The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When
he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you
want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher),
"where are you staying?" "Come," He replied,
"and you will see." John 1:35-39a
Do you like to be respected? There is just something about being acknowledged by another person that breaks down barriers. It immediately sets the relationship on a positive course. Before Jesus even speaks to the two following Him, He turns around and faces them. He acknowledges them and respects them.
He is like that to this day, we don't have to go around shouting to get Jesus' attention. If we are sincere in talking with Him He will quickly engage you in discussion. In fact it's not even up to you to begin the discussion as we see in the verses above, He speaks first. He doesn't begin sermonizing, or teaching, rather through His love and concern for you He asks "What do you want?"
Have you ever asked someone following you what they want? It can be a little scary. What do they want? Your money, your time, something that you own? Or maybe they only want some direction because they're lost. The feeling of being expected to give something to someone may be irritating. You don't know them and you have a busy day or possibly you don't have what they are looking for. What if this takes more time than you're willing to give? It's easier to not respond and just go your own way.
Not so with Jesus, not only does He have all the time it takes to answer your questions, but He invites you into His life to show you the answer you're looking for.
If a parent asks a child "what do you want?" it's expected that the parent has what the child is looking for. And as with Jesus when He asks us what do we want He no doubt has what we are looking for.
Today God is still asking "What do you want?" He is not irritated, He's concerned about you and He has the answer, He has what you need. You only need to have the courage to do what John's two disciples did and to follow Jesus.
For those who have never followed Jesus before it's a very safe thing to do. The following verse says "So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent the day with Him." vs39b. When I host strangers in my home I want to make sure they feel comfortable and secure. I offer them beverages and if they stay long enough I offer food and a place to sleep if necessary. It's simply being hospitable, it's doing for someone else as I would hope they would do for me if I were in their place. Jesus only wants to do the same for you. He wants to make sure you have all you need. If you're looking to follow Him then the greatest offering He has to give you is eternal life.
Do you like to be respected? There is just something about being acknowledged by another person that breaks down barriers. It immediately sets the relationship on a positive course. Before Jesus even speaks to the two following Him, He turns around and faces them. He acknowledges them and respects them.
He is like that to this day, we don't have to go around shouting to get Jesus' attention. If we are sincere in talking with Him He will quickly engage you in discussion. In fact it's not even up to you to begin the discussion as we see in the verses above, He speaks first. He doesn't begin sermonizing, or teaching, rather through His love and concern for you He asks "What do you want?"
Have you ever asked someone following you what they want? It can be a little scary. What do they want? Your money, your time, something that you own? Or maybe they only want some direction because they're lost. The feeling of being expected to give something to someone may be irritating. You don't know them and you have a busy day or possibly you don't have what they are looking for. What if this takes more time than you're willing to give? It's easier to not respond and just go your own way.
Not so with Jesus, not only does He have all the time it takes to answer your questions, but He invites you into His life to show you the answer you're looking for.
If a parent asks a child "what do you want?" it's expected that the parent has what the child is looking for. And as with Jesus when He asks us what do we want He no doubt has what we are looking for.
Today God is still asking "What do you want?" He is not irritated, He's concerned about you and He has the answer, He has what you need. You only need to have the courage to do what John's two disciples did and to follow Jesus.
For those who have never followed Jesus before it's a very safe thing to do. The following verse says "So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent the day with Him." vs39b. When I host strangers in my home I want to make sure they feel comfortable and secure. I offer them beverages and if they stay long enough I offer food and a place to sleep if necessary. It's simply being hospitable, it's doing for someone else as I would hope they would do for me if I were in their place. Jesus only wants to do the same for you. He wants to make sure you have all you need. If you're looking to follow Him then the greatest offering He has to give you is eternal life.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Whether you agree or disagree please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.