What are you looking for?

admin – November 20, 2013 2 Comments

A few weeks ago, Kye, a young pastor and member of the New Covenant Fellowship community, preached from the following passage of Luke during our worship service (you can listen to the teaching here):

¹⁸John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²²So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ²³Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

— Luke 7:18-23

I was deeply challenged and touched by Kye’s take on Jesus’ response to John’s query, “Are you the one I was looking for or did I somehow get it wrong?” Here’s the summary of what Kye said: “I don’t know John, what are you looking for? Because here is what is happening.”

Isn’t it true that much of the journey with God, and with God’s Son Jesus, is filled with us having to decide what we are looking for? 

If I look for:

• an easier life
• easier answers
• easier decisions
• a church (or a life) that mostly reflects the Jesus Creed (love God and love your neighbor)
• a quick vindication of my faith
• a life that always feels close to God

…it likely will not be long before I am asking, “Jesus, are you what I was looking for or should I look for something else?”

On the other hand, if I am looking for:

• a life where nothing needs to be wasted in the hands of God no matter how bad and unjust it was—God can still use it to bring character growth
• a life of belonging to the community of God’s great history-long story of drawing us toward the coming age and reign of God
• a life that can say with Peter “I am tempted to leave, but where would I go—Jesus, you are the only real life I have ever found”
• a life in a world that neither God nor we are satisfied with, but one in which God is always willing to work toward the coming age in which both God and we will find delight and satisfaction
• a life where God may say “No” when we say “If possible let this cup pass from me,” yet will minister grace to us  in the midst of the painful “No”
• a life where feeling so abandoned we may cry out with Jesus “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me,” but also a life that will finally resolve as Psalm 22 does: “God came through in the end”
• a life that may not have enough healing, wholeness, forgiveness, peace, redemption, love for God, and love for my neighbor- in fact far too little, but still has 100’s of times more than I would have without Jesus in my life

…then Jesus is who I am looking for, and may be who you are looking for too. Because this kind of life is the one that “is happening.”

So, as Kye asked me, and Jesus asked John, I ask you: “What are you looking for?”

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As always, if you have any questions or thoughts about this post, or if there is another topic you’d like me to explore in a future post, please leave a comment. I always enjoy your questions and thoughts