Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Tuesday March 31 2015   

John 12: 19 – 26

We want to see Jesus. (v. 21)

Paul Kett spoke on this verse last Sunday in his sermon, noting that was and is something he thinks about as he plans a sermon.  I began my reflecting there.

As I think about this, I am reminded of two other statements:

This verse reminds me of part of our baptismal covenant: To seek and serve Christ in all persons.  

It also reminds me of the story where Philip asked Jesus to show them God and Jesus said: To see me is to see the Father. (John 14: 9)

These two statements speak of looking at one person and seeing another.  They speak of seeing beyond the immediate, the superficial, the material, and truly SEEING something deeper, more real, spiritual.

The rest of today’s passage also speaks of this two part seeing.  If we only see the grain of wheat for what it is in this moment, and worse yet, try to keep it that way, then it is doomed to never realize its true and full potential – of producing a new plant that will itself produce many more grains than the initial one.  So also with our physical life – if we try to hold on to it in its present and limited form, if we see that as most important, then we will miss out on the full, infinitely larger life that God has made possible for us.

These thoughts bring me back to the beginning of my reflecting, and I then think about what I see when I see Jesus.  I see a suffering Jesus, a healing Jesus, a compassionate Jesus, a humble Jesus, a strong Jesus, an obedient Jesus, a victorious Jesus, a loving Jesus …. The list goes on.  So, when I look at another person, what or who do I see?  Do I look beyond the surface to see the pain, the love, the hunger…?  And then, if Jesus says that when I really see him that I am seeing God, what is it that I see?  God’s love, and all of the potential of the universe that God created.

If we can let go of limiting our vision of others, can we also let go of ourselves?  Then God can work in us more than we can ask or imagine.  In this way, hopefully, when someone else, seeking God, looks at us, it is indeed Jesus whom they will see.

- Ann Kelland