Bright ideas, simple reflections — a little light for every step of the way.
What do you do with a bunch of old sermons? Turn them into a blog – refined, condensed, made for today’s world – feel free to use as written, or as fodder for your own message. It’s For you! No permission needed or credit given. (I mean, it’s not THAT great…) 😀
(Please scroll down for previous posts)
Sunday, January 18, 2026 – Second Sunday after Epiphany
Grace and peace to you, in the name of Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
If you’ve ever lived with a dog or a cat, you know how closely they can follow you. Not just from room to room, but everywhere. To the kitchen. To the bedroom. Even—yes—to the bathroom. They trail behind you as if whatever you’re doing must be the most important thing in the world. And if they could talk, you might finally turn around and ask, “What do you want? What are you looking for?”
That’s not a bad place to begin today, because in our Gospel reading, something very similar happens.
John the Baptist is standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by. John points him out and says, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” And that’s it. That’s all it takes. The two disciples leave John and begin following Jesus.
They don’t say anything. They just walk behind him.
Finally, Jesus turns around and asks them a question that is simple, but also searching:
“What are you looking for?”
This isn’t small talk. It’s not a trick question. And it’s not just for those two disciples long ago. It’s a question Jesus keeps asking—across centuries, across cultures, and right into our lives today.
What are you looking for?
The Greek translation here is deeper than our English suggests. Jesus isn’t asking, “What do you want right now?” He’s asking, “What are you seeking? What are you hoping for? What is it that has stirred your heart enough to make you follow?”
That question feels especially honest in our time. Many of us are still sorting out what life looks like – even after years of disruption, uncertainty, and loss. Our bodies remind us of that. And even for those who are still on the younger side – our world right now just feels less predictable. The news is heavy. Relationships are changing. Churches are changing. Communities are changing. And somewhere beneath all of that, Jesus turns and asks us:
What are you looking for?
- Some of us are looking for healing—of bodies that ache or aren’t doing what we want them to do – or of minds that are tired, or hearts that often carry grief.
- Some of us are looking for relief—from anxiety, from fear about the future, from the sense that everything feels harder than it used to.
- Some of us are looking for stability—financial security, a sense of safety, or reassurance that we’ll be okay.
- Some of us are looking for connection—less loneliness, deeper friendships, a reminder that we matter to someone.
- Some of us are looking for meaning—especially in seasons of transition, or major life events, or loss — wondering, “What is God calling me to now?”
- And some of us, if we’re honest, don’t quite know what we’re looking for—we just know that something in us keeps reaching for God.
Jesus doesn’t scold the disciples for not having a clear answer. He doesn’t demand a statement of faith or a five-point plan. He simply says, “Come and see.”
Come and see where I am staying.
Come and see what life with God looks like up close.
Come and see what love looks like when it takes on flesh and walks alongside you.
And that invitation still stands.
Come and see what it means to live rooted in grace rather than fear.
Come and see a peace that doesn’t erase trouble, but carries you through it.
Come and see a God who meets you not when you have it all figured out, but precisely when you don’t.
Come and see a life shaped not by striving or perfection, but by mercy, forgiveness, and hope.
And notice what happens next in the story. The disciples don’t just stay with Jesus for themselves. Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah!”
Encounter leads to witness! Relationship leads to sharing! Not because they have all the answers—but because they’ve experienced something worth telling.
That’s Epiphany faith. Not flashy. Not loud. But steady. Light spreading from one person to another.
So today, hear Jesus’ question not as pressure, but as invitation:
What are you looking for?
And hear his response not as a demand, but as a beautiful promise:
Come and see.
Come and see that God is already at work in your life.
Come and see that you are not alone.
Come and see that grace has a way of meeting us exactly where we are—and gently leading us forward.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
God's Yes + My Amen 