This past week my spirit has been drawn to a man from South Africa named Riaan Swiegelaar, the former leader of the Satanic Church of South Africa. After spending more than two decades practicing the occult, Riaan was confronted by Jesus Himself while preparing for a satanic ritual in an attempt to divine the status of the antichrist. Upon this revelation, Riaan had no other recourse than to leave his boat and follow Christ.
One thing Riaan often says in interviews has continued to echo in my mind. When asked why some people see deliverance and others do not, he answers,
“What do you seek—the healing or the Healer, deliverance or the Deliverer, salvation or the Savior?”
Those words have been stuck in my heart and they remind me of moments in Scripture where Jesus asks that same question in different ways. The first that comes to mind is the story of the Rich Young Ruler.
The Rich Young Ruler
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’”
He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Mark 10:17–22 (NRSV)
Here we see a man coming to Jesus, not seeking Jesus Himself, but seeking eternal life. Even though Jesus saw through his intentions, He still looked at the man with love. Then Jesus delivered the truth the man likely already knew but did not want to hear: he had to let go of the things that owned his heart before he could follow the One who could save it. Though Jesus knew the man would walk away, He still offered him love and acceptance. The tragedy was not his wealth, it was that he sought the gift, not the Giver.
The Calling of the Disciples
The next day John the Baptist again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come and see.”
John 1:35–45 (NRSV)
John’s disciples did not just want answers, they wanted Him. They sought the Savior, not what He could offer. Because they came with open hearts, they received both salvation and relationship, and immediately began bringing others—Peter, Philip, Nathanael—to meet the Messiah for themselves.
Mary at the Tomb
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying.
They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
John 20:11–17 (NRSV)
Mary was seeking the right thing, but grief and fear had clouded her memory of His promise. Yet Jesus meets her in her confusion with gentleness. He calls her by name, and in that moment the illusion falls away, she recognizes the risen Lord. He then gives her a renewed mission, not with rebuke, but with patient love.
Whom Do You Seek?
These three encounters tell the same story from different hearts. The rich young man sought what he could get from Jesus. The disciples sought to be with Jesus. Mary sought Jesus but forgot where to find Him.
And that is the question He still asks us today: Whom do you seek? Are we chasing blessings, or are we chasing the One who blesses? Do we want deliverance, or the Deliverer Himself?
When we seek the Healer, not just the healing, everything else falls into place. Our hearts are freed, our vision clears, and our purpose renews. Jesus has not stopped asking this question. He is still turning toward each of us with that same patient gaze and gentle love, asking, “Whom do you seek?”
Like Mary, may we hear Him call our name, and recognize that He has been standing beside us the whole time.
Try This Today
Take five quiet minutes. Ask Jesus out loud, “Lord, I seek You.” Sit in silence and let Him speak your name. If someone comes to mind who needs hope, reach out and share a word of encouragement or a promise of Scripture.
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