What Does It Mean to "see"?

When I was a little girl my mom often told me: "Open your eyes and you will find it!"  She would say that when I was looking for something she wanted me to get; but I could find it.  That is an example of looking with our eyes.  Trying to find something with the eyes in our  head.  When Philip said to Nathanael "come and see" (see below) he was talking about actually seeing the man Jesus with our eyes.  Physically looking  at the person Jesus!  That is the way we live here on earth!  By seeing -- looking at -- what is there. 

When we see something, we do tend to believe it is there.  Right?  When we touch something, we are fairly sure that it exists.  When we can both see and touch something, we can have some kind of confidence that it is what it is seen to be.

The invitation to come and see, in the story, has to do with much more that physical sight.  It has much more to do with what can not be experienced with our physical eyes.  It has to do with a perception!  Being aware of something not seeable or touchable.  It has to do with matters of our heart. I say this because God referred to this seeing more than once.  I quote the one from Jeremiah:  This is the covenant that I will make....I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people..."(Jere.31: 33-34).  

When it comes to our connection with God, we have a very different way of relating.  It is not a sight seeing thing!  It is not a touching way to know!  It is something much deeper then the physical world of intellectual awareness.  This seeing is the foundation of what is called faith.  An ability to know something beyond the obvious.  Something only known by a seemingly unknown source.  Something that lives in our souls.

In the Lutheran Church we believe that this seeing comes to us through the unknown source called -- the Holy Spirit of God.  Given to to humans, most often, in the ritual of Baptism.  I stated it the way, because I believe that the Holy Spirit can be received in other ways than the formal ritual of Baptism.  I am aware that that statement can be debatable.  However, to limit the Spirit's power to a ritual is not in my theology.

When Jesus left, his physical body, he promised to leave us with the Spirit to help us stay connect to his presence and his truth.  In my limited understanding, that is how we "see" -- perceive -- the truth of God still creating and working in our world today. 

46 Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." 

47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body."

48 Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." 

49 Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" 

50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! 

51 Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again."(John 1:43-51)