Invited to Come and See

Today’s scripture from John 1 is about Jesus meeting Philip and calling him into discipleship, but it is also about Philip, in turn, inviting Nathanael into discipleship, too, with the invitation to “come and see.” The Gospel of John uses that phrase several times, and we are invited to share in the excitement and the invitation. Nathanael’s initial response to the invitation demonstrates some prejudice on his part, but when he actually meets Jesus, all that changes. We are challenged to inspect our own prejudices and wonder whether they are preventing us from meeting and receiving Jesus. Further, when we, like Philip, invite others to “come and see,” as inviting someone to come to our church, what is it that we want them to “come and see”? Philip invited Nathanael to come and see Jesus, and it was that meeting Jesus that opened everything to Nathanael. Our invitation is, then, to come and see Jesus.