"... Sir”, they said, “We would like to see Jesus.”(John 12: 21)_
The Greeks were great travelers. They were driven by wanderlust and by the desire to find out new things. And old proverb said, a Greek will never rest himself nor will he ever let anyone else rest. “You Greeks”, said one of the ancients, “are like children, always young in your souls.” Far up the Nile to this day there stands a great Egyptian statue on which a Greek tourist, even as modern tourists do, had scratched his name. Barclay writes, “The Greek voyaged for trade and for commerce of course, but he was the first man to wander for the sake of wandering in the ancient world.” Not only that, the Greek was more than that. He was characteristically a seeker after truth. He always went after philosophy after philosophy, religion after religion, teacher after teacher in search of truth. He was a man with a seeking mind. These Greeks mentioned in today’s text were in Jerusalem at the time of Feast. And how were they interested in Jesus and what made them come to Him? It was in the last week of His ministry that Jesus swept the money-changers and the sellers of the doves from the Temple courts. The Greeks who were at Jerusalem would have certainly visited the Temple at that time. J.H. Bernard writes that perhaps those Greeks would have actually witnessed the tremendous scene when Jesus had driven the traders from the Temple court, and perhaps they wished to know more of this great man who could do things like that. Whatever it is, this incident is one of the greatest in the spiritual realm, for here is the first hint of a gospel which is to go out to all the world. We may wonder why the Greeks went to Philip with their request. “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” We do not know the right reason. Barclay writes that because Philip was a Greek name they would have thought that a man with a Greek name would treat them well. But since Philip did not know what to do he approached Andrew. And Andrew who always played the role of an “introducer” led the Greeks to Jesus.
Dear friends, there are many seekers around us who seek for the truth. When any of them approach us, let us with the guidance of the Holy Spirit introduce Jesus, the Truth to them with clarity and simplicity.
*PRAYER* : Dear Lord, in this world around me I see so many people running to various places to seeking the truth. With the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, let me talk with them the right words and introduce Jesus to them who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen.
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