DO TELL!
Epiphany 2a, John 1:29-42 (Jan. 19, 2014)
Some 8 years ago I made my first trip to the Mayan Riviera. It was the result of a number of things – a farewell gift from a congregation I had loved and served; the invitation of two close friends who had been there before, loved it, told us about it and then invited us along. I have to tell you, those 7 days south of Cancun in the Mayan Riviera were some of the most relaxing, some of the most joyful, some of the most beautiful days and nights of my life. The water is a turquoise blue. The air is filled with warmth and an invitation to explore and enjoy life. And the people – hola – are friendly, hospitable, almost always smiling. Then of course there is the ever present sun – and the white, warm sand. The Mayan Riviera is wonder-filled. I have been back since – hope to go again and never tire of telling others about it – even inviting them to go themselves or come along with us.
Do you have experiences like that where you experience something that is good, wonderful, invigorating or recreating in ways so that you want, indeed you gladly, joyfully tell others about it? Such telling then is neither a job nor onerous. Such telling, perhaps even inviting others to join you is what you want to do. It's kind of like having a mouth watering experience at an amazing bakery, restaurant or winery. When you experience something so good, something filled with wonder, something that may be both uplifting and challenging for you – you do tell others about it. If you care about them you want them to have their own experience of what you have just experienced, witnessed. Such experiences may be varied: from reading a particular book, to attending a special concert, movie, to going on a particular journey, walk, or run. Your experience may even have been skydiving, cycling, skiing or witnessing an artist at work. Whatever it is, once you've had that experience you begin to tell others and even invite some of them to share that experience too.
This is exactly what John the Baptist does in the gospel of John. John the Baptist has noticed, is noticing Jesus. JTB observes that the Spirit of God comes upon Jesus at Jesus' baptism and literally stays with him. JTB notices
that Jesus is the One who has the capacity to immerse others with his very Spirit. John then says that Jesus is the One, the Lamb of God, who takes away or lifts up the sin of the world. Today, John the Baptist even tells two of his own followers that Jesus is the Lamb of God .
Do you notice what these 2 followers of John the Baptist then do? ... On the basis of their master's referral they themselves begin to follow Jesus! As they follow him and become curious Jesus invites them to come and see, to come and abide/live/dwell with Him.
How about us? How about you/ me? Do we dare to see Jesus here and now? (explore that either individually or collectively). Is He the One of God who loves us unconditionally? Is He the One who knows as we truly are, no masks or pretense involved? Is he the One who helps us to see ourselves as we are, warts and all? Is Jesus the One who in the midst of that gives us new beginnings, with God, with others – transforming the way we think and relate both gradually and suddenly? Is Jesus the One who allows those things that denigrate ourselves and others to be let go of? What will coming and seeing Jesus be like?
Jesus wills to come to abide with us. He calls us to dwell, to live in Him, to converse, to listen to Him daily. Think about that. Rest in that. By God's grace we can live in Jesus – in and from His love, in and from His forgiveness, in and from His dreams for this world. Such living is marked by mercy, a peace in the midst of conflict, hope and forgiveness that stand in the midst of our chaos and uncertainty. So, come and see. Taste not only the bread and wine. But hear and see Jesus reaching out to us, right where we are in this time and place, in the midst of our joy and pain, our confusion, our hopes and dreams, our mortality. Yes, come and see – know the goodness of God!
As we are so blessed and privileged to dwell in Jesus, how shall we respond? Will we keep that to ourselves, as if there isn't enough love and generosity of God to go around? Will we keep quiet as we see others suffer, as we see others who are lonely, as we notice others like us who are struggling, mourning, lonely, exhausted? Or, will we share our stories with them, our stories of God as we know God – of One who loves, who forgives, who encourages, sometimes pushes us beyond our own comfort zone for our own good and the good of the world? Will we dare, will we care enough about God and the others around us to share our experience, not as a have to, not as a should, but rather as a want to, as a "come along with us to see and know and grow?
The love of God in Jesus is so amazing, so divine. It is that in which we all have been conceived. It is that in which all of our gifts have been imagined and bestowed. It is that which holds us and will not let us go through loss, selfishness, failure - any and all other losses including death. It is that which leads us to new life, now and forever. It is that which loves this crazy, wonderful, and messed up world and empties himself, so that death and hatred do not have the lasting or last word.
So many do not know, do not experience – sometimes including us.
But our lives and the life of the world do not have to be that way. For even now this Jesus approaches in word and Sacrament, even through others when we least expect it. May God open our eyes, our ears, our minds, our hearts to come and see the Lamb of God, the very Son of God who alone can enable us to see ourselves and others as we are and as we are called to be, indeed by His grace as we are – children of God! May we live in and through Him, for our sake, for the sake of the world – for His sake. Amen.