{"id":19276,"date":"2022-05-09T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-9th-may-2022"},"modified":"2022-05-09T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T05:00:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-9th-may-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-9th-may-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 9th May 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

St John 1: 35 – 51<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, \u201cLook, here is the Lamb of God!\u201d  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, \u201cWhat are you looking for?\u201d They said to him, \u201cRabbi\u201d (which translated means Teacher), \u201cwhere are you staying?\u201d  He said to them, \u201cCome and see.\u201d They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o\u2019clock in the afternoon.  One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter\u2019s brother.  He first found his brother Simon and said to him, \u201cWe have found the Messiah\u201d (which is translated Anointed).  He brought Simon  to Jesus, who looked at him and said, \u201cYou are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas\u201d (which is translated Peter).<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, \u201cFollow me.\u201d  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, \u201cWe have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.\u201d  Nathanael said to him, \u201cCan anything good come out of Nazareth?\u201d Philip said to him, \u201cCome and see.\u201d When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, \u201cHere is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!\u201d  Nathanael asked him, \u201cWhere did you get to know me?\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cI saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.\u201d  Nathanael replied, \u201cRabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!\u201d  Jesus answered, \u201cDo you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.\u201d  And he said to him, \u201cVery truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflection<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Come and see\u2019 \u2013 this is Jesus\u2019 invitation to the two curious disciples of John the Baptist, and the invitation Philip shares with his brother Nathanael.  This passage is full of seeing and being seen, from John exclaiming \u2018Look!\u2019 to Jesus promising Nathanael that he will \u2018see heaven opened\u2019.  Perhaps the key is in Jesus\u2019 question \u2018What are you looking for?\u2019 and the claims of the future disciples Andrew and Philip that they have found all they are searching for in him.  Seek and you will find\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

This passage is also full of really seeing the other.  First John sees Jesus for who he is, the Lamb of God, the innocent suffering servant who would bring restoration, resurrection and renewal for the whole world.  Jesus sees Simon as the Peter-rock on which a Spirit-filled community of love, with the ability to change the world, can be built.  Nathanael sees past his learnt prejudice of Nazarenes to recognise Jesus as the Son of God.  Jesus sees Nathanael\u2019s heart of integrity (no deceit) and preparedness to discover God in unlikely times and places \u2013 a true Israelite or member of the family of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning to see others as Jesus sees them, to name and affirm the gifts God has given them, to enable those gifts to be exercised as part of the body of Christ (whatever the age, stage, background of that person) is our collective calling to build one another up.  Perhaps then we will be able to see that heaven is indeed open, and we will be able to excitedly say \u2018Look!\u2019 to our neighbours and point to where we can see Christ alive and at work in the world bring hope and peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Open our eyes Lord<\/span>
we want to see Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open our eyes Lord<\/span>
we want to see past our prejudices and see each other as your beloved children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open our eyes Lord<\/span>
we want to see heaven open and your light and love poured out into the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open our eyes Lord<\/span>
we want to show others all you have shown us. <\/span><\/p>\n

Open our eyes Lord<\/span>
that we may come and see.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amen<\/span>
 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St John 1: 35 – 51 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, \u201cLook, here is the Lamb of God!\u201d  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to … <\/p>\n

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