Seeking Out Jesus September 28

The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing. Ecclesiastes 1:8

Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him. Luke 9:9

Piety

Jesus, you advised us to knock, see and ask. We join a long line of people throughout history who have sought you. Our modern life gives us so many other pursuits. Our sports figures. Our movie stars. Our politicians. Our hobbies. Our televisions. Our books. Yet, vanity of vanities, all is vanity we learn. Everything we do will pass but when your perfect self is revealed, what is imperfect will pass away. Show us your perfect son, your perfect self. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/092806.shtml

Remember how small pieces of metal behave around a magnet. You can move the magnet and the metal follows until it gets close enough and then the metal sticks to the magnet. The needle of the compass acts the same way…seeking out its magnetic pole to set us in the right direction.

Throughout time, people have been drawn to follow Jesus of Nazareth. From the shepherds and workers that first Christmas evening to the Magi from the East and the prince of the region.

Throughout Luke’s Gospel, people have been seeking out Jesus…

¬ The shepherds went in haste after they learned about Jesus from the angels.

¬ Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus when he was 12 years old and got separated from their caravan. They sought Jesus in the temple where he was teaching.

¬ The devil followed Jesus to the desert to tempt him with riches and power.

¬ After Jesus began healing Simon’s mother, all people who had sick relatives sought him out.

¬ Simon, James and John left all they had and followed Jesus.

¬ The man with leprosy sought out Jesus.

¬ The centurion with a sick slave sought out Jesus.

As these and more stories spread by word-of-mouth, so did Jesus’ reputation as one who challenged the authority of the Pharisees and high priests. So is it any wonder that the political ruler of the region would want to see who might be a threat to his power and authority?

Herod was ruler over Galilee. He had executed John the Baptist but remained intrigued by the stories he was hearing about Jesus of Nazareth. “He (Herod) kept trying to see him (Jesus).” But Jesus avoided Herod until his hour had come.

Jesus did not have any wealth to speak of, no property, no house, no fancy clothes. Yet he struck a chord of curiosity in people whom he met. People sought him out. He met them, was present to the moment when the encounter took place.

The first reading from Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. Everything is old and all men will be forgotten. How wrong it is in the case of Jesus, the itinerant preacher from Nazareth.

Action

Spend some time at the end of your daily prayers to meditate on how you can seek out Jesus today in the people around you.