Come and See: A reflection for the Second Sunday after Epiphany

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asks.  It’s the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, just the first chapter in John’s Gospel.  They haven’t seen much yet from Jesus.  And what little they’ve seen is just a tiny preview of what’s to come.  But Philip doesn’t get defensive.  His answer is simple.  “Come and see.”

If asked today, given what we know about Jesus, what would we say?  If we said “come and see,” what would we expect Nathanael, or whoever it was who asked, to see?  In our homes and churches and communities, how is Jesus seen?  What have we seen that helps us point the way to Jesus?

Jesus would do all kinds of extraordinary things--turning water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead.  Eating with those cast aside by society and calling people to repent.  Dying and rising and breathing life into those who would tell the stories of his life, death, and resurrection.  There was plenty to “come and see.”

As we continue to live into the call to be members of the body of Christ, Christ continues to work in and through and around us.  We are called to point the way to Christ for those who are downtrodden among us.  In big ways and in small, we have the opportunity to proclaim “come and see.”  And because we live in community, there are many around us who are the ones to invite us to come and see what God is up to among us.

This morning, at the congregation where we worshipped, I watched a father and his young son, just learning to read, recite together the Apostle’s Creed.  The father pointed to each word, assisting his son, as the congregation confessed our faith.  It was a touching moment, watching a baptismal promise fulfilled right in front of me.  I watched as a young girl ran back to greet an elderly member and saw a smile so big on the woman’s face.  Sometimes those moments are just what we need, reminders of the ways members of the body of Christ take seriously the role to show others to the one who is the way, and truth, and life.

What are the ways you have been invited to come and see?  How have you seen the body of Christ at work lately?  How have you been surprised by Christ’s presence among you?  Please share your stories in the comment box below.  Let's take this opportunity to help one another see some of the ways Christ is alive among us today.