From Forward Day by Day
John 12:21 Sir, we wish to see Jesus.
The Greeks had a simple request. Sir, we wish to see Jesus. They didn’t want the blah blah; they wanted to meet the Lord. We would do well to think about this request as we practice our faith in Christian community.
A friend of mine was looking for a new church when she moved. At church after church, she reported that the sermons weren’t about Jesus. Finally, out of desperation, she joined a church, even though it didn’t seem quite right. When she went to the dinner for new members, she thought that perhaps finally people would share their faith stories or talk about Jesus. They were asked to go around the room, introduce themselves and say their favorite public holiday. Then small talk. There was no talk of Jesus. She moved on.
So often in our churches we somehow forget this basic thing. People get out of bed to meet Jesus. If they wanted friendly people, they’d go to the coffee shop. Not that we shouldn’t be friendly, but friendliness is not the thing we should strive for first and foremost. Imagine what would it be like if guests stood up just before the opening hymn and said, “We wish to see Jesus.”
