They Wish to See Jesus
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. – John 12:20–22 (NRSVUE)
Some strangers—foreigners with an odd language and unfamiliar customs—wanted to see Jesus. They asked Andrew, because they understood that he was a friend of Jesus. But, honestly, Andrew was taken aback. I mean, what did those people want anyway?
He met this dilemma as millions of Christ followers have met their dilemmas in the eons since that day: he called a meeting. In committee with Philip, the two carefully weighed the pros and cons of allowing the as-yet-unnamed Greeks access to the Lord. At long last, they reached an agreement. They would tell Jesus himself about the request.
It would be great if the story ended here with, “So Yiannis and Dimitris were welcomed into the community and they all lived happily ever after.” Unfortunately, the unnamed Greeks grew tired of the vetting process and drifted off, never to be heard from again.
In communities that yearn to welcome everyone, we sometimes lose sight of the many processes and barriers that keep the curious from accessing Jesus. Take a close look at your community. What mechanisms keep people from coming right to Jesus? What language builds a wall rather than a bridge? What parts of church life are available only to “members”? How might your doors truly be open to all?
Prayer
Brother Jesus, give us the wisdom and the words to be your widely, wildly welcoming people. In your many names we pray. Amen.
Rev. Jennifer Garrison (formerly Brownell) is a writer, spiritual director and pastor living in the Pacific Northwest. Her published work most recently appeared in the book The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle, available from The Pilgrim Press.