What Do You Want?

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are far too easily pleased.” ~C.S. Lewis

“What do you want?”

Sometimes we don’t know how to take that question, right? It could be asked in an annoyed voice—like a big sister rolling her eyes at a little one persistently trailing her.

It could be asked by a restaurant server who wants your lunch order.

Or a loved one might be angling for your Christmas list.

Who is asking and how makes a difference in our answer.

“What do you want?“ happens to be the first question Jesus asks. What would you say if Jesus asked you that question?

As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”  “Come and see,” he said. (John 1:36-39 NLT)

These two men begin following Jesus, and he casually turns around and asks, “What do you want?” He knows by their behavior that they’re asking to be his disciples. This would be understood in that culture. Still, he poses the question, for a couple reasons.

First, he wants them to articulate for themselves what they want. When a person is forced to think through what they’re choosing and why, they’re more likely to choose well. Jesus means for them to examine their own reasons for following before they get any farther. “What do you want?” sounds a lot like, “Are you certain this is what you want?”

He also needs to hear their motivation. Many people followed Jesus. Not all had great reasons. So he asks, essentially, “What is your purpose here? Are you doing what’s popular? Cashing in on a trend? Hoping I’ll perform a miracle? Planning to report on me to the authorities?” “What do you want?” sounds a lot like, “Can I trust you?”

Imagine if he asked all of us that before we could follow him.

Andrew (and we guess John) answered with another question: “Where are you staying?” This was another way in their culture of saying, “We want to be your disciples. Wherever you are, we want to be there, too.”

Isn’t this the essence of being a disciple for us as well? Wherever you are, Jesus, I want to be there. Whatever you’re doing, that’s what I want to do, too. Jesus responds with some other important words.

Come

“Come” means we want people in our lives, right? If we ask someone to come join us, we hope that they will walk next to us and be a part of what we’re up to. It’s Jesus’ invitation to us, too: Join me. Journey with me. Let’s hike the trail together. Come be a part of this thing called the kingdom of God.

When they ask where he’s staying, Jesus knows he isn’t going to be staying anywhere. He invites them into something better. Jesus isn’t going to stay anywhere in our lives, either. He isn’t one for status quos. He’s always on the move—and he hopes that we will move with him.

What do you want? Do we want to be right next to him, hearing his greatest dreams and moving away from our comfort and into changed lives?

See

When I was eight, I failed the school eye exam. I thought my vision was fine—until the doctor put that first pair of glasses on my face. Suddenly, things that had been hazy for so long I hadn’t realized it virtually popped with clarity.

Jesus asks us to come and see—come recognize beautiful things around us that we never noticed. Discover pieces of our lives we thought were just fine but are actually hazy and unclear. Look around us and find out what it’s like to have a ringside seat to God’s remaking of the world.

What do you want? Do we want to see clearly the things that mean the most to God?

Follow

Just before this, in John 1, we hear that Jesus is the Word of God in human form. Shortly after, Jesus says to another disciple, “Follow me.” To follow Jesus is to study God’s Word in the flesh. Honestly, we’re more often looking for rules to follow than the living Word. We want the newest version of how to live and be good rather than to face the persistent questions of a visible God.

When Jesus says to follow him, he offers a living study guide to God’s Word. Then, he offers more. Dig in. Get your hands dirty. Do as I do—don’t just watch and hear truth. Live truth. Be the Good News!

What do you want? Do we want to follow dead rules or the living Word that leads to abundant lives?

Scripture for Reflection

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3 NIV)

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? (Luke 14:28 NIV)

Reach for More

Journal some answers to Jesus’ question. What do I want:

• when I open my Bible?
• when I go to church?
• when I imagine serving others?
• when I pray?

What are my honest motives? Journal what your motives might be if you saw clearly what Jesus is inviting you into.

Jill Richardson is a writer, speaker, pastor, mom of three, and author of five books. She likes to travel, grow flowers, read Tolkien, and research her next project. She believes in Jesus, grace, restoration, kindness, justice, and dark chocolate. Her passion is partnering with the next generation of faith. Jill blogs at jillmrichardson.com.

Photograph © Joel Muniz, used with permission