Rabbi, where are You staying?

"Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' And they said to Him, 'Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.' They came therefore and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour." (John 1:35-39)

When the two disciples saw Jesus, their first question was not, "Who are You really?" or "What did John mean when he called You the Lamb of God?" or "What is Your teaching?," but only "Where are You staying?" After hearing the startling claims of John concerning Jesus, all they wanted was to see where and how He lived.

And Jesus confirms the legitimacy of this by saying, "Come and see". In so doing, He teaches us the connection between being living epistles and showing hospitality, because it is in our homes and family life that people begin to see us as we really are. If they are to see that our Christianity is not just a set of theological opinions, but a living presence in our lives and a way of being in relationship with God, it is essential that we invite them into the spiritual atmosphere of our homes to eat, read, and pray with us, and to truly get to know us.

In Jesus' case, what was the answer to their question, "Where are You staying?" In both Matthew and Luke we read that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Though Jesus had no home, He was at home in the fallen world, because He was there with its Owner. In the same way, people will be at home in our homes if the Holy Trinity is at home there also and they find Him there. This is the key to fellowship among us.


[AV, 1998]