John 1:41-53

Second Sunday after the Epiphany | January 14, 2024 | John 1:41-53 | David H. Brooks |

When I was a kid, I was a big fan of the television show Captain Kangaroo. I always looked forward to watching the show, and, although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was soaking up the wisdom that the dear old Captain and his crew dispensed. Years later, when I had a child, I, remembering what I had been taught, instructed my little one in the power of two little, yet magical, words: thanks, and please.  These two words can accomplish amazing things, and the wise do well to use them.

While they are not magical, there are two little words in our Gospel text today that are very important: find, and see.

This short story about Jesus, Philip and Nathaniel is all about finding. It begins with Jesus finding Philip. After all, it is Jesus that decides to go to Galilee and because of his decision he finds Philip. Philip does not find Jesus, and so his statement to Nathaniel might be better rendered as “we have discovered, come across, stumbled on” the Messiah – which might explain Nathaniel’s skepticism. It would be similar to your loved one coming to you saying, “I found this in the back of the fridge…do you want some?” The fact that Jesus goes out and finds people is a bit odd in his day, just as it would be odd in ours. You may go and find a teacher because that teacher knows something that you want to learn. Jesus goes and finds students because he has something he wants to teach.

So why does this matter? I want you to remember this story and what happens in it, because everything that follows, whether in the story John tells or in the story that unfolds here, among us now—it happens because Jesus wants it to happen.  You may be sitting here hoping that you will find something useful for your life. But for any of us, it is more about discovery, or uncovering, stumbling on something, someone who is already going before us and was here ready and waiting. We are gathered because Jesus has a plan and a purpose for us. He has something he wants to teach us—to become like he is, to learn how to live as a son or daughter of God.

To be blunt, we have been found so that we might learn how to walk the way of Jesus. There are three parts to this:

• The Gospels are full of examples of how Jesus teaches those who follow him how to live rightly, Godly, and wisely in this world. Jesus is steeped in Scripture; he worships and prays regularly; he lives generously and kindly; in short Jesus practices spiritual disciplines. Every day we see how our world struggles because people are no longer sure how to live wisely and well. We will gather and organize to support one another in spiritual discipline through small groups.
• The Gospels are clear that Jesus engages others with good news about God and enacts that good news in specific ways—he heals, he teaches, he builds community wherever he goes. He engages in mission for the sake of God, and has his followers do the same. We have seen how the people we touch are unclear who their neighbors are, who they can trust, who they can turn to. We are a congregation, gathered and organized to be at work in our neighborhoods and through our friendship networks to be healers, teachers and builders of community.
• The Gospels regularly connect Jesus back to God—the Father of love—who is glorified by Jesus’ ministry and who gives lavishly. Jesus is a full participant in the worship life of God’s people, and we will gather and organize to be worshipping community that celebrates God’s many good gifts.

Which leads me to the second important word: see.

It is worth noting that see is connected here to come—there is an invitation that begins the process of seeing. But one of John’s key concepts in his gospel is the ability to see rightly, to see in faith who Jesus is and what God is doing through Jesus. And, I hope you noticed that in this story there is a clear promise connected to seeing. Nathaniel has the promise of something greater if he will come along with Jesus. That promise is also ours today—to come along and be a part of what Jesus is doing. It is a promise to you. Jesus has come and found you, me, us, and so it is our work together: to learn from the Lord how to live, to be at work in the world sharing what we have been given, coming together to give thanks for what God has done for us. This is the path of wisdom—the path that every human was intended by God to walk.

In this new year, I invite you: come, that you may find and see: for I am sure that we will see greater things in 2024, by the grace of God. Amen.

—

The Rev. David H. Brooks

Raleigh, NC USA

Pr.Dave.Brooks@zoho.com