The two disciples began to follow Him immediately and Jesus stopped, turned around and asked them, "What do you want?"
But instead of answering Jesus' question, the men responded with another question. "Rabbi, where are you staying?"
Then Jesus invited them to join Him and said, "Come and you will see."
When I read this chapter this morning, I was struck by the words, "Where are you staying?" They intrigued me and I wanted to know more. It would seem disrespectful for the disciples to ignore Jesus' question, especially since they had just used a term of respect when addressing Him. Who are they, to ignore Him and ask Him their own question, instead?
But check this out. They couldn't answer His question because of where they were. They were on the banks of the Jordan river, a passageway for travelers. It was a hubbub of activity there and the question that Jesus asked had so much depth and breadth. "What do you want?" Several other version say, "What are you seeking?"
Wow, well, what a loaded question. How could that possibly be answered in the moment?
If Jesus asked me that question, while I was standing in the middle of a busy New York street, I would probably not be able to answer it either. My heart would cry out, "I seek everything that is not in this moment, except for your presence."
I seek Jesus. I seek His peace. I seek solitude with Him. I seek moments away from the crazy and the busy and the go-go-go. I seek truth; His truth. I seek His light. I seek to learn how to shine His light. I seek lessons of love and faith and beauty in His nature. I seek understanding for His ways. I seek wisdom. I seek reverence in approaching His throne. I seek direction. I seek to follow Him. I seek to draw others to Him. I seek His Spirit. I seek Him.
I could probably go on forever with the things that I seek. And luckily, I will have forever to explore all the things I am seeking. But for now, just like with the disciples, Jesus invites me to "come and you will see." Almost every, single version has the exact same words in that verse: come and see.
Jesus didn't say, Come and "find out." He didn't say, "Let me tell you." He said they would SEE. Yes, I know that He was talking about seeing the place He was staying, but I'm talking about seeing the answers to what they seek.
Jesus promised that we would find what we seek. We would find it. There is something we will see. It's not just a feeling or an emotion or an idea; it is something we will SEE.
Matthew 7:7 says, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.
Luke 11:19 says, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.
Even Deuteronomy says it in 4:29: If from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."
And Jeremiah 29:13: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
David says to his son, Solomon, If you seek him, he will be found by you, 1 Chronicles 28:9
So that question that Jesus asked, "What are you seeking?" That's an invitation from the dawn of time. And it still echoes in our hearts today. "What are you seeking?" If you don't know what you're looking for, how will you find it? Some people say, "I'll know it when I see it." But Jesus invites us to know Him now. And then He will show us. He will SHOW us. There are things to see!
A few moments after He invites the disciples to "come and see," Philip tells Nathaniel about Him and Nathaniel scoffs at the idea of anything good coming out of Nazareth. Philip answers with, "Come and see." Cool. Those were the same words that Jesus used. When Jesus meets Nathaniel and sees how impressed he is with Jesus' vision of him under the fig tree, He says, "You will SEE greater things than that."
We will see. It is a promise and an assurance of our faithfulness.
We WILL see.
-- For sure.
WE will see.
-- Us; unworthy us.
We will SEE.
-- With our eyes; not just our hearts.
Anyway that you look at it, it's just awesome.
I want to see...
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