he asked the student to walk with him back to his office. “To my surprise,” he said, “I found myself saying that the Gospel stories about Jesus continue to connect my spirit to the Spirit. Jesus effectively baptizes me with the Spirit.” Such an answer would not satisfy many people. The professor knew that a Christian wanting a secure, formulaic answer, or a Catholic expecting a reply out of the cathechism, would not be satisfied with something about connecting with the Spirit. “Although I was in the line with John the Baptist,” the professor said, “I did not know if I wanted to say this is the only way to encounter the Spirit of God. But one thing for sure, it had been my way.”[i]

We have four different versions of the baptism of Jesus. The Gospels agree, and disagree – and yet all together they tell us the truth about Jesus. He comes to John, he is baptized, the spirit of God pronounces him as the one. For Jesus, it is a vocational moment. It is the moment from which he is sent into the world with a Good News to proclaim.

For us, it is a vocational moment, too. When we read these Gospel stories, our spirit connects with The Spirit, our life with the Life of Jesus. Like Jesus, we are sent. Like the disciples who were curious, we “Come and see.” We have to experience him for ourselves.

Disciples are not perfect. The Gospels are full of various “problem personalities,” but it seems that is not so important. It is the curiosity – the response to the invitation, “Come and see.” Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth, and later in the letter we read of their conflicts and controversies and failings and faults. The whole purpose of Paul’s letter is to get them from squabbling. But look at how he addresses them in these opening verses of the letter:

… to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints …

The value of these Christian folks is not their perfection, their smooth answers, their harmonious community or their theological purity. Their value to Paul is that they answered the invitation of Jesus to “Come and see.” They came, they heard the Word of God, they encountered the Spirit, and they stayed. They were dedicated. Convicted. Sanctified.

We’re giving thanks today for people who served on the Executive Committee of this parish. You stepped in at a difficult time in the life of this community faith, and served faithfully. You knew that by keeping faith with this place, God would keep faith as well – actually it’s the other way around: you knew that God had faith in this place, in these people, in this mission, and if God did, you could, too. You knew that God was in this place, you knew it, you could feel it, in the people around you, in the relationships of friendship and fellowship, in the outpouring of love and service here and beyond these doors.

Jesus turned and saw them following [and] he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’

All the people could say in response was, “Where are you staying?” When they followed Jesus, when they went to see where he was and who he was, all we know is that they stayed. They stayed all day. They weren’t perfect, or highly accomplished, or rich, or well educated. They didn’t have the best manners, or the highest SAT scores. They were not free of psychological problems. They made mistakes. They got angry, and afraid, and were selfish and lonely.

None of those things are prerequisites for discipleship. Being a disciple means following the invitation when it is offered. Jesus said, “Come and see,” and some of you volunteered to serve on the Executive Committee. Jesus said, “Come and see,” and some of you joined the Altar Guild. Jesus said, “Come and see,” and some of you started working at St. Paul’s Table. Jesus said, “Come and see,” and some of you started serving at the altar. “Come and see.” There are hundreds of things to do, but each one of them leads to one place: to the place where Jesus is staying. “Come and see.” You’ll be sure to stay.

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[i] John Shea, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers; Year A, Matthew: On Earth as it is in Heaven (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2004), p. 62.