To be where Jesus is

I almost feel like I’ve been rushing through the gospel passages at times, so I want to slow it down a bit and take a closer look at this passage.

When John the Baptist’s disciples heard John tell them that Jesus was the one they should be following, they immediately left John to follow Jesus.

One wonders how hard it was for them to do that. No doubt they had built up some kind of bond with John during the time that they were with them.

But there was a limit to what John could do for them. Why? Because greatest of the prophets though he may have been, he was still merely a man, with all a man’s limitations.

If they wanted to take the next step in their relationship with God, they needed to become disciples of God himself. And that’s what Jesus was, God in flesh.

I wonder what it must have been like trying to approach Jesus. How do you just approach the person that John says is the Messiah that God promised to send all the way back in the Garden of Eden?

I would guess they were intimidated and unsure. Perhaps they were going back and forth between themselves saying,

“You talk to him.”

“No, you talk to him.”

Eventually Jesus noticed them, and he stopped and turned.

When he did, they probably came to a dead standstill. Would he reject them? They were, after all, nobodies. No special education. No special background. Why would Jesus accept them?

Perhaps it was in the midst of their awkward silence that Jesus asked,

What do you want? (John 1:38a)

And they replied,

“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (38b)

It seems a strange question in our culture. We would probably say, “How do you do. I’m Andrew.”

But in their culture, it was essentially the question of a person asking to become a disciple. The idea was that they wanted to be where Jesus was, learning from him. Not just his teachings, but how he actually lived.

Not much has changed in 2000 years. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we need to have the same attitude as these disciples: the desire to be near our master.

How about you? Do you have that same desire? To sit at his feet in the morning, reading his Word, and talking and listening to him in prayer? And do you have the desire to walk with him throughout the day?

Too often, people spend time with Jesus in the morning, but after that essentially say, “Well, it was great talking to you. Gotta go.” And they leave Jesus behind in their thoughts and mind.

But we need to be taking Jesus wherever we go. To learn to listen to his voice throughout the day and follow his leading.

That’s what it means to be a true disciple.

I’d love to say that I’ve mastered this. I haven’t. I’m still learning what it means to walk with him every moment of every day.

Will you join me in that journey this year?

I love the (semi-)old worship song that says,

I just want to be where you are.
Dwelling daily in your presence.

I don’t want to worship from afar.
Draw me near to where you are.

I just want to be where you are.
In your dwelling place forever.

Take me to the place where you are.
I just want to be with you.