You Will See

Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, baptized people with water but told his followers that someone was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Today’s Gospel reading does not record any conversation between John and Jesus, but emphasizes that as John watches Jesus go by, he announces that this man is indeed the promised one, the Lamb of God.

Andrew and another man set out to follow Jesus, who turns and asks what they are looking for. Their answer is a strange one: they want to know where he lives. Jesus simply replies, “Come, and you will see.” We are told they stay with him for the whole day. The next day, Andrew finds his brother, Simon, and tells him he has met the Messiah—the Anointed One—and takes Simon to meet Jesus. Like John, Jesus looks hard at Simon, taking the measure of the man, and in the light of what he perceives in him changes his name to Cephas—or as we more commonly know it, Peter (“the rock”).

The two encounters seem very ordinary, yet they are life-changing. Jesus is not proclaiming a message, preaching to a crowd, or performing great miracles. Instead, he is simply walking past John, and when Andrew and his friend introduce themselves, offers them hospitality and companionship. When Jesus meets Peter, he does not ask probing questions about his family and his background or make solemn pronouncements. He just looks at the man, makes an assessment of his character, and accepts him as a friend. The simplicity of Jesus’ manner demonstrates his willingness to receive people “as they are” but also to call forth their potential. He does not offer lengthy explanations of who he is, but takes people to his home and lets them see for themselves.

Weekly reflections are provided by our bulletin publisher, J. S. Paluch, Inc.