William Willimon notes that in many churches there is a little brass plaque attached to the preacher's side of the pulpit. It is not something the people in the pew can see, but something that no pastor can miss as he or she prepares to speak. It is a reminder of why people have come to church that morning. It simply reads: "We would see Jesus."

And it's true, isn't it? Isn't that why people come to worship?

Take Oscar for example. He had been in the church most of his life. Like many, he attended more or less regularly, gave as he could, and enjoyed the company of a few friends he had there. But when his wife was diagnosed with MS, his presence in worship took on a different thrust. He came wanting answers for his questions, peace amid life's uncertainty, healing for his wife's brokenness. He came wanting to see Jesus.

And we know how that is, don't we? We too want to see Jesus. But you know what I've noticed? A lot of the time we want to see Jesus, but we prefer to do it from a distance.

Take the two followers of John the Baptist in our lesson this morning. They are standing with their teacher when Jesus walks by. John recognizes Jesus, points him out to them, and announces that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Now one would think they would do exactly what they did - that they would drop everything, leave John and follow Jesus. But they do so at a distance. They hang back. They seem to want to watch from afar to get close, but not too close.

That's the way a lot of us may look for Jesus