So very often, the gospel passage appointed for a given Sunday contains one major theme, or one simple story. Not today. Today\u2019s gospel is chock full of proclamation, imagery, and narrative. Let\u2019s review the major themes in these dozen verses of scripture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and proclaims, \u201cHere is the Lamb of God.\u201d
\u2022 John the Baptist reminds us that he baptized his cousin Jesus, and the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove.
\u2022 John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the very Son of God.
\u2022 Two disciples call Jesus rabbi, or \u201cteacher,\u201d and Jesus invites them deeper into the mystery, with a simple phrase, \u201cCome and see.\u201d
\u2022 Finally, we have an abbreviated recounting of the story of Andrew and Peter deciding to follow Jesus and saying, \u201cWe have found the Messiah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s so much material for theological musing that it almost seems as if this should be the subject of many sermons, not just one. And the theological assertions in today\u2019s gospel reading are profound: \u201cHere is the Lamb of God,\u201d \u201cThis is the Son of God,\u201d and \u201cWe have found the Messiah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It makes us want to ask Jesus not just \u201cWhere are you staying?\u201d as the disciples did, but also \u201cWhat exactly are you up to?\u201d \u201cWhat is your purpose?\u201d or even \u201cWhat do you want of us?\u201d To these, and to all such questions, Jesus issues the same gentle invitation: \u201cCome and see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What exactly is this Lamb of God? Come and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is the true Messiah? Come and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why should we follow you, Jesus? Come and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is as if Jesus is saying, \u201cWhy not give discipleship a try?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a difficult thing for us in the twenty-first century, is it not? First of all, we know that to choose to follow Jesus is a major life decision. Discipleship requires dedication, work, and sacrifice. And as a consequence, we want that choice to be an informed decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most of us, making a major life decision is an arduous and prolonged process. We need time to do research, to consult experts, to ask the opinion of friends. We may consult Consumer Reports<\/em> before buying a car, or even a toaster. In medicine nowadays, they are very careful to secure your \u201cinformed consent\u201d before the most minor procedure, and modern pharmaceuticals come with warnings about their many side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we carefully sort out the options, search for information online or in books, and begin to compile a list of pros and cons. What are the benefits, and what is the cost? We have all done this at one time or another. In a manner like this, we may have made a decision to enter into a primary relationship\u2014or to leave one. To buy a house, or take a new job, or move across town\u2014or even across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making informed decisions is a worthy endeavor, as it helps us avoid repeating some of life\u2019s biggest mistakes, making a bad situation worse, or facing the mountain of unintended consequences of a poor choice. In a way, our society\u2019s tendency to encourage us to \u201cdo the homework\u201d so thoroughly may be one of the reasons why Christianity appears to be in decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s see. It may go something like this: if we choose to become a disciple of Jesus, then we will be expected to work harder than we ever imagined, to give more than we thought possible, and to surrender our stubborn need for control to serve the divine will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what do we get in return? This, of course, is where the invitation to \u201ccome and see\u201d becomes so pivotal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because, on the face of it, we get nothing\u2014at least nothing the world would consider a \u201cgift.\u201d Just more work, more need requiring us to give, and more and more opportunities to surrender. That\u2019s because the gift of God\u2019s grace is free, and offered to everyone without condition. There\u2019s nothing anyone can do to earn it, deserve it, or be excluded from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And in our transactional world, this just does not seem like the kind of situation to which we aspire. No. In our world things go more like this: first I give this, and then I get that in exchange. This is how it is supposed to work, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the gifts of God\u2019s mercy, love, and grace\u2014they just are not like that. They are ours, freely given, without condition. So, if we choose to become disciples of Jesus, and to give our time, talent, and treasure, what do we get for all our trouble?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The values that Jesus puts forth in his gospel do not really make any sense in the system in which the world assesses worth. You really have to immerse yourself in the mystery before you can even begin to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world cherishes wealth. The world esteems power. The world treasures control. But the gospel calls us to love the poor and serve the needy, without condition. And the gospel compels us to surrender our lust for power and give up our need for control. And what are the potential consequences of that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Savior of the world, you see, is also the one our scriptures call \u201ca man of sorrows,\u201d \u201cacquainted with grief,\u201d and \u201cdespised and rejected by men.\u201d That surely doesn\u2019t sound like someone destined for success or greatness, does it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spiritual life is full of paradoxes\u2014those seeming contradictions that actually express a deeper spiritual reality. Paradoxes such as gaining our life by losing our life, enjoying true abundance by giving away our possessions, and becoming followers of the all-powerful one who emptied himself of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You really need to \u201ccome and see\u201d in order to understand\u2014or even begin to understand. Without regular experience of the liturgy, our Sunday worship is just an empty ritual. So come and see, again and again. Without an ongoing discipline of prayer, our utterances are nothing more than endless demands of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come and see, and try again. Without personal sacrifice, our lives can become meaningless, focused more on the accumulation of material goods than on sharing the love that comes from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So come and see the Lamb of God, on whom the Spirit descended like a dove, the Son of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come and see Jesus the rabbi, who teaches us the way of salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come and see Andrew and Simon Peter, who drop their nets and leave behind everything to follow Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The invitation was offered to those anonymous disciples so many years ago, and it is offered to us again today. Come and see\u2014and be enriched in Christ, in speech and knowledge of every kind. Come and see\u2014and learn again that God is faithful, and that you are called into the fellowship of God\u2019s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Come and see\u2014so that you too can declare with confidence, \u201cWe have found the Messiah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sermon was written by the Rev. J. Barrington Bates<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So very often, the gospel passage appointed for a given Sunday contains one major theme, or one simple story. Not today. Today\u2019s gospel is chock full of proclamation, imagery, and narrative. Let\u2019s review the major themes in these dozen verses of scripture: \u2022 John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and proclaims, \u201cHere is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[32,43,52,3],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-511060","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epiphany","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-epiphany-2a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":32,"label":"Epiphany"},{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":162,"label":"Epiphany 2A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/511060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/511060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3477044,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/511060\/revisions\/3477044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}