What do you want?

"Jesus looked around and saw them following. 

“What do you want?” he asked them." -John 1:38

The most brilliant thought provoker in history was Jesus.  He constantly challenged people with questions, with challenges to their assumptions, their theology, their prejudices, their choices.

In the gospels Jesus was asked 183 different questions.  Do you know how many he answered directly?  

Only 4!  

The other 179 questions were answered by Jesus with another question!  He constantly challenged people to think, to stretch, to look at what they believed and why.  

In the early pages of the gospel of John several of John the Baptist's disciples leave him and follow Jesus.  Jesus turns, sees these men following him and asks a most profound question,

                           “What do you want?”

This word "want" in the Greek speaks of our desires, our longings, the things we chase after.  In other words, what do you crave and hunger for?  What drives you?  What do you want more than anything else?  

These questions are at the very heart of Jesus' question, "What do you want?"  I don't think either of the men following really knew the answer.  They may have never thought it through and so they stumble for a response, "Where are you staying?"  

Imagine he asks you this question today.  Imagine Jesus stops you in your day and asks, "So, Mary, what do you want?"  For most of us we are caught speechless!  If we were honest we might be a bit embarrassed at our initial answers....we want fame, money, happiness, sex.....whatever the answer for most of us it falls far short of our need and the real answer of our hearts.

This question, in just four words, strikes at the very center of our passions, desires and longings and makes us stop and admit.....we really don't know.

What do you want?

It's one of Jesus first question in the gospel of John.

It's a question you need to answer.

What would you tell him in reply?