Sermon for the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany.
John 1:29-42
Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
There’s a story about a visitor to a Roman Catholic parish in the mid-1960s. The reforms of Vatican II were sweeping the country, and this particular parish decided to try “sharing the peace.” The visitor turned to an old woman kneeling next to him, who had been praying her rosary all through mass. He said to her, “Peace be with you.” She stopped, looked up at him for a moment and retorted, “I don’t believe in that (expletive),” and went right on praying her rosary.
Funny story, right? Not when you realize how common that attitude can be in our churches. Lutherans are no different. We aren’t always so good at welcoming the visitor ourselves. There’s a story of a Lutheran church where visitors came to worship one Sunday. After sitting down, a long-time member came up to them and said, “You’re sitting in my pew! You have to move.” The next Sunday, our brave visitors came back. This time, they sat in another pew. But, the same long-time member came up to them and said, “You’re sitting in the Johnsons’ pew! You have to move.”
Fortunately, there’s another example of hospitality in our Gospel today. We come across John the Baptist pointing out Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Two of John’s disciples hear this and they follow Jesus. After a while, Jesus turns around and asks “What are you looking for?”
They ask, “Teacher, where are you staying?”
Jesus responds, “Come and see.”
Come and see! Three simple words. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go away,” or “I don’t believe in that (expletive),” or “You’re sitting in my pew!” Jesus simply says, “Come and see.”
The disciples follow Jesus, see where he lives, and stay with him until the end of the day. Andrew goes to see Peter first thing after all this, and after telling him, “We have found the Messiah,” brings him to Jesus. Jesus wastes no time in giving Peter, the Rock of the church, his name – and commissioning him as a disciple. Three simple words invite Andrew to join Jesus. Andrew then invites his brother, who becomes the most prominent disciple in the NT and also a great evangelist.
What an effect three little words had. This is evangelism at its finest. It’s so simple. “Come and see.” If anything, this Gospel reminds us that as a Christian community, we are first and foremost an invitational community.
As ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we are charged with welcoming visitors and giving hospitality to strangers. John’s Gospel makes it clear why we do this. Jesus has given us the ultimate example of hospitality – and evangelism. Jesus has said to us, “Come and see. Sure, you may have heard John the Baptist’s testimony. Sure, you may have heard the stories about me from others. But come and see for yourself. Come and experience the good news firsthand.” When Jesus told Andrew and the other disciple, “Come and see,” he also said, “Come and see,” to us. Jesus calls, “Come and see,” when we hear the Word. Jesus says, “Come and see,” when he invites us to his holy supper. The faith we have is not something dry and dead, something we experience second-hand. And it certainly isn’t something we keep to ourselves. Every Sunday we experience Christ’s love for us directly. And we are charged with inviting others to experience that love directly too. “Come and see what’s happening at Luther Memorial.” “Come and see our worship.” “Come and see our Bible studies.” “Come and see our coffee hour.” And my personal favorite, “Come and see the Luther Memorial Church Ambassador program!”
That’s not to say that it isn’t difficult at times. In the Isaiah reading, the servant complains of having “labored in vain” to accomplish the task of bringing Israel back to God. It seems too hard and too much. But God doesn’t let it go. Instead, God makes the servant “a light to the nations,” not just to Israel. And God doesn’t leave us under-equipped for such a challenge. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “For in every way you have been enriched in Christ…just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you – so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” As we have been enriched in Christ, we have been strengthened to be ambassadors for our Lord.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are that light which points to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, we point to Jesus the Messiah as that Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Like Jesus, we tell others to “Come and see.” And like Andrew, we invite others to experience the Messiah that we’ve experienced firsthand in the Word and at the Table.
So, “Come and see.” Come and be strengthened by him at the Table. And then go and tell others what you have seen. Thanks be to God. Amen.
