Come and see!

These words invite us to approach Jesus to experience his way of life. With his love and compassion he enables us to have an intimate relationship with him. Let's trust him and let him change our lives through his presence!

The next day, after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, he stood with two of his disciples and saw Jesus walking by. He said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two heard Jesus speak and immediately followed him. He turned and spoke to them: What are you looking for? They asked him a counter question: Master, where do you live? He replied: "Come and see!" (from John 1,35 – 49) Through this request, Jesus gives seekers access to his kingdom and is ready to come and see himself.

Thinking about this call should become an encouragement for our practical life. Looking at Jesus is the eye catcher. Contemplating his person and how he lived filled the hearts of John, two of his disciples and all those who look to Jesus to this day. The first disciples to follow Jesus as their Master were John the Apostle and Andrew. They had realized what the person of Jesus meant to them, so they wanted to hear more about him and see what he was doing.

What are people looking for in Jesus? Living with Jesus creates a personal communion with him. A purely theoretical discussion of questions of faith does not lead anyone anywhere, so Jesus invites all people to come to see and experience him.

A short time later, the disciple Philip met his friend Nathanael. He enthusiastically told him about his new acquaintance with Jesus and that he was the promised son of Joseph of Nazareth. Nathanael critically remarked, "Can good things come out of Galilee?" Philip, unsure of how to assuage Nathanael's concerns, told him the same words the Lord had said to the two disciples: "Come and see!" Philip was so trustworthy in the eyes of his friend that he sought out Jesus and, thanks to his experience with Jesus, confessed: "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" These words encourage us to heed them even in difficult moments and circumstances.

The two sisters Martha and Maria mourned the death of their brother Lazarus. They were friends of Jesus. In their grief he asked them: Where did you put it, and received the answer: "Come and see!" They could confidently call Jesus into their community knowing that Jesus is always ready to come and see. In Jesus' love: "Come and see!"

Toni Püntener