2 Epiphany, Yr A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
2 Epiphany, Year A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
John 1:29-42 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
In the name of the one, holy, and loving God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. AMEN.
"What are you looking for?"
In John’s Gospel, these are the very first words out of Jesus’ mouth.
“What are you looking for?”
At some point after John the Baptist has baptized Jesus in the Jordan River,
John is standing with two of his disciples and sees Jesus walking by.
As Jesus walks by, John exclaims,
"Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
Upon this pronouncement,
John’s two disciples turn and fall in step behind Jesus.
When Jesus notices that these disciples have fallen in line behind him,
walking the road with him,
he asks them this question:
"What are you looking for?”
John the Baptist had spent his whole adult life looking for Jesus…
waiting for the Messiah.
He must have been over the moon when he baptized Jesus
and saw the Spirit descend upon him.
The Holy One that John had been waiting for,
looking for all his life,
had at last arrived in flesh and blood.
And he couldn’t wait to share the Good News with others.
Even if it meant that his own disciples no longer followed him.
But…it wasn’t ever about John…
it was always about the Messiah…
it was always about Jesus,
the Word made flesh.
In essence, John had raised up disciples not to follow him
but to follow Jesus.
So, when John discovers who Jesus is,
he points his own disciples toward him:
“Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
What an anomaly that would seem to be in our culture:
the “me” culture.
Our culture tells us to make a name for ourselves…
to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps if need be…
not to share our resources with our neighbor who’s working 3 jobs to make ends meet.
And yet in this story, John points beyond himself,
even urging his disciples to leave him to follow Jesus,
the true Source of Life.
As soon as John’s disciples learn who Jesus is,
they begin to follow him…
perhaps because they trust John’s judgment….
Or perhaps because they recognize that life itself flows from within Jesus,
and they want Jesus to teach them how they, too, can find this life.
So, these two disciples ask Jesus where he is staying.
Now, the Greek word for "staying" can also mean
"living in something that has permanence"
or "staying power."
It is the same word for "abide."
These two disciples are asking Jesus to share with them the Source of his life.
Jesus does not answer them by telling them where he is staying
but instead offers them an invitation:
"Come and see."
And they do.
Andrew is so excited about what he sees and hears
that he goes and finds his brother, Simon,
shares the Good News,
and together they return to Jesus.
Looking at Simon,
Jesus claims him and changes his name to Peter.
Jesus sees that Simon listens to the voice of the Holy One,
and in renaming him “Peter,” or “rock”…
he firmly roots Peter in what he has heard through the calling of God.
And all this naming and claiming and following started with just one question:
“What are you looking for?”
It’s a great question!
…a great question not only for Jesus’ disciples back then and there…
but for us, as Jesus’ disciples,
right here and now!
It’s a good question for any season of life,
but especially when life is throwing unexpected or unwelcomed curve balls.
What are you looking for?
I’m looking for healing,
for world peace,
for relief from physical or mental suffering or pain.
I’m looking for meaningful work,
for affordable healthcare and housing,
for food,
for oil to heat my home.
I’m looking for a place to be seen,
for a place to belong,
for a place to thrive, if that is possible.
Well, “come and see” Jesus says.
Come and abide with me.
Jesus offers us this invitation to abundant life.
Sometimes that may mean letting go of “life as usual”
and allowing God to claim us, name us, and transform us…
as we trust in God’s goodness and mercy
and deep and abiding Love.
I imagine the disciples were looking for freedom from the oppressive forces of Rome.
They were looking for relief
and the opportunity to live abundantly.
I imagine they were looking for the Messiah to come and bring new life.
This past week I was reading a meditation which said that Jesus saw Rome for what it was: temporary.
I found that most helpful.
As we look around us and read the daily news with all its horror,
I find it helpful to remember that all these structures and powers are temporary.
It is God who is eternal.
It is God who is filled with merciful justice.
And God promises to be with us to the end of the age.
Our invitation and our call
is to remember God’s promise of love and mercy and justice
and to follow where Jesus, the Lamb of God, leads the way.
Our focus is Jesus,
not the world.
We don’t have control over this world
or even other people in our lives that we know.
But we do have power to be open to God’s presence in this world
and to make God’s presence known to others through our own lives.
If we accept God’s invitation to abide with God,
God will reveal the way forward.
My friends, whether we like it or not,
we are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ in this world.
While I doubt many of us would feel comfortable standing on a street corner proclaiming,
"Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
we do promise in our baptismal covenant to:
"proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ" and to
“strive for justice and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every human being.”
We are called by God
to witness to God’s love, compassion, and justice in this world.
So… What are we looking for?
I would wager that we gather here every week
because we want Jesus to teach us how to abide in God…
…how to find quiet attentiveness to God
in the midst of this noisy world.
…how to find a place of welcome, belonging, and connection.
…how to find a little bit of courage, hope, and peace.
Jesus does not give the disciples an answer
but offers them an invitation:
“Come and see.”
Jesus bids us to come and abide with him…
and then to go out into the world and share the Good News…
inviting others to “come and see.”
Andrew began with his brother…
with just one person who was close to him.
So, you see, we don’t have to go out and proclaim Jesus on the street corner.
We can start with our families,
and friends,
and neighbors,
and co-workers.
We have found Jesus,
the Light of the world!
We have found the One who brings us peace,
and grace,
and courage,
and forgiveness,
and hope,
and healing.
Come and see!
Will we accept that God sends us out as witnesses to the world?
Will we accept that God abides in us?
Who might you be willing to invite to church next week?
As we accept the invitation to come and see,
may we also proclaim through word and example "We have found the Messiah!"
AMEN.
