Weekly Musing - Dawn

Are you willing?

That is the question Jesus is asking. What exactly does that mean? Am I willing to wait or be patient? Am I willing to listen? Am I willing to ask questions? Am I willing to go somewhere different? Am I willing to stay? Yes, to all those questions.

Jesus, our friend, wants to know if you will follow His voice. You may not know where it will lead. But he is asking if you are willing. Are you willing to follow Me without knowing the plan? Can you live without knowing what is next? Without it being planned out in detail?

Let’s look at when Jesus called the disciples. In John 1:35-39, “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at (1689) Jesus as he walked by and said,

“Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi, (which means Teacher) where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So, they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.”

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” John 1:43 ESV

In the Passion translation, John 1:35-39 & 43, “The very next day John was there again with two of his disciples as Jesus was walking right past him. John, gazing upon him, pointed to Jesus and said, “Look! There’s God’s Lamb!” And as soon as John’s two disciples heard this, they immediately left John and began to follow a short distance behind Jesus. Then Jesus turned around and saw they were following him and asked, “What do you want?” They responded, “Rabbi, (which means, Master Teacher) where are you staying?” Jesus answered, “Come and discover for yourselves.”

The next day Jesus decided to go to the region of Galilee. There he found Philip and said to him, “Come and follow me.”

Jesus doesn’t tell them where they are going, what they will be doing or how it will be done. He just states “Come and you will see and Follow me.”

John the Baptist looked at (1689) – to look on, i.e. (relative) to observe fixedly, or (absolute) to discern clearly: - look at, see, take up. In the Passion, it is translated gazing upon him

This was the day after John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

The commentary for the Passion translation says, “This is the first recorded saying of Jesus in the Gospels. It is a question that should be asked of every follower of Jesus: “What do you want in following me?” Do you want something only for ourselves? A ministry? Answers to prayer? Or do we simply want to be with him? Their answer, “Where are you staying?” shows that they were seeking only him.

In the Aramaic, the phrase “Come, and you will see” in John 1:39, which Jesus says, invites the disciples to witness where he will stay. This phrase represents an invitation to personal experience and discipleship rather than just a physical location. The phrase is commonly understood as a call to experience the truth of Jesus’ identity firsthand.

In the Aramaic, the phrase “Follow me” in John 1:43, which Jesus says to Philip is rendered “Thaw bather” which means come after me.

So, going back to the original question, “Are you willing?” The adjective “Willing” means in the dictionary – “ready, eager, or prepared to do something”. Are you ready? Are you eager? Are you prepared to do something or to be? That is the basic definition. But Jesus is asking, “Are you willing?”

It seems to be more of an invitation to be ready, eager or prepared. An invitation to experience the abundant life Jesus spoke of. An invitation to experience Jesus in life as it is. An invitation to experience life as he leads and directs not what we think or have planned it to be. It is an invitation to hold my arms and hands out and open to receive whatever is brought. It is an invitation to experience the truth of who Jesus is and the truth of who I am. It is an invitation to being on a journey with Jesus, just to be with HIM.

Are you willing? Are you ready, eager and prepared to experience Jesus wherever He leads?

Until next time . . .