‘Come and you will see’ (Ἔρχεσθε καὶὄψεσθε) This is what Jesus told his two disciples when they asked him ‘Where will (he) stay?’ in John 1:35–42 as Jesus called his first disciples.
This marked a change in how God wanted the Israelites to see what the Lord represents as John the Baptist directed the first disciples to Jesus by his words ‘Behold the Lamb of God’. In Jesus, God desired us to follow Jesus closely as he went to heal and show love to people who needed healing, and to the ones who were marginalised and ostracised by rules and fear-mongering created by the Pharisees.
As Catholics, and most importantly, followers of Christ, these three words are of utmost important to us because this is what God calls us to do — to go beyond following the rites and sacraments of the Church. Very often we hold on to these structures for our very dear life as we struggle to identify and convince ourselves that we are chosen by God to be the superior ones. Hence, we consciously look and label ‘others’ whom we think needs saving and we tell them, ‘Repent! Follow the rules or you will burn in Hell.’
But are we really true followers of Jesus, who is Christ?
What did Jesus really mean when he said ‘Come and you will see’?
John the Baptist could have played the role of the messiah as people would have thought him to be. But in his words, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ (John 3:30), he recognised God’s purpose for him.
As we consciously attempt to let go of our desires to control, for control, to boost our Ego-self, we start to recognise how small we are compared to God. In letting go of our fears and desires, we tell God, transform us, so that we can be like Christ.
Jesus had no desire for power to control his followers. Jesus called and touched people around him for them to be convinced to follow him wholeheartedly. Jesus showed love, and consequently, people whom he healed and touched recognised the glory and grace of God as they went to proclaim with joy the goodness of God:
Mark 8: 22–26 — Jesus healed the blind man
Mark 1:40–45 — Jesus healed the leper
In my journey with God, the Lord has made me understand a little better each day, what following Jesus means. God desires us to be better persons, God loves us so that we can also love others.
God recognises for us to be different as how Jesus accepted and embraced lepers, the blind, the Samaritan, the tax collectors and even the Pharisees.
Jesus called his twelve apostles by their names and gave them new names — as he called Simon, Cephas which meant Peter. He knew that they were all made in the image of God as God told Moses ‘I am who I am’. Nobody could define God. Nobody could tell God who the Lord was supposed to be. Not even Moses.
Hence, we are all called to look deep into our authentic selves and to ask ourselves — God, who am I really? Show me oh Lord, and reveal to me who you create me to be. As Adam in Genesis named all animals for them to fulfill your will in them, guide us in your love and grace to fulfill your will to love.
