Jesus’ first words in the book of John are “What do you want?”. Wow! The king and creator of the universe just asked the future disciples what they wanted right from the get-go! That’s incredible! Their response: “Do you have a place to stay?”. Ugh… That’s really the best they can come up with? His lodging? What a letdown.
The question What do you want is incredibly powerful, but also contextual. If a hairdresser asked you what you wanted, you’d know there were limits to what your answer could be. There’s context there. But when the creator of the whole universe asks you that question, the context is everything! It’s like asking a 6-year-old to choose a dessert from the ice cream aisle at the grocery store. When I read this I had no idea how to answer! I went through all kinds of options that simply felt flat.
- I want to be rich
- I want my kids to be happy and healthy
- I want this virus to go away
- I want world peace
- I want a 6 pack abs
Even though some of my wants were noble they still didn’t feel like the right answer and the reason is that I wasn’t thinking in terms of eternity. I came to realize that all these wants were only good for a small portion of my existence which meant they had little significance for eternity.
At first glance, the disciples’ response seemed quaint, but what I’ve come to realize is they had great wisdom. They knew that a relationship with Jesus, even for one night was better than any of their earthly desires. They just wanted to get to know him more.
Jesus’ first words to us and the disciples in the book of John are “What do you want?”. He chose those individuals to become his disciples for a reason. I believe in part because of how they answered this question. Jesus wants you, as much as you’ll give. What do you want?