Come and See

What is it that Jesus, Philip, and the woman at the well all have in common? All three offered the same invitation.

Jesus said to Andrew and another disciple of John’s “Come and see,” when they asked where He was staying. Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see,” when Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And the woman at the well said “Come and see,” to the people of her city when she invited them to meet Jesus, the man she thought might be the Messiah.

“Come and see.” These words sound so simple, yet they can take people on journeys of great depth. They offer others the opportunity to join us in life — to experience life from our perspective. They allow others to see that what we say corresponds with what we do, how we put our faith into practice. “Come and see” doesn’t tell others what to believe. It invites others to discern for themselves.

Jesus had a “Come and see” way of life, and people followed because His life was full of truth and grace, and He encouraged others to live the same. “Come and see” was never a command, but always an invitation. People could choose to follow or not. What they decided was up to them, but it didn’t make Jesus love them any less. He always looked at others with eyes of compassion and kept the invitation open.

When Jesus invites me to “Come and see,” I too want to follow because His way is always better. I want to learn from Him, love like Him and do life with Him.

Before Philip or the woman at the well could invite others to “Come and see” Jesus, they had to know Him first, and it’s no different for us. We can’t introduce others to someone we don’t know. Let us receive and respond to the invitation Jesus offers. “Come and see.”