Jesus' Invitation: Come and see

In the Gospel of today, John 1: 35-42), John is standing with two of his disciples and Jesus walks by. John says to the two disciples: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  Immediately, the men leave John and follow Jesus.  Jesus turns and says to them: “What are you looking for?”  The two men do not really answer Jesus. They don’t know for what they are looking, so they change the subject and ask Jesus where is staying and Jesus says: “Come and see.”

Many times you and I do not know for what we are searching. We don’t have a clue!  Jesus is never far away, as He is always looking for us, inviting us to come and spend time with Him.  John’s two disciples spend a day with Him and are transformed.  Their life from that point on is never the same!

Is that, perhaps, the reason so many people avoid taking time to be alone with Jesus? Is the encounter too scary? What if Jesus changes my way of thinking and acting and being? What if I need to let go of something I cherish? A former way of life? A former way of being in this world?

When the two disciples ask Jesus where he hides out, He says to them: come and see!  He says the same to us: Come and See:

Come and see how much I love you.

Come see the plans I have for you, plans filled with hope,  not disaster (Jer 29:11).

Come and see my power to right your path when you’ve gone astray.

Come and be silent. You will know that I am God (cf. Psalm 46).

Come and rest awhile. I will refresh you (Mt. 11: 25-30).

Come and walk with me. I will lead you to green pastures (Psalm 23).

Come and know my power to remove scales from your eyes, deafness from your hearing (Mt. 11:5).

Come and see my power to cast Satan out of your life, to heal your diseases, and remove your paralyses [not just physical]  (Mt. 8:31).

Come and see how much I love you and cherish you and appreciate how I created you.

Come and see that I am God. There is no other(Is. 44:6).