An Invitation: Come and See

The Gospel of John describes the first disciples of Jesus as Andrew and John himself.  They were followers of John the Baptist.  Maybe they had been baptized by him even before Jesus came seeking baptism.  They witnessed John's proclamation of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and, because of his proclamation, they followed Jesus.  The first contact was hesitant.  They did not run after him calling his name, but they just followed him.  Jesus noticed them and turned and said "What do you want?"


The Bible does not record any teaching yet, but they called him Rabbi which means Teacher.  Perhaps it was a title of honor and they just wanted to show respect.  Maybe they were startled by his question, but they didn't say, "John says you are the Lamb of God, and we want to hear about that."  


They only said, "Where are you staying?"  A mundane question, but it might let them know where he would be in the future or an opening for further conversation. 


He wanted to maintain the open door, too.  "Come and see," he said.  They stayed the rest of the day; that might mean 6:00 or suppertime or bedtime.  In any case, it was time for a longer conversation.

• What do you want to ask? 
• What does Jesus say to you do when you are alone?
• What does it mean to be the Lamb of God?

A Prostitute in Our Midst?

Do you know about Rahab?  She was a prostitute and certainly not someone I would want to visit with.  I mean"What would people say?"  If she is going to live among us, she will surely have to clean up her act.  And she brought her whole family, too.  I wonder what they're like.  Not that I really want to take on introducing them to my friends.

They say she saved the spies who went to look over Jericho, but when she bargained for her own life, she included her family as well.  I have to admit she did have integrity and family loyalty.  She hid the spies until the troops of the King of Jericho left, and she told them how to escape.

Of course she would want to join us.  She told the spies that everyone she knew feared Israel, and she jumped on our band wagon as soon as she could.  She had heard of the miracles God did to protect our people in the desert.  She was just trying to save herself since she knew that God would give Jericho to Israel.  For a while I wasn't so sure.  I mean they had the best position,
 after all.

It really seems sort of flighty of her to believe things she had only heard about and to hide the spies under stalks of flax on the roof.  If they had found the spies, she would surely have been in big trouble.  Only if you really had great faith or you were really stupid would you take that risk.  Humphff.
But Joshua kept the promise and rescued all the members of her family after the walls fell.  I guess that's one reason they went to her house in the first place--the house was on the wall.  The other reason we won't discuss.  I wonder who intruduced her to Salmon?  She was a foreigner, after all.  I wouldn't think his family could have been very happy about it.  She did bear him children.  I think Boaz was the first.  I really wasn't sure he would ever amount to anything, but who knows.

Read the story of Rahab in Joshua 2, 6:22-25, Matthew 1:5.