Today’s text in the gospel of John to me, reads a bit like a blueprint, a manual, a how to be a Christian guide. It is the mission we accept with our baptism into Jesus Christ. It’s fairly simple actually. We are to do what Phillip did when he invited Nathaniel to just “come and see”.
And what prompted Phillip to do so? John very sparingly describes what must have been the kind of moment when you wouldn’t be surprised that there is background music playing. The surreal kind of moment of a supernatural event. An Epiphany of the highest order. It is after all the season of Epiphany. And how else can we explain this immediate obedience? Did Phillip surprise himself when he dropped everything and began following a man he only just met? A man he could only follow by leaving everything he knew behind. What kind of man, what kind of person can have this much impact? Was Jesus hauntingly beautiful and immensely charismatic? We do know that he was ultimately compelling. What can compel us to change our lives so radically, so drastically? What inspires this intense amount of loyalty? To my mind, it can only be done, by filling our deepest needs. Those that we may not even be aware of. All of us want to be fully seen. We want to be intimately known. And loved completely.
I’m telling you, this works. Feeling seen and known and loved is how I ended up moving from one continent to the other. That’s how I came to Texas of all places. Some days that still makes me grin. And I’ve lived in Amarillo14 years here now…Funnily enough, my break with organized religion was one of the reasons that Texas didn’t sound so thrilling to me. I was told by a friend that there are more churches than restaurants here. As a lapsed Roman Catholic, this sounded like overkill. I have never actually counted the restaurants or the churches. At first, I mostly hung out in gyms, as I started to work as a personal trainer. One day, the Pace family was scheduled for a free check-up with me to get started on their fitness goals. Father Robert Pace was the Associate Rector of St. Andrew’s at the time. As I came to know him and his daughter more while training them, I felt comfortable asking questions. I was critical. After being burned spiritually a number of times I asked: can anything good could come out of the church? Robert patiently answered all my questions, but I couldn’t tell you what his answers were anymore or my questions. What I do remember is that ultimately, he just said: Come and see!
In our gospel, Phillip, beaming with exuberant joy from his meeting with Jesus rushes to Nathaniel, his friend. Good news needs to be shared with the good people in your life! He can’t wait for his friend to experience this for himself as well. I imagine the first thing Phillip did was to hug Nathaniel. But Nathaniel is critical. Upon hearing that this man he is supposed to meet so badly, is from Nazareth, he derisively asks: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Now, I know why I was snarky about the church, but I don’t know where this animosity against Nazareth is coming from. Bethsaida, where they are from, and Nazareth are both in Galilee, a rural and poor area. My best guess as a woman who grew up in a rural and relatively poor area of Germany, is that Nazareth must have whooped Bethsaida’s butt playing soccer. Nothing more serious than a small league soccer rivalry between neighboring villages. Or maybe in more Texan terms the High School of Nazareth keeps winning their football games against Bethsaida High who just can’t break this losing streak. I don’t think Jesus played soccer though. Or football, it seems he is disinterested in rivalries. Because when Jesus first sees Nathaniel walking towards him, he has nothing but praise for him, no rivalry here.
“Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Jesus says. No deceit? Interesting. Could it be that hypocrisy regarding one’s faith existed that long ago? It makes sense to me; people will be people. But Jesus knows that Nathanial’s faith is authentic. He sees him fully, he knows him intimately, and he loves him completely. Still Nathanial is critical. Maybe he was disappointed one too many times by spiritually charismatic people who talked a good game, but ultimately had nothing to offer. So he asks: “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Phillip called you.” Fig trees have a special meaning, traditionally they are known to be a place where rabbis study the Torah, faithfully. In that moment, Nathanial could truly feel that he was seen, known, and loved. Jesus really does know him and his faith. Something like scales fell from Nathanial’s eyes, and he gained sight, the kind of sight that enables you to see the bright light of our Savior. Overwhelmed he still manages to confess his newfound faith, that Jesus is the son of God, the king of Israel. Another Epiphany. Another moment that begs for background music!
The next words Jesus speaks highlight the immediate trust and friendship and intimacy these two men now share.
“Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these”. These words of promise are only spoken to Nathanael, John uses the singular form of “you” here. In the very next sentence, he switches to the plural form of “you”. This is an intimate moment. Jesus sounds like he’s teasing Nathaniel. A bit like: oh, this little bit? This is nothing. Are you ready to see more? I can almost hear their laughter. They sound playful! And all because Phillip said: Come and see!
Come and see us for Rally Day, were the exact words that led me here. My family and I took the invitation. I came and saw a community of faith I had frankly lost all hope that could still exist. People who are happy to see you, want to get to know you and offer unconditional love. I see you, St. Andrews.
Just like Nathanial who was amazed at what Phillip had to say and how joyous he was, people still become Christians because they have seen what the Christian faith has done for those whom they know. The spread of the Christian church across the world is the person-to-person story of the thousands of people who fanned out across the globe to tell the story about Jesus and what Jesus had done for them.
The saying passed down from the earliest years of the church still rings true here at St Andrew’s: “See those Christians, how they love one another.”
All it takes to spread this love is to invite people in. To say: Come and see. Come and see where I found peace. Come and see where I feel joy. Come and see what helps me through the week. Come and see where I can cry. Come and see where love is more than a noun, a notion, or a concept, come and see what it looks like when love is an action.
God does not require our eloquent words. We don’t need to prepare persuasive arguments and deliver them to convince people. We are not charged with delivering epiphanies. We are not called to dictate faith, but to invite people to faith. I love that. I love that because it takes the pressure off. There is no pressure to have all the answers, to be ever so eloquent and persuasive, or even charismatic. Jesus is and knows all that, and so much more. When we live our lives close to Christ, we are fully seen. We are intimately known and loved completely. That kind of faith and being shines like a bright light to all who yearn for the same. When we invite them to come and see, you know they are curious!
Our task as Christians is not to “prove” the truth of the Christian faith, although many scholars have written many fascinating books about it, and I mean to find and read them all. Our task is not even to persuade others to become Christian. Our task is to simply say, “Come and see.” Philip could have given Nathanael some of his own opinions. He could have said, “This Jesus knows a lot about the scripture.” Or he might have said, “Jesus has that certain je-ne-sai-quoi.” When Nathanael expressed skepticism about “anything good coming out of Nazareth,” Philip could have said that Jesus does not play or is interested in soccer or football.
But no: Philip simply says, “Come and see.”
It’s not easy to talk with the people in your life about faith and religion. Never has been according to the Church’s own history. In times past when kings and the church worked together, they committed atrocious crimes against their neighbors, and they oppressed the people they swore to love. These days faith has once again become deeply embroiled with the worldly powers. Even more reason to share the faith of our God who sees and knows and loves all of humanity, without exception. Silence only encourages oppression. And here’s the best thing, the good news of our Savior speaks for itself; all we really have to say, is:
Come and See!
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