“What are you looking for?” (Jn1:37)
John the Baptist prepares the people with repentance and baptism of water. Andrew and another disciple are shown Jesus by John as “the Lamb of God”. They follow Jesus and He asks this question of them: “What are you looking for?” It is the same question Jesus asks of us. It is the same question all men must answer: what or who are you seeking?
Andrew was looking for “Rabbi” which translated means “Teacher.” ( Jn1:38 ) Immediately Andrew and the other disciple follow Jesus, learning “where he stayed” and who he was. Until one stays with someone, Someone is not known. Words are replaced with actions; the words seen by the world are replaced by actions shown in the privacy of one’s home. Brides and “brides of Christ” understand this axiom.
Andrew tells Peter, “We have found the Messiah” which is translated Christ.” ( Jn 1:41 ) Seeking a Teacher, they found the Word of God.
By their personal encounter with Jesus, Andrew and the other disciple met Jesus and followed immediately the One they had been seeking. They knew Peter, Andrew’s brother too had been seeking the Messiah. They brought Peter to Jesus who changed his name and a new role in accordance with God’s plan of salvation. Conversion brings change and choices.
Andrew, Peter and the other disciple could have answered, ”We are seeking more fish, more freedom, more immorality, more ease.” Each one has choices and Christ gives us the freedom to choose: to search for transitory things or to live for eternal life.
Faith is always a path; sometimes the longest, more crooked path is the one to within oneself, the one to our own heart and soul. Yet Christ is constantly calling us; we only have to have ears to hear and someone to tell us his Good News. We may be like Samuel, called four times in the night by God to begin his faith journey. We may have someone point the way to us like John the Baptist, or by a family member as Andrew did to his brother Peter. Then, we like Samuel can say, ”Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”(1Sam3:9) We have been prepared and are now ready to go forth and learn the heart and message of Jesus; “to stay with Him”. Our faith journey has begun; new and glorious changes are in our future.
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