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My grandmother was born in Statesville, North Carolina. My grandfather, on the other hand, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Those two facts alone make it seem unlikely that they would ever meet. A few years ago I asked them, “Where did you meet?” It’s an ordinary question, where did you meet? My grandmother told me that her father and her brother were working on some big project in Tennessee and she went with them to take care of her father and brother. My grandfather was in the Navy and he was there in Tennessee as a guard for some big project that was going on there. This was during the final year of the Second World War, and the project they were probably talking about is far more interesting to history, than the meeting of two people. But for me, the question that I care about is, “Where did you meet?”
It’s a pretty ordinary question. Where did you meet? Sometimes it’s the beginning of a good story. Sometimes it’s the beginning of a great story. It could tell us about a friendship, about a marriage, about a career, about a life. We met in a combined fourth and fifth grade class. We met in college. We met at a wedding. We met at a funeral. We met when we were standing in line at the grocery store. We met at our parish. We met as we were walking along the road. Where did you meet?
Peter and Andrew and James and John met the Lord Jesus while they were at work. They were on the sea and Jesus called them from the shore. They went to the Synagogue and then Peter and Andrew brought Jesus to their home. They met Jesus at work. They joined Jesus in worship. They invited him into their home. Jesus was not simply someone they met at work. Jesus was not simply someone from their synagogue. Jesus came to their home and he came to their lives. There would not be a public relationship with Jesus Christ without a personal one. And there would not be a personal relationship with Jesus without a communal one. Where did you meet? We met at the house where Jesus was visiting.
Peter’s mother in law met Jesus in her sickness. She was probably isolated. She was sick and separated. She was alone and in pain. And Jesus came to her. He said nothing and he took her by the hand. She met Jesus and she was restored to life in the place where she was preparing to die. Jesus took her by the hand. Jesus raised her up. Jesus set her free from isolation and from illness. Jesus set her free for service to his kingdom. Jesus healed her and she served him. Where did you meet? I met Jesus in the place where I thought I was going to die.
Where did you meet Jesus? I was at work at the tax collectors’ office. Where did you meet Jesus? I was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. Where did you meet Jesus? I was at a funeral in Bethany and I heard Jesus say, “Roll back the stone.” Where did you meet Jesus? I was on the road to Damascus.
Where did you meet Jesus? Were you sick and he reached out and took you by the hand? Were you trapped in sin and he called you to freedom? Were you a child and Jesus claimed you? Were you grieving and Jesus spoke words of hope and consolation? Where did you meet Jesus for the first time?
Where will you meet Jesus today? He comes to us in the Word proclaimed. Jesus comes to us in the community that is gathered here. We came here as individuals. We worship as a body. Here and now, we shall meet Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Where did you meet Jesus? It’s the beginning of a great story. Amen.
My grandmother was born in Statesville, North Carolina. My grandfather, on the other hand, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Those two facts alone make it seem unlikely that they would ever meet. A few years ago I asked them, “Where did you meet?” It’s an ordinary question, where did you meet? My grandmother told me that her father and her brother were working on some big project in Tennessee and she went with them to take care of her father and brother. My grandfather was in the Navy and he was there in Tennessee as a guard for some big project that was going on there. This was during the final year of the Second World War, and the project they were probably talking about is far more interesting to history, than the meeting of two people. But for me, the question that I care about is, “Where did you meet?”
It’s a pretty ordinary question. Where did you meet? Sometimes it’s the beginning of a good story. Sometimes it’s the beginning of a great story. It could tell us about a friendship, about a marriage, about a career, about a life. We met in a combined fourth and fifth grade class. We met in college. We met at a wedding. We met at a funeral. We met when we were standing in line at the grocery store. We met at our parish. We met as we were walking along the road. Where did you meet?
Peter and Andrew and James and John met the Lord Jesus while they were at work. They were on the sea and Jesus called them from the shore. They went to the Synagogue and then Peter and Andrew brought Jesus to their home. They met Jesus at work. They joined Jesus in worship. They invited him into their home. Jesus was not simply someone they met at work. Jesus was not simply someone from their synagogue. Jesus came to their home and he came to their lives. There would not be a public relationship with Jesus Christ without a personal one. And there would not be a personal relationship with Jesus without a communal one. Where did you meet? We met at the house where Jesus was visiting.
Peter’s mother in law met Jesus in her sickness. She was probably isolated. She was sick and separated. She was alone and in pain. And Jesus came to her. He said nothing and he took her by the hand. She met Jesus and she was restored to life in the place where she was preparing to die. Jesus took her by the hand. Jesus raised her up. Jesus set her free from isolation and from illness. Jesus set her free for service to his kingdom. Jesus healed her and she served him. Where did you meet? I met Jesus in the place where I thought I was going to die.
Where did you meet Jesus? I was at work at the tax collectors’ office. Where did you meet Jesus? I was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. Where did you meet Jesus? I was at a funeral in Bethany and I heard Jesus say, “Roll back the stone.” Where did you meet Jesus? I was on the road to Damascus.
Where did you meet Jesus? Were you sick and he reached out and took you by the hand? Were you trapped in sin and he called you to freedom? Were you a child and Jesus claimed you? Were you grieving and Jesus spoke words of hope and consolation? Where did you meet Jesus for the first time?
Where will you meet Jesus today? He comes to us in the Word proclaimed. Jesus comes to us in the community that is gathered here. We came here as individuals. We worship as a body. Here and now, we shall meet Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Where did you meet Jesus? It’s the beginning of a great story. Amen.
