We Would See Jesus

My somewhat-odd sermon title comes from the King James Version rendition of our Gospel text. Near the end of Jesus’ public ministry, as pilgrims are flooding into Jerusalem for the Passover festival, Jesus is in Jerusalem as well. Some Greeks – likely Gentiles, certainly at least to some extent outsiders at the festival – approach Philip with the words, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Philip goes to Andrew, and then Philip and Andrew present them to Jesus.

It is a secret to nobody that churches don’t draw the numbers they once did. At one time, in the 1950’s, it was expected that families who wanted to be considered upstanding citizens would attend church, not necessarily out of strong conviction, but because it was a social obligation, the thing to do. Those days are long behind us. And maybe it’s not even entirely a bad thing - it’s possible, maybe even likely, that many of those people were attending church for the wrong reason, seeking decorum instead of discipleship; respectability instead of repentance; status instead of servanthood. These days, going to church is no longer the thing to do, but only one of a vast variety of possible things to do.

People no longer just sort of drift through our front door into worship by osmosis or inertia. Those who come to church, make the effort because they are seeking something. Something or someone – a sense of being spiritually connected to God and neighbor, a place where one can ask deep questions about big issues, a place to be embraced by a loving community, a place to find peace and healing and restoration. While the words may not be there, at some level those who visit our church or any church make the request, “Sir – Ma’am – we would see Jesus.”

What will they find? Will they find Jesus? I’m concerned that many of our congregations are so cluttered with other priorities that Jesus gets lost in the shuffle. Christian writer Michael Spencer, in an article called “The Coming Evangelical Collapse” envisions a future a generation or two from now, of half-empty (or more) evangelical churches, of ministries shuttering their doors for lack of funds and supporters. He sees this as the outcome of a too-close alliance between the more visible TV preachers and public evangelists and political conservatives, with the result that if you ask your average Joe on the street what evangelical Christians are like – and surveys have been done on this very question by respected polling organizations - they’ll tell you that Christians are people who are really angry about one or two hot-button social issues. While the intent may be to “love the sinner while hating the sin,” often the “hate” part is the only part that comes across. Among the unchurched, Christians are seen as people who hate. Let that sink in for just a minute…Christians are seen as people who hate. Yet the Jesus of the Bible attracts the unchurched, so they come to us requesting, “Sir – Ma’am, we would see Jesus.” Can Jesus be found among the calls of condemnation?

And sometimes we don’t do so good ourselves. When is the last time you or I actually shared our faith with someone? We can tell people about our church history, about the groups that share our space, about our auctions and rummage sales – and all that is valuable and there’s time for all that - but can we tell people about Jesus? To use the words of the old hymn, do we love to tell the story of Jesus and His love?

The truth is that all of us, as Christians, are windows through which others may see Jesus. At our worst, we can obscure that light, so that our neighbors see only our own fear and anger. A preacher friend of mine, who sometimes spreads herself too thin, sometimes acknowledges those moments when she’s not at her best by saying, “I’m afraid my congregation saw a little too much of me today, and not enough of Jesus.” At our best, though, our lives are like stained glass through which the light of God’s love shines, making patterns of beauty and joy and peace in the lives of those around us. May those who approach us with the request, “Sir – Ma’am – we would see Jesus” find what they’re looking for.