“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” John 1:43-51

“Come and see.“

Think, for a moment, about the effect of those words might have on you were you to hear them in an everyday context. Would they generate a certain sense of excitement about whatever it might be you were being invited to witness? Perhaps curiosity? Or maybe gratitude that someone thought to include you?

Come and see.

The words are both simple and warm, issuing an invitation not only to see something, but also to join a community. To come along and be part of something.

Come and see.

“These words, this invitation, form the heart not simply of this opening scene but much of John’s Gospel. John’s story is structured around encounters with Jesus. Again and again, from these early disciples, to the Pharisee named Nicodemus, to the Samaritan women at the well, to the man born blind, to Peter and Pilate and eventually Thomas, characters throughout John’s Gospel are encountered by Jesus. John structures his story this way, I think, to offer us a variety of possibilities, both in terms of the kind of people to whom Jesus reaches out and the kinds of responses they offer…and we might offer as well. And so across the pages of John’s Gospel there are women and men, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, powerful and vulnerable, people of all shapes and sizes and varieties that Jesus meets. And to each one, in one way or another, he says the same thing: come and see. Come and see God do a new thing. Come and see as your future opens up in front of you. Come and see the grace of God made manifest and accessible and available to all.” (David Lose, Come and See, January 12, 2015, davidlose.net)

Upon hearing the call from Jesus, Philip runs like the wind to his friend Nathanael – who seems to have feet of clay.  Now it seems to me that Philip seems compelled to tell someone about this man Jesus whom he has met, and the one he tells does not share in his enthusiasm.  Philip and Nathanael were friends, so Philip should have had some idea that Nathanael might not share his enthusiasm about Jesus.  Is there something about this Jesus that would compel him – would compel many of his followers to do things that might go against their nature?  We see it time and time again.  One by one the followers of Jesus meet him, become entranced by him, drop whatever they were doing and then run out and tell others including their family and their closest friends.  It was the history of the early church – it is the reason that the church grew – and grew so quickly in the first 100 years.  It was a story told and shared face to face – one on one.  How beautiful are the feet of those compelled to tell others to “come and see”.

You know, we worry so much about how to grow the church – how to get new members – how to increase our numbers. Maybe we should add a service. Maybe we should change the service. Maybe we should try a new Evangelism program. There are things that we can do that fall under Evangelism – try to be more accommodating; try to be more loving, more welcoming, more inviting; try new worship styles – try to provide more opportunities for people to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. But the best evangelism program that ever existed, existed at the very beginning of the church: one person, having been impacted by Jesus in such a way that it reaches deep into their heart, that it changes their life, one person turning to their neighbor, or relative, or friend, or even the lady at the grocery store who bakes their bread, and inviting them to “come and see.”

Pastor Dave

“One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

“When my son, William, was young, we belonged to a small country church. On Communion day, deacons would pass around the “bread and juice.” One Sunday, we attended a church out of town that was more formal. What our church called bread and juice, this one referred to as elements, a word William didn’t understand. As Communion began, the pastor said, “If the deacons will come forward, the elements will pass among us.” William was suddenly excited and I didn’t know why. Then he leaned toward me, whispering something. With all eyes on us we made a hasty exit. All the way to the car, he protested. “Mom, we’re going to miss the circus. The pastor said the elephants were going to pass among us!”

“When I’m feeling most ghost-like, it’s your remembering me that helps remind me that I actually exist. When I’m feeling sad, it’s my consolation. When I’m feeling happy, it’s part of why I feel that way. If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone. If you forget me, part of who I am will be gone. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” the good thief said from his cross (Luke 23:42). There are perhaps no more human words in all of Scripture, no prayer we can pray so well.” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

The more I read about the history of America, the more I realize that our collective inability to remember our past has been an issue for our country since its inception. I have been reading a lot about Abraham Lincoln these last two months, and spending some time in understanding the mid-19^th century political atmosphere. Here is just one description of the political move toward what they called “Sensationalism”: “The popular turn toward sensationalism that occurred during the 1830s and ’40s brought not only mob violence but also physical fights between journalists or politicians. The New York Evening Post editor William Cullen Bryant took a cow whip to a rival, who seized the whip and thrashed Bryant in front of City Hall. In 1836 the New York editor James Watson Webb, who was involved in two duels against politicians, publicly whipped James Gordon Bennett for twenty minutes as crowds cheered.” (Abe, Abraham Lincoln in His Times – David S. Reynolds; p. 120)

Americans come from a people of true independence, a fighting character, and the drive to be free. Our country was formed by people who were tired of being told what to do by a royalty who lived an ocean away. It is no wonder that we still find it hard to try to bridge differences and find common ground with those with whom we disagree – confrontation seems to be written in our DNA. Perhaps it is time to discern our own ability to listen and to remember the mistakes of our past. We must learn to appreciate and acknowledge that people of different beliefs and political leanings exist – and have value – because they exist. Just because someone says something controversial does not mean they are an idiot – and it also does not mean they believe what they say. Some of the smartest people in the world have held seriously radical views and dangerous opinions– and some of the most challenged people have had brilliant insights.

A new year gives us all the possibility of new insight – and the opportunity to allow faith to be our guide rather than pure emotion.

Pastor Dave