Come and see, a chosen, 2017 fanfic

Come and See

The first to hear about Him was Phillip. So, he just knew he had to tell someone else.

Nathanael was not the kind of person who kept his opinions to himself, which had brought him enemies and hostility along the way. But not with Phillip. He could be as straightforward as he wanted, and Phillip would listen patiently to him the whole day, tolerating his rants readily. So it was that when Phillip came over one sunny afternoon telling him about the arrival of a new preacher, the awaited Messiah, that Nathaniel could not do anything but express utter disbelief. Radial prejudice was not lacking either, but Phillip remained unfazed. Instead, he offered him to see with his own eyes.

Nathanael was not convinced at first. In the collective imagination, Nazareth wasn't precisely the most appropriate place to imagine the arrival of the Promised Messiah. It was almost heresy to even say so, and Nathaniel could not imagine a less improbable scenario. Yet, there was something different in the way he said it, a conviction that did not seem to be the product of the Baptist delusions haunting his mind.

It did not take Nathanael long to realize that Phillip was serious. His eyes were shining even through the growing darkness in the room. It was then that he heard the words that would change his life forever.

"Come and see".

He could not refuse the invitation.

Photina was not the most popular person in town. On the contrary, everybody else seemed repelled by her presence. Women did not want to be seen with her, and men were not comfortable around her either, especially if their wives were watching.

Photina had accepted her fate with surprising calm. She took it in with seeming resolve, as if her life could not stumble over any more challenges. Five times she had been married, five times she had gotten divorced, and her current marital status was not precisely the most acceptable. As a result, she had become an outcast.

The heat she could bear. The hard work drawing water from the well in the hottest hours of the day was bearable. None of it was too insufferable compared to the rejection she had to endure, which she had ended up accepting.

Resignation.

Photina had become resigned to living that way, and thus, she stopped fighting her fate. She shut down her own feelings, or at least that was what she told herself. She had adopted a tough attitude, a shield so that no one would see her internal turmoil and the loneliness that came from being rejected.

So when a strange prophet came from Judea (Judea! Of all the places!), and had the audacity to ask her for some water, and went on exposing her life… Well, Photina fell a little too much intimidated. And upset. She knew too well that she had made enough bad decisions, but that did not mean she was willing to hear it from a total stranger, who to make things worse, was Jewish. The mask slipped, and for a split second, she let her true feelings show, her frustration and anger, her pain. She felt invaded and judged, and she did not like it. However, it was not a judgment what the man was passing. What then the strange man offered her seemed unattainable, and it was then when she realized she was not talking to just any prophet.

"I, the one speaking to you- I am He."

Photina understood everything. What made the declaration special went unnoticed to her. Photina did not know that she was the first person whom Jesus revealed himself to. But she only needed to know that He was the Messiah, the Christ, for her whole outlook to change forever. A cloud lifted from her face, her look changed, her eyes came to life, and she smiled again for the first time in forever.

Photina forgot that neither women nor men wanted to be seen with her, forgot that they cursed at her and left her behind. None of that mattered anymore. What is loneliness and social rejection compared to meeting the Messiah and being welcome by Him? She was no longer rejected, she was accepted. No longer judged, she was now forsaken. In just a matter of seconds, she had experienced a radical change. She had a new identity and purpose.

And she wanted everyone to be able to have it.

Photina left her water jar, ran back to the town, and announced the good news for anyone who would listen (and anyone who wouldn't too).

"Come and see a man who told me everything I've done! Could this be the Messiah?"

People turned around, intrigued by the strange announcement.

"Come and see!"

And the whole town went.

«And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified.»

—John 4:39 (NKJV)

The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season TV show about the life of Jesus. The Chosen allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew Him. You can watch it for free in watch dot thechosen dot tv

When I was studying the gospel of John, I noticed that both Phillip and the Samaritan woman used the same words to bring others to Jesus. And that is just fascinating because none of them knew each other. Those who have watched the show know how paramount these words are for the producers and the show itself, so much that it's everywhere on merch, and it's the name of the new foundation in charge of the show. That's why I chose this subject for my first ever piece of fanfiction about The Chosen.

My hope is that through this show, and maybe through this small composition, others may come and see too.