When You Don't Know What To Say
Read John 1:35-42.
Have you ever been tongue-tied? Have you ever been caught doing something and then had to explain it? Have you ever not known what to say when someone asked you a question? I've had occasion to answer "yes" to each and every one of those questions. I've had the chance, on a rare occasion, to meet someone "famous" and I always feel awkward, not really knowing what to say. What do I have to offer that they might be interested in? I often leave such encounters feeling like I should have said something else (and wishing I had a "do-over").
So I get where these disciples are coming from in this encounter with Jesus. John has told a couple of his own disciples that the "Lamb of God" was passing by. Now, if someone use that phrase to describe someone today, we'd sort of scratch our heads, but in that day, those followers understood that this was code language for "messiah," "savior," "the one God has sent to rescue us." Naturally, they were curious what he was like, so they fell in behind him, probably hoping not to be noticed. They just wanted to observe, to "brush elbows" with someone famous, to see if this guy really was the savior.
Jesus, however, is not content to let them get away with hiding in the crowd, and he calls them out. "What do you want?" he asks. I don't think he asks that in a rude way, like we might if we discovered some uninvited guests following us. I think he asked it in a truly inquisitive way. "What do you want? Why are you following me? Are you really interested or are you just wanting to see the show?"
And they are caught. And, like we would probably be (or at least I would; maybe you're cooler under pressure than I am), they don't quite know what to say. So they mumble and stumble out some words: "Where are you staying?" I seriously doubt that's really what they wanted to know, but it was the first thing that came to mind. It's sort of like saying, "Um, well, can we come over and play?"
I picture Jesus smiling as he says, "Come and see." He doesn't chastise them for not knowing what to say. He doesn't ridicule them for what is an lackluster question. He loves them and He invites them along. In actuality, I believe that's the response Jesus would have given whatever they said. In fact, it's the same response he gives to all of our inquiries, to all of our moves toward him. "Come and see." Come, join me and see what I'm doing. Come, help me in my work. Come and see. He invites you and me—how will we respond, this day and every day?
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| Road in the Wilderness (near Masada) - Israel, 2017 |
So I get where these disciples are coming from in this encounter with Jesus. John has told a couple of his own disciples that the "Lamb of God" was passing by. Now, if someone use that phrase to describe someone today, we'd sort of scratch our heads, but in that day, those followers understood that this was code language for "messiah," "savior," "the one God has sent to rescue us." Naturally, they were curious what he was like, so they fell in behind him, probably hoping not to be noticed. They just wanted to observe, to "brush elbows" with someone famous, to see if this guy really was the savior.
Jesus, however, is not content to let them get away with hiding in the crowd, and he calls them out. "What do you want?" he asks. I don't think he asks that in a rude way, like we might if we discovered some uninvited guests following us. I think he asked it in a truly inquisitive way. "What do you want? Why are you following me? Are you really interested or are you just wanting to see the show?"
And they are caught. And, like we would probably be (or at least I would; maybe you're cooler under pressure than I am), they don't quite know what to say. So they mumble and stumble out some words: "Where are you staying?" I seriously doubt that's really what they wanted to know, but it was the first thing that came to mind. It's sort of like saying, "Um, well, can we come over and play?"
I picture Jesus smiling as he says, "Come and see." He doesn't chastise them for not knowing what to say. He doesn't ridicule them for what is an lackluster question. He loves them and He invites them along. In actuality, I believe that's the response Jesus would have given whatever they said. In fact, it's the same response he gives to all of our inquiries, to all of our moves toward him. "Come and see." Come, join me and see what I'm doing. Come, help me in my work. Come and see. He invites you and me—how will we respond, this day and every day?
It is such a blessing to know that we’re never alone.
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