Come and See
- davidwperk
- Mar 7
- 6 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Friday, March 7, 2025
The first Friday of Lent
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and see.
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 950)
AM Psalm 95* & 31; PM Psalm 35
Deut. 7:12-16; Titus 2:1-15; John 1:35-42
Today we celebrate the Feast of Perpetual and Felicity. (See below.)
David's Reflections
W. S. Merwin, contemporary American poet, wrote these lines in his poem “Listen.”
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank you *
A culture up to its chin in shame might welcome and celebrate John the Baptist’s lines in yesterday’s Gospel, “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Today’s Gospel has John repeating the essence of that line, “Here is the Lamb of God.”
John’s repetition of the phrase, "Lamb of God” provoked two of his disciples to follow Jesus. They asked where he was staying. Jesus’ answer conceals a double entendré. John's Gospel abounds in these double meanings. From John's perspective, Jesus lives in the Father's love, not just in a house in Palestine. Jesus' answer, "Come and see," also has a double meaning; it includes an invitation to discipleship. In John's Gospel, come = follow me and see = believe in me. So, the invitation “come and see” invites them to follow and to believe. (See John 1:14, 18).
Andrew did just that. Then, he found his brother, Simon (whom Jesus nicknamed Peter), and brought him to Jesus. That expressed Andrew's faith, the act of finding his brother and inviting him. Who has played the role of Andrew in your life, inviting you on the basis of their own faith experience to “come and see“? Several people have played that role in my life.
The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. But, on a more personal note, Christ takes away MY sin and YOUR sin. What a remarkable thought, that you and I can be forgiven our sins and freed of the shame that lingers and tortures. You and I can be freed from the indelible legacy of our past, as if that had never happened as far as our relationship with God is concerned. The shame that convinces you and me that we are inadequate and unlovable Jesus will take away.
Even the scars and wounds left by our sins can become grist for growth as the Holy Spirit heals and enables us to address the consequences of our sin and irresponsibility. The lingering scars can continue to emit pain in our lives, but even that pain can be a spiritual discipline that drives us back to God's grace. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
We have experienced deliverance from guilt and shame because of the inviting love of others whose life and words were a “come and see” to us. If we are experiencing God's love in that way, surely we want others to share that experience. Who awaits your “come and see” invitation? What better way to express our faith in Jesus and our desire to follow than to invite others? If we believe that Jesus' love can transform lives, we invite others because we hunger to see their lives caught up in God's love and set free.
That motivates us to invite. To ask others to activities and to worship, to host them to dinner in our home with others (maybe even our minister), to become conscious of those in our relationship network who are lapsed from the faith or who seem to have no faith connection and to pray for them, to strengthen our relationships with them, and to invite them. To invite our priest to bless our home and invite all our friends.
Jesus gathers people. We see that in this Gospel. His love always is seeking to gather people to himself and into the Christian community. To follow him means to join that gathering mission, to find those he is gathering and love them into life in Christ. Peter came to Jesus because of Andrew. If you are Andrew, who is Peter in your life?
Peter Block, community developer extraordinaire, and John McKnight have written this about any form of community development. They seem especially apropos for a faith community.
". . . the key words for our community are invitation, participation, and connection. We each need to become great inviters, like a host or hostess, opening the door to our community life. Our goal will be to have everyone participating, giving and receiving gifts. And our method will be connection--introducing the newly discovered gifts of the other neighbors and associations.+
*W.S. Merwin, “Thanks,” in Merwin, Migration: New and Selected Poems (Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2005), 280.
+John McKnight and Peter Block, The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (San Francisco: Barrett-Koehler, 2012), pp. 138-39.
Collect of the Day, The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
This Proper is always used on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 217)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Perpetua and Felicity, matters (died 203 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Perpetua and Felicity
O God, the King of Saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions to make a good confession and encourage one another in the time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Friday after Ash Wednesday
Support us, O Lord, with your gracious favor through the fast we have begun; that as we observe it by bodily self-denial, so we may fulfill it with inner sincerity of heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Of the Holy Cross
Especially suitable for Fridays
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 253)
In the Order of Worship for Evening
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, creator of the changes of day and night, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent, bestowing upon us occasions of song in the evening. As you have protected us in the day that is past, so be with us in the coming night; keep us from every sin, every evil, and every fear; for you are our light and salvation, and the strength of our life. To you be glory for endless ages. Amen. (BCP, 113)
A Collect for Mission
Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 280)
Daily Office Gospel, John 1:35-42
35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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