"What are you looking for?"

In this weekend’s Gospel, there happens to be one of those things that many people state that you should not do, and that is to answer a question with a question. Jesus is walking by John the Baptist who has a number of disciples, or people that are following him. He happens to be with two of them when Jesus walks by. Remember, the role of John was to decrease while Jesus was to increase, and this is one of the ways that this happens. He tells his disciples that he is not the one to follow, but Jesus is really the one that they should be following. Then Jesus asks John’s disciples who are not following him “what are you looking for?” or “what do you want?” They answer his question with the question “where are you staying?”

So, what does this interchange mean for us? First of all, we know that John realized who Jesus was and so he wanted his disciples and others to follow not him but Jesus, whom he has been proclaiming since his youth. Second, the disciples were hungry for the faith and so when someone that they trusted and followed told them to follow someone else, they listened and followed the one who was proclaimed. Next, Jesus was confronting them, even though he already knew their hearts, wanting them to see what they are doing. Finally, when they ask, where Jesus is staying, they are in a way saying that they would like to be with him where he is staying. In other words, they were saying, Jesus, we will be your disciples and stay where you are staying and be with you there. When Jesus invites them, they follow, and then go back out and bring those that they love back to Jesus. This is something that was not just for them, it is for all of us.

Could you imagine what you would do if Jesus the Son of the Living God turns to you and asks you “what are you looking for?” How would you respond? What answer would you give him? Would you want to follow or not? This is the continual question that we are asked each and every day when we are followers of Jesus. I know that in my own case, I see Jesus in front of me and I have that desire to follow, but then something distracts me from the path. But, I also know that when I do stray away from the path, Jesus will come back to me and bring me back to the path that I am called to follow, and that is his path. As we begin these short few weeks of Ordinary time and get ready for the Lenten season that will begin in about a month, we need to continually remind ourselves, how do we best answer that question that Jesus asks us each and every day, “What are you looking for?” Hopefully we will have that courage and strength every day to ask him back, where are you staying so that I can be with you all the time. Keep praying for the gift to follow the path that Jesus has for all of us.

God bless,
Fr. Ken