Think about everything you’ve learned in your life. How did it happen? How is it that some of us know about soil and seeds and some of us know about building things with wood and some of us know how to do plumbing and some of us understand electricity and how to put it to work. Other people seem to know how to heal and comfort people and others have the skills of knowing the law and politics.
How come we don’t all know the same things? And how does it all happen? Why am I a pastor? And why are some people teachers or carpenters or farmers or managers or salespeople? Why and how, haven’t you ever wondered these things?
Samuel was an apprentice for Eli because his parents had made the commitment to dedicate him to the Lord. There in the temple he “heard” God call his name. How come God chose Samuel? Why?
The psalmist tells us that God know everything completely about us. He searches our hearts and he just knows. The psalmist can’t even imagine all the thoughts of God. He just knows that God knows. God knows us inside and out.
John tells us the story of Philip and Nathanael. He tells us that Jesus knew Nathanael before they were introduced.
As he traveled toward Galilee he met Philip. He invited him to… “Come, and follow.” What he learned, what he saw was so exciting he could hardly wait to tell his friend about Jesus. He invited him to… “Come, and see.”
And when he was almost there Jesus talked like he knew him. When Jesus described to him how he’d seen him sitting under a tree earlier Nathanael called him the Son of God, the King of Israel. It sounded like Nathanael stayed to follow Jesus because he knew him.
Have you ever had someone ask you about your faith, about your belief in Jesus? Have you ever found yourself stumbling to explain what it is that draws you to the church, the Body of Christ, and Jesus? Have you ever finally arrived at a point where you just say, “Come and see for your self?”
Friends, that just may be what we’re to learn from these lessons today. It just might be that all we have to do is invite folks and let God do the rest. It just might be that we make it way too difficult. Maybe we should follow the example of Philip. “Come, and see for yourself who this Jesus is.” That may be all God calls us to do in the beginning. Invite our friends to come, and see.
So, lets take notice this week. Pay attention to see where God is active and when the opportunity presents itself invite your friend and neighbor to “come and see.”
Thanks be to God for his all-knowing grace. Amen.
