I have been reading the One Year Bible and have finished three of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In each of them are stories about people looking for Jesus in the wrong places. A little like the lyrics from the old song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.”
First we have the wise men looking for Jesus in Herod’s palace. Being wise men, they naturally assumed that the King of the Jews would be born in a palace, but they found him in a humble house instead.
Next we have Mary and Joseph who have gone to Jerusalem with Jesus for Passover. On their way home they realize that Jesus isn’t with them anymore. They ask their friends and relatives and all the people they see along the road. They ask in the places they know in Jerusalem. Finally they find him in the Temple among the teachers. Jesus tells them he must be in his father’s house.
The crowds often looked for Jesus because they wanted something from him. And the disciples kept close tabs on Jesus because they wanted to learn from him. Even when they think they know where Jesus is, he shows up in unexpected places. The disciples are surprised and fearful when they see him walking on the water.
The Sanhedrin tries to keep track of where Jesus is because they are looking for an excuse to kill him. They have to bribe Judas to take them to Jesus in order to arrest him.
And then the women go to the tomb on Sunday, expecting to find Jesus in his tomb. But the stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty. They find Jesus and are filled with joy by his resurrection. But Peter and the other disciples don’t believe the women when they are told about the empty tomb. Peter and John run to the tomb only to find it empty, as the women said.
The gospels are full of stories of people looking for Jesus in all the wrong places.
We look for Jesus in the wrong places as well. We look for salvation, for meaning, for power, for security and we often look in the wrong places. What we don’t understand is, by looking in these wrong places, we are the ones who are lost. Why are you looking for the living Christ among dead things? When we give our hearts to Jesus, it is because he has found us.
Today the empty tomb reminds us once more that looking at worldly things means that we are looking in the wrong places. Instead, we need to look to Jesus as he lives in our hearts and through our actions. We need to look for the Jesus who rose from the dead and overcame the things of this world.
Do not look for Jesus in power, in money, in security. You won’t find him and you will lose yourself. Do not look for him in the tomb. He is not there. He is risen and lives and reigns over the things of this earth and over our lives as well. When we find him, we are saved.