Come and See for Yourself! - July 17, 2010

Good Saturday morning! Is it fair that a day predicted to be so hot should also start off with near 100% humidity? We had a fog bank roll in and while chasing mosquitoes away from my ears, I wondered at the unfairness of it all. For that terrible attitude, I had but one answer: "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!" (PS 118:24) Some mornings conditions do not live up to my ideal. When I stop to think about that in a better environment, that is one where the mosquitoes are safely held outside by the window screens, I realize that conditions will never be ideal on this fallen earth. We can make conditions worse through cutting corners as BP did in the Gulf, or we can whine about the conditions as I was doing this morning, but the conditions will remain until other forces act upon them. A breeze might blow my skeeters away for a while, or a storm might stir up the Gulf of Mexico and deposit all the remaining oil in one spot for easier cleanup. (Not that any town or beach wants to be that one spot of course.) Conditions can and will change on this Earth, but never will they be just perfect for everyone. The verse from the psalm reminds us to rejoice in the day God has made for us. Some mornings that is more difficult than on others.

Yesterday we ready how Philip took the good news to Nathanael. Today, we get the response:

"Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

"Come and see for yourself," Philip replied.

Now that seems a bit of a derogatory comment. Was it simply an inter-town rivalry. Perhaps the Nazareth Peach Pits defeated the Cana Mud Hogs in the latest soccer game, and Nathanael made a rude comment to voice his displeasure. Perhaps there was something more? My footnotes say that Nazareth held the Roman garrison for the area. As we know, military bases can bring a lot of not-so-nice activities to an area such as payday loan sharks, exotic dancer bars, and other temptations to sin. Nazareth may have gained an unsavory reputation in the area. Nathanael might have simply expressed his loyalty to his own home town, Cana, in a backwards sort of way by disparaging Nazareth. We don't know for sure, but the comment came out with feeling. Philip had been with Jesus for only a very short time and yet already his reply is gentle. "Come and see for yourself."

We have a similar job to do. If our friends don't believe the good news of Jesus Christ, invite them to come and see for themselves. Invite them to church, hand them a Bible, or be with them through a tough time. Let your friends see the results of a changed life. We have many gentle ways to show the love of Jesus and to proclaim the Good News.

Have a wonderful Saturday; we will rejoice and be glad in it!

Bucky