During the season of Epiphany, which is the time
between Christmas and the start of Lent, we are looking at how Jesus was
‘manifested’ or made clear and obvious to people during his ministry. Last week
we looked at John the Baptist and the power with which he preached the Good
News of the coming Messiah. This week we witness an entirely different moment
of insight.
This week’s readings from the Book of Common Prayer
lectionary feature the call of the child Samuel (I Samuel 3:1-20), and the
admonition from St. Paul to the Corinthians that we must remember that our
bodies are members of Christ and not to be treated as trash. (I Corinthians
6:11b-20). The Psalmist bemoans the fact that “my souls thirsts for thee…as in
a dry and weary land…” (Psalm 63:1-8). Then we come to the Gospel. In John
1:43-51 we hear about Nathaniel.
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found
Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of
Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him
about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph
from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of
Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming
towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no
deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered,
‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied,
‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered,
‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will
see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you,you will see heaven opened and
the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
As an interesting side note, the name
Nathanael/Nathaniel means ‘Gift of God’ or ‘God has given’. It is from the two
words “nathan” (to give) and “El” (God). His parents must have thought
this child special to name him ‘ gift from God’.
Rather like Samuel, Nathaniel doesn’t quite hear God’s
call at first. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” he asks. Samuel runs
to Eli thinking it is a human voice when he hears God calling his name. Like
Eli, Philip points Nathaniel to the One who is really calling each of us. He
says “Come and See”.
The friends walk toward Jesus who announces, seemingly
randomly, “Here is truly an Israelite in
whom there is no deceit!” However, when we dig into that comment, it is an
affirmation of Nathaniel’s fair-minded approach to life. Even though he has his
doubts about this rabbi from Nazareth, he comes with Philip to meet him.
It
is easy to judge a person by their outward appearance, their hometown, their job
(or lack of), their religion, on and on. It is harder to step past those
prejudices to meet the person. Nathaniel prejudged Jesus by his hometown, but
was willing to at least meet the Rabbi. In that meeting he was transformed.
Nathaniel’s
conversion is immediate. When he is recognized as being an honest and
straightforward man, he announces “you
are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’” Nathaniel must have seen
in Jesus someone who saw him for who he was. Perhaps he was used to be judged
wrongly himself. Maybe, like Zacchaeus a short man, or perhaps he was used to
being laughed at because he was too careful about his friendships or too honest
in his dealings. Jesus sees through the walls he may have erected and sees the
real man.
I
can see Jesus smiling in a friendly and loving way as he responds to Nathaniel’s
enthusiasm by saying, “Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater
things than these. Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the
angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
To this reticent and honest man, Jesus offers an early
hint of who he is by referring to Jacob’s dream of the ladder to heaven.
(Genesis 28:12) Nathaniel, in his honest willingness to meet Jesus even though he
clearly had doubts, discovered not just a teacher, but the Lord of Life. He
brought his questioning heart and it was filled with answers beyond what he
expected.
Are you called to be
Philip today and bring someone to Jesus? Are you, like Nathaniel, hesitating to
open your heart because of some doubt or prejudice against someone? Have you
been hurt and don’t want to trust God with the pain?
Our loving and living Lord
sees you where you are and welcomes you with a smile and open arms. Sometimes
it’s not easy to get up from under the tree where we can safely observe the
world going by. When we do, we might just meet Jesus and become involved in what
Steven Curtis Chapman calls the Great Adventure.
Next week we’ll meet two
brothers who left their professions to follow Jesus.
