John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend like a dove and remain on Jesus. When John's eyes rested on Jesus, he saw the Son of God. He then pointed out the Son of God to two of his own disciples. He wanted them to see for themselves.
The two disciples ran up to Jesus, not knowing what to expect. Jesus asked, “What they are looking for?” They asked, “Where do you abide?” Jesus said, “Come and see.” They came and saw.
The grandmother saw the peace on the face of her life-long love as she held his hand and he took his final breath. His last vision was of God, and it brought him peace. She carried this peace with her from that hospital room. She took that peace out and stared at it through the tears of the following months. She wore that peace like a handbag and gathered as much peace as she could into it again and again every week in worship.
“Why do you go to that building with the plus sign on it grandma?” the granddaughter asked.
“Because it is a good place,” the grandma answered. “Why don’t we go together this morning? We can see what the big plus sign is all about. Come and see.”
And, the two held hands, came, and saw.
The man could not really explain his faith. He could not exactly find the right words that would describe it. If he had tried, it would look something like, "a doubter and skeptic who searches anyway." Long ago he began to doubt the miracles. Long ago he began to doubt the virgin birth. Long ago he began to doubt the talking serpent and talking donkey. Long ago he began to doubt the words of his pastor. But, what he did see in Jesus captivated him. He saw a love that could transform the world from what it is to what it could be. He believed that not only could we show love and do loving things, but like Christ, we could be love. More than anything he desired Christ to abide in him. He wanted the same for his teenage son.
“Why should I go to church. It's stupid and boring,” the teenaged son said for what seemed the millionth time. “You don’t even believe half the stuff they say anyway!”
The man looked at his son with a tired expression, weighing carefully his words. “You are right. Sometimes the music is old and boring. Sometimes I don’t believe a lick of what is said. But every once and a while, if I wait and listen, Jesus comes to me through the boring words of the songs and the long Bible readings. If I am patient, Jesus says something that changes my life. Please come and see."
Together, they sat through another boring service. It was, as expected, a waste of time until the son saw a woman with a deep scar on her face, and torn, dirt smudged jeans on her legs join the nicely dressed at the communion table. The nicely dressed smiled at her and made room for her to kneel. "What kind of love allows that to happen?" he wondered in awe of the people. He came and he saw.
Some say that the three most important words for any Christian to know are “Jesus loves me.” This is probably true. What is more important than God’s love for us demonstrated clearly in Jesus? But, a close second has to be these three words, “come and see.” You do not have to understand why you believe what you believe in order to say, “come and see.” You do not need to be a trained theologian to offer the chance to “come and see.” You do not need to be able to explain the deep questions of life in order to say, “come and see.” All that is required is a desire for others to share what the Lord has done for you. “Come and see;” these are some of the first words spoken by Jesus. They are the very words that inspired the disciples to follow; “Come and see.”
The man caught her in the hall at work. She had seen him before, he cleaned the offices. He was an unshaven tangle of confusion; talking about how he thinks God hates the fornicators; then shifting to how hypocritical church people are; and then, with tears building in his eyes, talking about how he misses his daughter this time every year…the anniversary of the day he messed up and lost her from his custody forever.
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if you will find any answers in my church. I’m not sure that I always do, but it wouldn’t hurt to come at least once and see.”
She waited at the church door, but did not see him. As the music started, she took a place at the back of the church, but he did not come. And, as the readings began, and she looked back to the church door one last time. She did not expect to see him there, but there he was. She smiled immediately at the sight of his unshaven face. He looked at her, smiled back, and then walked over as she signaled him to sit next to her. He took a seat, and for at least one Sunday, he came and he saw.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
5 comments:
“Why do you go to that building with the plus sign on it grandma?” the granddaughter asked."
This is exactly my question when I was a kid that can not be explained by any priest or pastors.
What if Jesus died by lethal injection or electric chair? What do you think will be the sign hanging on that building.
Eccles 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Acts 17:24 God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
As a messenger of God, You need to be able to explain the deep questions of life in order to say, “come and see.”
1 Pet 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
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Thank you Ely for your insights. They are wise as always. I agree that as a messenger of God we should be able to at least engage in the deep questions of life. But, not all believers are so understanding of the deep questions. However, they can say "come and see" and bring a person into the community where they may find someone else in the Christian community who can engage the deep questions.
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