Seeing Jesus

from Helen 

There are some things you know about me and some that you do not. You may not know that I once went swimming with the welsh rugby team. I say swimming, I actually mean that they were in the swimming pool with me. I say the Welsh rugby team which is true but there was the embarrassing moment when I not only needed to talk to them but I, a follower of rugby wasn’t sure which player I was speaking to. I probably need to explain a bit – Ian and I were members of the gym in the Vale of Glamorgan hotel. It is where the Welsh rugby and football teams trained. We got quite used to seeing various famous international sportsmen at the gym. The one day Ian pointed out to me that the whole Welsh rugby team had walked past, gone to the pool and I hadn’t noticed, because I was concentrating on my own keep fit. Anyway, I went for a swim. I realised that I now had a chance to see them. The problem was that when I got into the pool I couldn’t see a thing as I didn’t have my glasses on. I swam to where I thought they were and decided to ask one of them what the time was. So after explaining that I couldn’t make out exactly who was who and couldn’t see the clock I asked what time it was. Then I asked who was who! I am amazed that I was not thrown out of the pool for seeming like a stalker ! anyway I did find out the time and got out of the pool quickly.

Genuinely without my glasses my vision is very poor. I thought of this when I looked at our gospel reading for today (John 12:21-33). This reading began with some people going to Philip to ask if they could see Jesus. They didn’t really ask so much as stated that they wished to see Jesus. One interesting point is that they were greeks and they went to the disciple with a greek name. Anyway they wished to see Jesus. They wanted to see Him.

I remember once an assistant Bishop of Llandaff Bishop David Yeoman saying that he was due to preach in a church in Uganda. He went up to the pulpit and saw a note which said, “ We want to see Jesus”. A little pressure even for a Bishop. I was later relaying this story to a priest who said that this is always written on a slip of paper for a preacher when they step into the pulpit in Africa.

I made a couple of notes in my head. One, get other people to preach instead if I am ever asked to preach in Africa and two how amazing that the Christians in Churches in Africa have the faith to demand of their preacher that they see Jesus.

It is a big ask in some ways but it shouldn’t be. I think we can feel comfortable with the idea of someone else showing Jesus to people. But, we as His followers are all to show Jesus to others. These people went to one of Jesus’ disciples and stated that they wanted to see Jesus.

We are disciples, followers of Jesus. Can people look at us and see Jesus in our lives by the way we live, by the people we are ?

You have probably heard the saying that there are 5 gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and you and most people don’t read the first 4. This is certainly a challenge. By our lives do we show Jesus.

For people to look at us and see Jesus means that people must be able to see in us the ways of Jesus. That is ways that we love each other. Which means not moaning about one another, it means not talking about one another behind their backs. It means helping those in need and not making a judgement on how they got into the situation where they are needy. It means being people through whom the light of Christ shines.

Last week I was in Christchurch school the hymn picked for the day was, “This little light of mine” which always goes down well there. The children smile a lot and start to clap. They are happy. The teacher said to the children that she wanted to see their light shining as they went through the school day.

Wow ! It was of course very cute but it was also a good reminder for us. Are we people through whom the light of Jesus shines ? Are we people whom others may come to asking to see Jesus and more of Him ? Would we be able like Philip and Andrew in the gospel reading to take people to see Jesus ?

When Andrew went to Jesus and told Him about the request, His response was that His time was coming.  Jesus was preparing the disciples for what was going to happen next. This passage took place in what would equate with Tuesday of holy week for us. In this moment Jesus was explaining what following Him meant. For people to see Jesus they needed to know that He would suffer but they also needed to know and understand that this suffering would bring something even greater.

In the Church we are speeding towards the end of lent. Today is passion Sunday when we think of the cross and suffering that Jesus would go through and next Sunday of course brings us Holy week when we will spend time journeying with Jesus.

To see Jesus means to spend time being more like Him. To turn to Him always, the more like Jesus we are the more people will see Him in our lives. I had a funny conversation once with someone when they read my profile on twitter which says something like, “ I Love Jesus, my husband and my family.” They asked if my husband was ok about losing out to Jesus. I explained that He was fine with it and felt the same. I don’t say this to show off, it was a long conversation of explanation after but this is what we as followers know. Jesus is Lord of our everything otherwise we are not allowing Him to be Lord of anything. This is what it means to show Jesus to others, being people who see Jesus and who through spending time with Him get closer to Him and become more like Him so that when people come to us they will be able to see Jesus. May we be followers through whom the light of Christ shines. AMEN