“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”, …” where are You staying?”
“Come,” He replied,” and you will see.”
John 1:37-39
In the economy of God, Jesus doesn’t waste words. There were many who followed Him then, as now, for a myriad of reasons. “What do you want?” In a manner not confrontational, but gently inquiring, Jesus wanted them to be certain that they were on the same page. Motives like the “fire insurance” sought by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who John the Baptist warned; “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matt.3:7). Or others seeking to be confirmed in their self-righteousness, like the rich young ruler, (Matt.19:16-22) who were following Jesus for His imprimatur on their lives. Or, as we are prone to do in radical times , as there were then, we look for political leaders, like Theudas, or Judas the Galilean, as Gamaliel the Pharisee astutely pointed out from Israel’s history, (Act 5:36-37) and follow after them like lionized idols, only to find they have feet of clay.
“What do you want?” Jesus asked us to think. I am sure that Matthew , when posed this question directly or indirectly, answered from a more desperate need to be seen as more than a pariah dog, as tax collectors were referred to in those days. It is telling that only in Matthew’s gospel is there an account of his own meeting Jesus in this way; “He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office…” (Matthew 9:9). Jesus did not see a pariah dog, or a traitor, or any of the invectives Matthew had come to expect and steel himself from on a daily basis. Jesus “… saw a man named Matthew…” and it was the same Lord “…whose eyes saw his substance, being yet unformed, when he was still in his mother’s womb…. “(Ps.139:16) He sees me! That was all it took. It was what Matthew had been looking for all of his life. Here was a friend who sticks closer than a brother. “And he arose and followed Him.” He decided to take Jesus at His offer to “ come and see.”
I am sure that there was a twinkle in Jesus’ eye, as the Lord warmed in His heart to hear the disciples answered His question with another question, “Rabbi,…,where are You staying?” This personal inquiry to know Him more, far eclipsed the usual “what do you want” list of the mundane requests of health, wealth, and power. It is not the question of ‘what’, but ‘who’ is asking . This is what makes the heart of the ‘Bridegroom beat faster. (Song of Songs 4:9)
It is Who gave the Scriptures to us that speaks to us. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
“What do you want?” Jesus asks of us. “Rabbi,…where are You staying?”, we implore Him. In the same spirit of Ruth, we say “For where you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge;…Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried” (Ruth 1:16). This directly coincides with the desire of the Lord’s heart; “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
Jesus is everything that we could hope for. As the Scriptures say: …“that [all mankind] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..” (Acts 17:27-28) As we share the elements of the communion table, we can look forward to the day when we can share it with our Lord, in person. To us, and to whosoever wills, He says, “Come and see.”
Questions to Think About:
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,
“What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi”, …” where are You staying?”
“Come,” He replied,” and you will see.”
John 1:37-39
In the economy of God, Jesus doesn’t waste words. There were many who followed Him then, as now, for a myriad of reasons. “What do you want?” In a manner not confrontational, but gently inquiring, Jesus wanted them to be certain that they were on the same page. Motives like the “fire insurance” sought by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who John the Baptist warned; “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matt.3:7). Or others seeking to be confirmed in their self-righteousness, like the rich young ruler, (Matt.19:16-22) who were following Jesus for His imprimatur on their lives. Or, as we are prone to do in radical times , as there were then, we look for political leaders, like Theudas, or Judas the Galilean, as Gamaliel the Pharisee astutely pointed out from Israel’s history, (Act 5:36-37) and follow after them like lionized idols, only to find they have feet of clay.
“What do you want?” Jesus asked us to think. I am sure that Matthew , when posed this question directly or indirectly, answered from a more desperate need to be seen as more than a pariah dog, as tax collectors were referred to in those days. It is telling that only in Matthew’s gospel is there an account of his own meeting Jesus in this way; “He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office…” (Matthew 9:9). Jesus did not see a pariah dog, or a traitor, or any of the invectives Matthew had come to expect and steel himself from on a daily basis. Jesus “… saw a man named Matthew…” and it was the same Lord “…whose eyes saw his substance, being yet unformed, when he was still in his mother’s womb…. “(Ps.139:16) He sees me! That was all it took. It was what Matthew had been looking for all of his life. Here was a friend who sticks closer than a brother. “And he arose and followed Him.” He decided to take Jesus at His offer to “ come and see.”
I am sure that there was a twinkle in Jesus’ eye, as the Lord warmed in His heart to hear the disciples answered His question with another question, “Rabbi,…,where are You staying?” This personal inquiry to know Him more, far eclipsed the usual “what do you want” list of the mundane requests of health, wealth, and power. It is not the question of ‘what’, but ‘who’ is asking . This is what makes the heart of the ‘Bridegroom beat faster. (Song of Songs 4:9)
It is Who gave the Scriptures to us that speaks to us. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
“What do you want?” Jesus asks of us. “Rabbi,…where are You staying?”, we implore Him. In the same spirit of Ruth, we say “For where you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge;…Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried” (Ruth 1:16). This directly coincides with the desire of the Lord’s heart; “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
Jesus is everything that we could hope for. As the Scriptures say: …“that [all mankind] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..” (Acts 17:27-28) As we share the elements of the communion table, we can look forward to the day when we can share it with our Lord, in person. To us, and to whosoever wills, He says, “Come and see.”
Questions to Think About:
- What do you want from Jesus?
- What would you give to follow the One who sees you; Who knows you better than you know yourself ?
Posted in What Do You Want