‘Come and see,’ an invitation to discovery and transformation
By Dean Collins
Inviting someone to “come and see” may sound simple enough, but it will cost you.
Every encounter Jesus has with anyone in the Gospels gives us something to think about. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans that we are not to be conformed to the world but are to have transformed minds. It seems then, that when Jesus gives us something to think about, a transformation will likely occur.
A question, a conversation
It wasn’t just another day for two of John the Baptist’s disciples. It was the day the transformation of their minds would begin. As Jesus walked by, John the Baptist told his two disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Without hesitation, John’s disciples turned and began to follow Jesus. John the Baptist had certainly prepared the way for these two to discover Jesus.
The pair had eaten the Passover lamb each year for their entire lives. To hear that Jesus was the Lamb of God would have instantly gotten their attention. When they turned and followed Jesus, he looked back at them and asked a question: “What are you seeking?” And here we find the first commitment we must be willing to make when we invite someone to “come and see.” We must engage in conversation. And conversations take time.
If you really want to get to know someone, it will require not only time but also caring enough to ask questions. In reading the Gospels, we quickly discover that Jesus didn’t just lecture; he asked many questions. Asking questions requires us to listen, and listening to others is foundational to developing meaningful relationships.
An answer, an invitation
Jesus asked the two, “What are you seeking?” And these disciples of John responded with a question of their own: “Teacher, where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” Jesus responded. He could have given them a location or a description, but instead, he invited them to come and discover for themselves what his life was all about.
Inviting someone to come and see will take longer than simply giving them some information. To come and see suggests an openness for someone actually to see what you are all about. It seems apparent that the two disciples of John wanted more than just a location where Jesus was staying. They wanted to spend time with him. And sensing that, Jesus offered more than a location. He was offering access to himself. He was offering a relationship and not just spiritual information.
When Jesus invited the disciples to come and see, it was late afternoon. So when they went, they likely ate their evening meal together. Can you imagine that first dinner conversation with Jesus? The time with Jesus led the disciples to tell their friends they had found the Messiah!
Andrew tells Peter. Jesus invited Phillip to follow him, and Phillip then found Nathanael and told him that Jesus was the one the law and the prophets spoke about. When Nathanael had questions about how it was even possible that something as good as the Messiah could come from Nazareth, Phillip used the words of Jesus and challenged Phillip to “come and see.”
An invitation, a discovery
Instead of trying to lead someone to Christ with lots of information, maybe we’d do better to invite someone simply to come and see what Jesus is doing in us. To invite someone into our lives means we are willing to invest time in getting to know what they are all about and what they are seeking in life. And when we demonstrate genuine curiosity and interest in a person, it will almost always lead to them asking questions, learning about us, and discovering what and whom we hold dear.
It might feel a little risky or even threatening to consider what someone would learn or see if we invited them to come and see our lives up close. How long would it take them to discover that we have chosen to follow Jesus? Could they tell that following Jesus was more than church attendance on Sunday mornings? Would they see or, better, experience kindness, peace, and love when with us? Would they notice that we really believe God has a plan for our lives and we trust him to both provide for our needs and lead us to others in need?
A discovery, a transformation
We cannot live as authentic followers of Jesus and keep people at a distance. The good news of Jesus not only brings us into a right relationship with God, it transforms our relationships with others.
Father, thank you for sending Jesus to us. By his life, death, and resurrection, we are forgiven and transformed. Continue to renew our minds by your Holy Spirit so our lives will better reveal your love to those around us. Give us the courage and the kindness to invite others to come and see you in us. Thank you for abiding with us and preparing a way and place where we can abide with you forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
John 1: 35-51 ESV
Photo by BrianAJackson at istockphoto.com
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