John1:35-42
- 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.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
- Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
- The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
- And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
One of the most important things in life might be to meet a good teacher. A good teacher enlightens and leads us to the right and innocent life. Disciples of John hadn’t met such a teacher even with John. One day they heard John say “Look, the Lamb of God” upon seeing Jesus. At that moment, they sensed that something critical for their lives were approaching. Jesus then saw two of them following and asked, “What do you want?”
We all are standing before this question. What is the reason you came before the Lord? Many people seek the peace of soul, materialistic blessing, and physical health. But remember that all of them are not crucial but optional things for our soul; they are not the most important thing to ask our Lord. What we should ask the Lord is the ‘eternal life’. We all came to ask the Lord to guide us to the way of life.
● The most desperate question
The two disciples answered, “Teacher, where are you staying?”
This answer might look off the mark, but it contains their desperateness. Nobody is satisfied with himself. There is a big gap between “Who I want to be” and “Who I am”. Therefore, the two disciples were asking like — where are you staying? I’m sick and tired of myself, but you look like having vastness and generosity of your soul. How can I get there?
● Light for the soul
Jesus’ answer is very simple: Come!
The essence of life can’t be delivered by word. Thus, Jesus was inviting them to the spiritual world where he was staying. They stayed with Jesus that day. That day must have been the turning point for them. They were wanderers before they met Jesus, yet they came to walk the way of Jesus after they met him.
I was born to a Christian family. Going to church was a ‘must’. Growing older, I couldn’t understand why my mother refused to buy me new clothes but donated so regularly for the church. However, my mother taught me what it’s like to trust God through her life. But still, her prayer for me to become a pastor was a great pressure on me. So I endeavored a lot to learn and understand Jesus. When I began to understand Jesus with my brain, he looked so cool. He was the friend of the poor, went against injustice, and scolded pretentious religious leaders. However, once I got to know him and meet him with all my personality and existence, he became the light for my soul. I had never thought myself to be a sinner before, but when the light came to my life, I realized my darkness and confessed that I was a sinner. I could realize the meanings of my past life and pains. And all my anxiety about the future disappeared.
Those who meet Jesus in person can never live like before. They have more joy in emptying and sharing than filling up. Just like a man whose clothes are burning cannot help jumping and crying out for help, those who truly meet Jesus are like having their souls burning; they can’t just stay. Andrew, one of the two disciples who stayed with Jesus, found his brother Peter, and said, “We have found the Messiah”. His testimony was a confession of joy. He then led Peter to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas.”
German bible described this scene more actively. It goes like: Du bist Simon der Sohn des Johannes; du sollst Kephas heissen. This can be translated „ You are Simon son of John. You should be called Cephas. The second sentence is a normative request.
Jesus looked at a rock through the deep inside Simon, even though the rock was hidden. Later, the Lord drew out the Cephas, the rock out of Simon. That is, Jesus is an artisan who has the insight to catch the most beautiful inside you and draws it. Its process might not be easy or comfortable. You can encounter hardships and sufferings. Nevertheless, Jesus never fails.
Jesus built the way of resurrection through his sufferings and death. Peter, as well, became the rock by sticking with Jesus through all the hardships. Jesus has already caught what is best inside us. That’s why he called us. And now he is polishing us and utilizing all our life experiences to reveal the most beautiful. He never fails. Those who have this faith can be happy.
Now he is looking for the place to which he can invite people to “come”. It means the place that reveals God’s will. I hope our church can become such a place. In that place, everyone acknowledges differences of each other, co-exists peacefully with each other, respects and cares for each other in the name of the Lord, and never gets afraid with the belief that the Lord is with them. How beautiful it would be if Jesus said “Come to Eurolux church” to those who were looking for the way and asking “Lord, where are you staying?”
I truly hope that Europe can be recovered with the gospel, and our church can be used for that mission. I believe that this hope is also God’s hope. I hope that this hope will become your hope as well. I pray that Jesus, the artisan for our soul will polish all our negative thoughts and selfish desires out, and make our hearts a place where He can stay. Amen.