Sunday Sermon: Come and See, Epiphany 2 (A)

Come and See, Epiphany 2 (A)

January 18, 2026 • Amy Hodges Morehous

RCL: Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

Listen to the Sermon:

"How long will we sing this song?
I will sing, sing a new song. I will sing, sing a new song."
— U2, 40

Today’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ first spoken words in the Gospel of John. And they are perplexing words, words that beg an answer: “What are you looking for?”

What are you looking for? Another, better translation: “What are you seeking?” Both an invitation and an examination. Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of John are a question—an important question—“what are you seeking?” It’s an invitation to actively examine our own hearts and to see, to bear witness to, what we find there.

The two disciples he asks don’t actually answer Jesus’ question, do they? In fine rabbinic tradition, they respond with still another question. “Where are you staying?” What they’re actually asking is a bit more significant; it’s the same verb that Jesus himself will use later, when he says “I abide in you, as you abide in me.”

The disciples are asking, “Where do you abide? Where do you make your home? Where do you rest? Where may we come and be present with you?” And Jesus does not give them the easy answer. He merely says, “Come and see.”

It is an invitation, this “Come and see.” It is also a choice, and a challenge. If we are to come and see something, we have to be open to the possibility that it is going to be something new. It is something which we’re going to have to be willing to see, to open our eyes to, and be willing to look at, even if what we see is something we have never seen before.

This is the Epiphany, after all, the time when we celebrate the light breaking into our lives, when we celebrate the unfolding of the Incarnation, when God does a new thing and breaks into history here on earth. It’s that time when we bring our gifts, and ourselves and we offer them to God—even when we don’t quite understand the mystery of how this has all happened, or why.

In every way, we are a gift to one another. Each one of us has gifts with which God has endowed us, gifts that the rest of us need. And when we are not in community with our neighbors, with one another, then there are gifts that we miss.

What is it that Jesus asks of you today? If he were to turn to you right this moment, just as he did to the disciples, and ask, “What do you seek?”—what would be your answer?

Gracious and loving God, help us to see Jesus Christ in this place, to hear his words of invitation and love. Teach us to go forth and sing your song of hope and grace each and every day, in the name of Jesus Christ. Your song is new every morning, O Lord. Now IS the time to sing it for all to hear. Amen.

Author The Rev. Amy Hodges Morehous is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, and fiber artist.

Art in the Christian Tradition Title: The Heavens Opened, A Dove Descended
Artist: Herrel, Edie Mae (Columbus, OH)
Notes: Her artwork, stimulated by biblical scripture, encourages her observers to connect deeply with spirituality and inspires them to live by the beliefs of love, truth, and joy.
Attribution: Herrel, Edie Mae. The Heavens Opened, A Dove Descended, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Original Source.