What Are You Looking For? John 1:29-42 Sunday, January 19, 2014 The Rev. Sharon Snapp-Kolas, preaching Scripture. Prayer. Opening. William B. Kincaid, III, tells this story about a Children s Moments experience: One minister surrounded himself at the church chancel with children during worship and began to talk to them about the upcoming holiday. When asked whose birthday would be celebrated, the well-informed group responded, Martin Luther King, Jr. The minister inquired further by asking what kind of work King did. How much prompting it took is not certain, but the answer being fished for was given. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the minister of a church. In an attempt to draw an obvious parallel, the minister reminded the gathered faithful that was also his life's work. At that point, with a straightening of the necktie and some posturing which made him look a bit taller and a lot more distinguished, the minister wondered aloud about the possibility of a holiday being named for him. Across a couple of rows of pews came an innocent whisper that must have sounded like Jesus himself: You have to die first. In today s gospel reading John the Baptist says, concerning Jesus, I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God. Andrew and another disciple of John s, after hearing his testimony, decide to follow their new teacher, Jesus. Jesus turns and asks them, What are you looking for? I. What are you looking for? What are you looking for? Happiness? That s as basic as being an American, isn t it? The pursuit of happiness is one of our foundational rights, along with life and liberty. Of course, we all know the cliché 1
about the butterfly how does it go?... If you try to catch the butterfly of happiness, it will fly away. But if you quietly go about your business, that same happy butterfly will alight on your shoulder. We can conclude that if we are looking for happiness, we won t find it. Now life and liberty are more attainable goals, aren t they? Liberty -- or freedom -- that s a central theme for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And we could say that life is a central theme for him, as well. He sought freedom for people of all races. He sought life for all people the right to live their lives in freedom and equality, based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. With the help of millions of people who joined his movement, Dr. King made progress in that direction. Andrew tells Peter, We have found the Messiah. That s what these two brothers have been looking for. The Messiah. What are we looking for? Hope, peace, joy, love? Purpose? Home? a place where we are known and accepted for who we are, and believed in for who we can become. II. Looking for God. Ultimately, we are all looking for God. Even people who claim they don t believe in God even people who say they don t think God exists they, too, are looking for God. They re just in that part of the journey where it s too hard to admit there s a journey towards God. Or away from God. Our choice. Darrell Bock is a teacher at Dallas Theological Seminary. He writes in Christianity Today how as a young, idealistic man, headed for seminary, he thought being a successful Christian meant being a winner for God, taking control, and doing all I could for his kingdom... The essence of our spirituality was to do all we could for God in the 40 or so years we had. Now, at mid-life, he has discovered that such spirituality is empty. Much of it was influenced by 2
American culture and its overemphasis on independence and self-fulfillment. Bock writes: Many pews on Sunday morning are filled with people seeking God, praying like mad, studying the Word, but who still wonder why God seems so distant. Maybe it is because our culture has taught us to pursue goals that do not bring us closer to him. Perhaps those goals undermine the relationships we are to have with him and with others. What are some of our misguided goals? Where our culture says, Seek your place in the world! our God says, Seek the kingdom of God. Where our culture bids us to find yourself! God calls us to lose yourself, and so find life. Where our culture calls us to be your own selfmade person! our God calls us to become members together of one body... Where our culture teaches us to look to your own needs and interests! God calls us to have the attitude of Christ Jesus, who took on the nature of a servant. Where our culture promises, You can have it all! God calls us to consider it rubbish, that we might gain Christ. Where our culture mandates, Be at the top of your game! God calls us to be crucified with Christ. When we perceive our existence as a call from God -- rather than as a search for self -- we free ourselves from the maelstrom of self-oriented ambition and find our ultimate purpose in life That's where clarity is found -- not in knowing what we are looking for, but in answering Christ's call and abiding in him. (paraphrased, from William J. Kemp). To say it another way we can stop looking. It doesn t matter what we re looking for. What matters is that we ve been found. Christ has found us. Our life, our freedom, our joy is in him. We don t have to know what we re looking for. We just have to answer Christ s call and abide in him. How do we do that? Jesus says to Andrew and the other disciple, Come and see. And 3
v. 39 says, They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. III. Staying with Jesus. It s not about being a winner for God. It s about staying with Jesus, remaining with Jesus, abiding in Jesus. It s about Jesus letting him into our lives and living our lives for him. Jesus invites Andrew and the other disciple to come and see who he is, to spend some time with him, to learn from him and to make a decision to follow or not to follow. Two months before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta about his death in what would oddly enough become his eulogy: Every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral, Dr. King told his congregation. If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that s not important. I d like someone to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I d like someone to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to be able to say that I did try to visit those in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Dr. King concluded with these words: Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any 4
money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say if I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, if I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, if I can spread the message as the master taught, then my living would not be in vain. Through years of following Christ, through years of abiding in Christ, Dr. King s commitment grew, until he was able to say these words to his congregation. Dr. King heeded Jesus call to come and see, and his life changed the world. Closing. The God we are so desperately looking for is already here. He is looking for us. He has found us, even if we feel lost. He has come to us in the form of Jesus Christ. He invites us to come and see what life with him is all about. What are you looking for? Whatever it is, you can stop looking. You ve been found. Stay with Jesus. Abide in him. Follow him. Give your life to him, and you will be satisfied. Amen. 5