January 18, 2009

The Second Sunday After Epiphany

“Come & See”

John 1:43-51

Rev. Dr. R. Tim Meadows

Despite the passage of time I can still hear the question I asked that day, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth”?, I said to my friend who was extolling the virtues of this new teacher he had met. Despite the passage of time I can still hear the answer my friend gave that day, “Come and see” he said, confidently and undefensively. “Come and see”.

I was tempted not to go, after all there had been at least a dozen of these teachers through our region lately, and all of them claimed some unique connection to God, Moses, and any other significant historical figure they thought would give them credibility. Probably just another presumptuous crank, who will come and go, and not say anything much. But, I could not get the words of my friend out of my head, “Come and see”, he suggested, and finally I concluded, “Well, what could that hurt”, and so I went. I am so glad that I did!

Come and see has become the new mantra for my life. For what I saw that day and in times after that day, has been nothing short of amazing. I encountered a teacher who focused more on people than on himself or his material. I encountered a prophet who spoke truth clearly and simply to power, no matter what the public opinion happened to be. I encountered a care giver who lovingly met needs that had seemed intractable to others for years, and it all began with a simple invitation to “Come and see”.

Come and see! I wonder how much I’ve missed in life because I was unwilling or unable to do this?

Come and see! I wonder how much I’ve missed in life because prejudice would not allow me to do this?

Come and see! I wonder how much I’ve missed in life because I did not want eyes to see or ears to hear the truth of God in a situation about which I had already made up my mind?

Come and see! I wonder how many others received this invitation and chose to reject or ignore the offer?

Come and see! I wonder if I will ever meet any one like him again?

Come and see! A simple request that became a profound suggestion. How about you? Are you struggling with life’s difficulties that leave you befuddled? Come and see! Do you need to deal with some bias or prejudice in your life that keeps you from fully living? Come and see! Are you missing what God offers because you refuse to recognize such? Come and see! Are you the least bit curious about how someone from Nazareth managed to change and dominate human history? Come and see!

Come and see! Are you unable, uninformed, or unwilling? What could it hurt? It may change your life, the way that it changed mine. Come and See! AMEN!