Come and See

BY DONNA CHURCHILL

“And the two disciples heard him [John the Baptist] speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi (Master), where do you live? He said unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.” 
(John 1:37-39)
 
This scripture is one I’ve gone back to time and again over the past several months, maybe even a year. I keep hearing Jesus say to me, “Come and see” at various times and in many different situations.
 
The first thing that strikes me in this passage is that Jesus turned around and willingly engaged with the disciples. They were just following Him and at that point, had not required anything of Him, had not even spoken to Him, yet He turned around and actively engaged with them. My paraphrase of what He asked them – What do you want? In other words, why are you following me?
 
It’s also interesting to me that they didn’t directly answer His question. I wonder if perhaps they didn’t know how to answer that question or even know themselves what they wanted from Him or why they were following Him. They didn’t even really know or understand who exactly He was yet. But what they said to Him, instead of answering His question, was another question – “where do you live?” I’ve pondered that a lot. What kind of question is that and why would they want to know? Did where He lived even matter?
 
But He didn’t seem to find this question strange. He simply said “Come and see.” He invited them to come and see. So not only did He willingly engage with them, He invited them into His world. In our world, we wouldn’t often invite someone we just met into our home, but He did.

And yet,
 
Isn’t this the invitation He gives us every day?
Isn’t this what He says to us every day?
Come and see where I live.
Come into my world.
Come and abide with me.
 
To me, this whole scripture is an invitation to abide with Him and in Him. I think much and pray much about abiding in Him. It’s where I most long to be, but it’s also the place I walk away from more often than not. I usually spend the first part of my day in His presence, praying, reading, seeking and worshipping, but then I leave the “secret place,” walk into the world and find myself sometimes forgetting what I just shared with Him and what He just shared with me. I walk away from Him and into the cares of my world, forgetting that He goes with me.
 
Yet Jesus continues to invite me to “come and see.” He invites me to come into His world and dwell there with Him.  In all situations I face…running errands, doctor’s appointments, luncheon dates, shopping, interacting with people, difficult situations, etc., He invites me into His world as I walk through them. He is with me 24/7 and wants me to be aware of His presence. That’s the key – to be aware. He wants me to abide in Him through all my day so when I deal with difficult people, difficult situations, etc, I’m aware of Him and what He would have me do. I need to be aware that He is right there with me and is helping me via the Holy Spirit to handle all that is placed in my path.
 
The disciples “came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him.” He wants us to come and see where He lives, where He sits at the right hand of God and dwell with Him, abide in His presence; have an awareness of His presence. He does not just come to us when we ask him; in fact, we have no need to ask Him, because He’s already there right with us, in us. We don’t need to pray or sing to conjure up His presence. His presence is always with us. What we need, what I need, is a continual awareness of that; an abiding awareness. I need to learn to dwell with Him.
 
“Come and see” with me.