Daily Lesson for August 8, 2018

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from John chapter 1 verses 35 through 39:

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

I read this Lesson and have to wonder if the disciples even know what it was they were looking for.  Here they are — probably in their early 20s — wandering about the Jordan wilderness, trying their very hardest to emulate this wild-eyed radical named John the Baptizer, when suddenly another man shows up whom John says is the “Lamb of God”.  

What does that mean?  Who is this John is speaking of? “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  What are they supposed to do with that?

They do the only thing they know to do. They follow — tentatively and at a distance. And then Jesus turns and pops the question: “What are you looking for?”

My sense is they really have no idea. All they know is they are looking for something. They don’t know where they might find it. But they are looking; and they are following whatever clues life gives them. They are going where the light leads them. They are going wherever life takes them. 

“What are you looking for?” Jesus says. 

“Where are you going?” one answers.

The answer to Jesus’ question isn’t an answer at all. It’s another question. It’s a question that will change their lives forever. 

“Where am I going?” Jesus says, “Well, come and see.”

Note that that’s not an answer either. It’s an invitation.

I know we want answers. And surely there are many religious leaders who like to give them. But the Jesus movement didn’t start with answers. It started with questions — two unanswered questions. 

I think maybe that ought to tell us something about this thing we call faith.