When we come to church, we often have questions. We wonder if people will accept us or judge us. We wonder if we’re going to meet real people or perhaps just some religious fanatics. We also wonder if we will discover something significant for our lives. We wonder if there is more to Jesus than what we see in the media. Can we actually have a relationship with Jesus like people talk about? Will Jesus make a difference in our lives? In the language of Willingdon we would say we’re explorers, exploring who Jesus is, who His people are, and what the implications are for our lives.

Today’s text is about an explorer. Now, he happens to be a religious explorer. What is a religious explorer? This is a person who knows about God, who knows about religion, but he really doesn’t know who Jesus is. This is a person who doesn’t know what it means to actually follow Jesus or believe in Jesus or have a relationship with Jesus. If you’re exploring Christianity then you have a lot in common with the main character in today’s text.