Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

 

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 

- John 1:43-51 

 

Yesterday we read that on the second day given in John's Gospel, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).    One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought Him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

 

  The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study Bible explains that no deceit means both having a pure heart and also being straightforward with others.

 

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  My study Bible says that what exactly occurred under the fig tree is something we don't really know, as it's not stated in the Gospel. It cites St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in his search for the Messiah.  Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart stir him to this confession of faith ("Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!").

 

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."   The title Son of Man is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, my study Bible explains.  It indicated a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament proverb, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth to heaven, upon which angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is the "ladder" who unites earth to heaven, and therefore He is this Son of Man.  

 

In today's reading we are given the fourth day in John's Gospel, in this first week of Jesus' ministry which begins John's Gospel.  Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael, who see Christ as the true Light, the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a "lesser" light as it would be fulfilled in Him.   My study Bible says that this parallels the establishment of the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.  When Jesus tells Nathanael, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man," He is making a clear reference to the Old Testament story cited by my study Bible, that of Jacob and the ladder to heaven, and hence to Christ's fulfillment of "the Law and the Prophets" as Jesus says of Himself in Matthew 5:17:  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  Once again, as in the readings of the past two days, we are reminded that Christ is the heart-knower, the revealer of truth about a person.  He says of Nathanael (who will also be known as Bartholomew), "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"   Without having to be present to overhear the conversation between Philip and Nathanael, Jesus peers into his heart, discerning a quality He seeks in a disciple, and praises Nathanael for having, in the words of my study Bible, a heart that is both pure and a character that is straightforward with others.  This also tells us something about Jesus, for one could hardly imagine a "great man" of the first century as one humble enough to praise someone for asking, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?", Jesus' hometown.  A Caesar or Herod could likely have had him executed on the spot for what would be perceived as an insult.  Caesar, worshiped as a god, quite literally bragged about the millions killed in pursuit of the expansion of the empire.   But Jesus, the Son of Man, and true Son of God, is nothing like this.  He sees through all things to recognize what He wants in a chosen disciple:  Nathanael is an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.  This is high praise, a reward for his straightforwardness.  If we think about what a pure heart is, we must understand Jesus' words of praise in the phrase "no deceit."  For we are also capable of fooling ourselves so often with our own notions about ourselves that we hold dear to heart.  In what is yet another example of this immediate heart-to-heart relation in which Christ engages (such as when He named Simon Cephas, or Peter, meaning Stone, in yesterday's reading), we must understand Christ's praise for  a heart that is pure, which holds no deceit either for himself or for others.  Purity is the condition of being of the same substance on the inside as on the outside, thoroughly without affliction or particle of flaw, and it is this condition of our hearts to which we all aspire as disciples of Christ.  What would it mean to have no deceit within us -- no favorite little lie about ourselves, no fudging our own characteristics that we'd do better to correct, and nothing getting in the way of our perception of others as well?  Nathanael's seemingly insulting question reveals something good about him, something Jesus praises, for it is an honest question based on the assumption and understanding that the Scriptures reveal no great prophecy of the Messiah or other prophet arising from Nazareth, as indeed Nathanael does not know that Jesus' birthplace is Bethlehem, the place from which the Messiah was prophesied to be born.  Nathanael's question is as straightforward as is Mary's to Gabriel, when she questions the prophecy she's been given that she will bear a Son, by saying, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (see Luke 1:26-38).   What we are given in the story of Nathanael here is an affirmation that our faith is a search for truth.  It is quite often presented to us that faith is the stuff of sheer imagination or even classified as "fairy tales" or some other distortion, but the truth is quite the opposite.  Faith is a deep search for truth and real meaning, and it is not satisfied with partial answers or half-truths (those are called "heresies" in Christian tradition).  Its bedrock is a heart that is pure in this sense of Nathanael's straightforward and truthful nature, one in which there is no deceit, no tolerance for lies of any kind, and this is consistently affirmed in the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus.  It is, indeed, Jesus who teaches us that "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).  This is the foundational basis for the practice of self-examination and the traditions of monasticism, of contemplative prayer traditions such as the Jesus Prayer and its concurrent practices of confession -- so that we are aware of our own flaws, the things we nurture that aren't really true or good for us, and the things we need to change through repentance.     It is why our tradition prizes humility, so that we are able to see clearly, without deceit.   All of these are things that get in the way of truth and its pursuit, which is the bedrock of faith.   It is in John's Gospel that Jesus will teach, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  Let us always continue to bear its significance in mind.

Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man

Icon of Job 38:7 (Septuagint): "When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice."  Late 20th cent., fresco.  St John the Baptist Monastery, Makrinos, Greece

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?   You will see greater things than these."   And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

Yesterday we read that on the second day given in John's Gospel,  John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'   I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You saying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found teh Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" which is translated, A Stone).

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?   You will see greater things than these."   And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  In today's reading, John gives us the events of the fourth day as given in his Gospel of Christ's ministry (see the previous two readings, here and here, for the first through the third).  As my study bible explains, this first week of Christ's ministry, as given in John's Gospel, parallels the creation story of Genesis.  This is the fourth day, in which Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael.   They come to see Christ as the true Light, the One revealed in the Old Testament which itself was a lesser light.  My study bible suggests that this parallels the establishment of the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.  When Jesus remarks that Nathanael is an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit,  He means that Nathanael has both a pure heart and is also straightforward with others.   What precisely happened under the fig tree is not told to us.  St. John Chrysostom is cited by my study bible, as he comments that this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in his search for the Messiah.  It is Christ's foreknowledge and ability to see into Nathanael's heart that stir him to make his confession of faith.   Let us also note that Nathanael uses the term Son of God.  But Jesus uses the term Son of Man, a somewhat mysterious messianic title.  My study bible says that "Son of Man" indicates a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (found in Daniel 7:13-14).   In an Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth to heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is that "ladder," uniting earth and heaven, and therefore He is the Son of Man in Daniels prophecy.

Once again, Jesus demonstrates immediately His ability to know the hearts and character of others.  This clearly strikes home with Nathanael, one who is not given to falsehood or pretense about himself or others, and therefore one much more likely to respond directly to truth.  Perhaps this is the most important aspect of the praise that Christ gives to Nathanael.  Nathanael is one who loves truth:  he puts on no show about himself, he is direct in his expression, but at the same time his heart holds no guile, no deceit.  This is what it is to be pure in heart.  Like the rarest pearl made of pure nacre, the same pure consistency from inside to outside.   As Jesus reserve His greatest condemnation for the hypocrisy of the religious leadership, we understand that to be pure in heart is a kind of goal and qualification for good discipleship.  How can one value truth without at least a deep and true desire for it?  Oftentimes there are painful truths that none of us would like to face.  Perhaps we would like to hide the truth from those we love in order to protect them.  But a deep love or even passion for truth characterizes those who would go throughout the known world, enduring persecution and martyrdom to serve Christ as His first apostles, and Jesus knows what He sees in Nathanael.  Jesus preaches in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  Perhaps it is that ongoing process of purity of heart that most characterizes what is called "theosis" or "deification" in the Eastern Christian tradition, that process whereby we participate mystically in the life of Christ, and grace works in us to refine and make obvious the things we need to cast away (Matthew 18:8-9), while helping us to grow in recognition of the spiritual gifts of true value such as is described by St. Paul in writing about love in 1 Corinthians 13.  Indeed, when Jesus sums up His Judgment and that which leads to eternal life, it is through our capacity for compassion He tells us this will happen (Matthew 25:31-46), a quality whose expression most assuredly depends not on false signaling and hypocrisy, but purity of heart.  In the icon above, we see a modern rendition of an icon meant to depict God's statement to Job, describing the creation of the heavenly lights: "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:7).  In the Greek Septuagint version, this reads in translation, "When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice" (found here).  It is clearly Jesus as Son who brings the creation of all things into being, including the greater and lesser lights, His hand in a gesture of blessing.  He comes to us as One who blesses and links heaven and earth, bearing His light that we may share and grow in it to be "like Him."

Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

Yesterday, we read about the third day in the story of Jesus' ministry:  John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  No deceit, says my study bible, means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.   Nathanael's statement may be understood in various ways, but one aspect of the comment is the idea that the Messiah was not thought to come from Nazareth.  He cannot know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, from which it was prophesied would come the Messiah.  One thing is clear:  Nathanael is no false flatterer.  In the Greek the word for deceit implies trickery akin to con artistry, using bait or decoy to trap another.  Several disciples had two names; Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew.

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   The text doesn't tell us everything that happened under the fig tree.  My study bible cites St. Chrysostom as teaching that this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in His search for the Messiah.  Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart bring him to this confession of faith.  It's yet another indication, among many in the Gospels, that Christ is the "heart-knower."  He seems to have recognized His disciple before His disciple even knew who He was.

 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  My study bible tells us that the title Son of Man is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning.  It indicates a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  Jesus' words allude to the vision of Jacob, in which he dreamed of a ladder connecting earth to heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is understood as this "ladder," who unites earth to heaven.  He's therefore the Son of Man.   Both times the word you is used in this verse it's in the plural, indicating that Jesus addresses all the disciples.

Jesus begins His ministry by gathering His disciples.  It gives us a clue about the unfolding of the ministry that Jesus recognized Nathanael while he was under the fig tree, even before Philip called him.  In an earlier reading this week, we cited the passage in the book of the Prophet Samuel, when Samuel was told to find a new king after the rejection of Saul.  The Lord says to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  For those to whom this Gospel would go, the Jesus as Son of Man is the Incarnation of the Lord of the Old Testament.  Here Jesus fulfills the words the Lord says about Himself.  He looks at the heart.  He thereby knew Nathanael even before Philip called him.  He knew His disciple.  This speaks to us about trust and faith.  Jesus knows in whom to put His own trust.  He knows the one capable of faith in Him.  With such understanding in mind, we are called to think again about Jesus' words to Nathanael:  "An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit."  This is the sort of heart He looks for and recognizes, one capable of faith in the truth He offers, and more than faith.  That is, an endurance in the faith, what it takes to be a disciple.  Nathanael isn't skilled in flattery.  He clearly does nothing in order to impress Jesus!  And there is a little clue of something in common among the disciples we've read about so far.  In yesterday's reading, two disciples of John the Baptist (presumably Andrew and the author of this Gospel) hear him speaking about Jesus as the Lamb of God.  They ask Jesus, "Where are You staying?"  Jesus invites them to "Come and see."  In today's reading, after Nathanael asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip invites him to "Come and see."  To come and see also teaches us about discipleship, because it indicates an experiential faith.  Our faith includes beautiful and extraordinary concepts, but it's not based merely in "concepts" and "ideas."  It's based in the realities of the kingdom of heaven.  It's based in the experience of faith, of love, of truth.  This comes from walking the path of discipleship, from our own choice to "come and see."  These disciples will live with Christ and come to know Him.  This is the one way of our discipleship to come to be like Him.  It is a Person-to-person relationship with the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  It is a heart-to-Heart relationship, with our Father who is in the secret place and who sees in secret.  For this, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile, is the perfect choice.  We remember that the word Israel was the name given to Jacob (who dreamed about the ladder) and means one who struggles with God (Genesis 32:22-32).  Christ needs those who are not standoffish nor separated by false fronts and flattery, but those who will meet Him with the whole heart, nothing held back, even those things we need to bring to His light for our own correction.  This is real discipleship, and it's worked out day to day and minute by minute in a relationship that calls on the depths within us.  Today's reading gives us the fourth day in Jesus' ministry, corresponding to the fourth day of creation in Genesis.  Jesus is revealed to Nathanael and Philip as the true Light, says my study bible; that is, He is the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  It parallels the establishment of the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.

An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

We have begun reading the Gospel of John this week.   First came its theological Prologue, and then we were introduced to John the Baptist, as the Gospel begins to tell of a foundational week in Jesus' ministry.  Yesterday, we read about its second and third days, in which John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."   And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and he remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"   He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where he was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"   Jesus and His first disciples are Galileans, and this is where His ministry will begin.  Nathanael disparages Nazareth as a place from where someone of such significance could come; this is not the place from which the Messiah was to originate, nor figured in any prophecy.  But Jesus sees right into Nathanael.  To have no deceit, says my study bible, means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  That, indeed, is plainspoken Nathanael.  And what impresses Nathanael, who speaks directly what is in his heart, is that Jesus knows what is in his heart.  My study bible cites Chrysostom as saying that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in His search for the Messiah.  The text also indicates that Christ was aware of Nathanael before Philip called him, another clear indication that He is the "heart-knower." 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  The title Son of Man is one from the Old Testament.  My study bible tells us that it had a level of mystery in its meaning, as it indicated a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (see Daniel 7:13).  In the Old Testament, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth to heaven, and upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  This was a prophecy given to Jacob, of which Jesus is fulfillment.  He is the "ladder" who unites earth to heaven, and therefore He is the Son of Man.   This is the fourth day given in John's Gospel.  Paralleling the fourth Day of Creation, in which God established the greater and lesser lights governing day and night, Jesus reveals Himself to be the "greater light" as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

When Jesus claims that Nathanael is "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit," he's not merely speaking of something good in the national character of Israel.  He's getting down to the heart of what the name Israel means and conveys.  It was Jacob, whose memory Jesus suggests to Nathanael in the reference to the ladder, who was renamed "Israel" (Genesis 35:10).  It was Jacob who "struggled with God" in wrestling for a blessing (Genesis 32:22-31).  And this is an aspect of the word "Israel," meaning to struggle, contend, or prevail (with God).   Nathanael is one pure in heart, in the sense that there is no deceit, as Christ says.  Ironically, and importantly, this is in some contrast with the character of Jacob before his blessing and his name-change to Israel.  But Nathanael speaks his mind, he struggles with his faith, he contends and does not simply interpret prophecy in ways that would be convenient.  He asks questions, and he "comes and sees" for himself.  Of course none of this would be meaningful without the relationship to Christ.  It is Christ who recognizes the heart of Nathanael.  And Nathanael's full-hearted response to Christ also indicates something about him.  The character of Nathanael (who is also called Bartholomew) is not "lukewarm" (see Revelation 3:16).  He is not someone to take deep issues lightly, but with the seriousness they merit, and the struggle in the heart that entails.   He's not going to put his trust in something or someone without the struggle of discernment.  Ultimately, as with the example of Jacob, everything comes in the struggle for faith.  It will take faith for Nathanael to realize the promise in Jesus' description of Himself as the ladder in the vision given to Jacob.  It will take the struggle and journey of faith for Nathanael to come to more fully realize what "good" can come out of Nazareth.  Like Jacob, it will be in the long struggle for faith that the promise of the descendant of David of Bethlehem will be revealed.  Nathanael or Bartholomew himself will end his earthly struggle as disciple in martyrdom for Christ.  None of this can be truly realized in Nathanael's declaration of Christ as Son of God and King of Israel in this first meeting.  But the promise is there, and as with Jacob, it is in the long struggle of faith that grace fulfills what is promised to us.  It is grace that makes us who we might become.

How do You know me?

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

 Yesterday, we read that the next day after John the Baptist's testimony to the representatives of the Pharisees, he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

  The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  My study bible notes here that Philip immediately obeys, perhaps because he already knows about Jesus or beholds the divine presence in Him.  We read in the previous reading that John the Baptist guided his disciples to Jesus, so perhaps we can infer that several of the men in these early readings chosen as Jesus' disciples began as disciples of the Baptist.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"   Again, we have a sense in the reading that we must consider how we perceive, how we choose.  Philip immediately followed, recognizing something about Christ.  And here Nathanael (who is also known to us as Bartholomew) first questions Jesus' background.  My study bible says that Jesus' remark about Nathanael, "in whom is no deceit," implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ.  Nathanael's remark about Nazareth tells us something about him, and to my mind is linked to his straightforward, if blunt, honesty.  He says what's on his mind, he reveals himself, a positive quality in Jesus' praise.  He doesn't just follow because others are praising someone.  He must "come and see" for himself.

 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"   Again, there's a hint here about recognition, a question implied about how we know someone, how we can perceive.  Jesus, who is also called the "heart-knower," recognized Nathanael before meeting him, even before Philip called him.  It is this understanding of Jesus' foreknowledge that stirs Nathanael to confession in encounter. 

 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  About the term Son of Man, my study bible has a lengthy note:  "In ancient Jewish thought, the Son of Man is a mysterious being of heavenly origin, who is to usher in the Kingdom of God (see Dan. 7:13, 14).  Jesus is this One . . . in Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (see Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus -- the Son of Man -- is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God, the final and fullest revelation of God.  In His Incarnation, God and man are united.  In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated.  His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven.  Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven.  And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God.  In Christ, heaven and earth are joined."

Today's reading invites us to think about questions of perception.  What does it mean that Jesus knew Nathanael while he sat under the fig tree, before Philip called him?  How does John the Baptist understand about Jesus in the first place -- where did his knowledge come from about the anointing of the Spirit, how does he perceive this?  How does Philip know to follow Jesus?  There are implications here about perception that go way beyond our normal methods of understanding something, or of understanding someone.  As we have observed from the earlier readings so far in chapter 1, John's Gospel will invite us to consider the life of the Spirit, and how we are connected to a mystical perception of the work of the Spirit.  As the note in my study bible indicates, Jesus, as the link between heaven and earth, invites us into this place where we are capable, through the gift of the Spirit and this grace that links heaven and earth in Christ, of perceiving the things of God -- just as Philip and Nathanael come to know and understand Jesus.  The beginnings of ministry in Jesus' public life are already bearing fruit that begins to tell us about perception, and implies questions about how we come to know or understand something or someone -- how we perceive the truth about that which we put our faith into.  In this respect, Nathanael's question about Nazareth tells us something:  Jesus responds to him by saying that he is an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.  A true heart, without deceit, is the first requirement for real perception and understanding.  This is a key to our lives and to ourselves.  Nathanael will not flatter Jesus because others are praising Him, and he must "come and see," at Philip's invitation, for himself.  But Nathanael's change of mind, his immediate grasp of who Jesus is, also instructs us.  We mustn't be afraid to change our minds, to come to perception, to understanding, even if it throws off our previous cultural understanding about anything, such as the then-popular understanding about Nazareth as a place of no significance.  The truth will take us where the truth will take us, but we must be capable of receiving it.  And so, we are given a taste of grace, a beginning, of what the disciples will go through as they come to know Jesus through discipleship, by living with Him and being with Him.  That's also a teaching about our faith.  How do we come to know Him?  Faith isn't just intellectual knowledge, it isn't just an assent to a code or value system or way of life.  As Son of Man, Jesus intersects heaven and earth, He is "the way, the truth and the life," as John's Gospel will reveal to us.  Therefore our encounter with Him also breaks all boundaries of what we commonly understand of perception, He is the heart-knower and He comes to our hearts where we are capable of forming relationship in encounter.   Faith, and trust, and love are bound up with one another to form the ladder that links us in places we don't know we have, to help us with our own discipleship, to come to know Christ and His love for us.  It is this mystical presence, this reality, that John's Gospel tells us about, so that we, too, may receive of the fullness of His grace and truth. 

An Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereinafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

So far in John's Gospel, after the Prologue, we've been given the events of three successive days.  The first day John the Baptist witnessed about his own ministry in expectation of the One to come to members of the leadership, on the second day the Baptist gives us his witness to Jesus, and in yesterday's reading we were told what happened on a third day:  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).


The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  On this fourth day, Jesus decides He wishes to go to Galilee, where we know He will spend the majority of His ministry.  Philip is another follower of John the Baptist, as were the disciples in yesterday's reading.  "Follow Me" is the call to discipleship.  My study bible says that "Philip immediately obeys, perhaps because he already knows about Jesus, or beholds the divine presence in Him."

 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." What we notice about these first few who are called is that first of all they were disciples of John the Baptist to begin with.  But perhaps even more strikingly they all are connected in some way.  They're Galileans.  Two of them are brothers.  As Jesus calls one, that one brings another.  Throughout the Gospels we get many more hints of relatedness and acquaintance before becoming disciples; it tells us something about the ways in which spiritual life works, its "connectedness" (in events, places and people) as part of its inherent quality.  The spiritual life shapes and forms connections of its own, building on whatever is at hand.  Nathanael will also be known in future as Bartholomew.

And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  We can read this statement in many ways.  Perhaps it's most likely that Nathanael is referring to prophecy.  What is expected of Nazareth?  It certainly reflects a popular kind of understanding, where expectation is focused elsewhere. 

Philip said to him, "Come and see."  "Come and see" is an echo from yesterday's reading.  They are the words Jesus used when the first disciples asked where He was staying.  "Come and see" is an invitation to real discipleship; to live and dwell with the Teacher, to find by experience for oneself.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study bible says that "no deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ."  And we also have to remark on the quality of straightforwardness.  Nathanael obviously says what he thinks!  Jesus' greatest criticism will come to hypocrites, who outwardly appear moral but aren't honest about their inner life, or what is done in hidden ways.  Those hypocrites care more for the praise of men than the praise of God.  Nathanael, the one who wondered if anything good could come from Nazareth, is "an Israelite indeed" -- not because of where he may come from, but because in him there is no deceit. His faith will be sure, because it will come of experience.

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   Nathanael has been invited to "come and see."  And so, he has experienced Jesus and His "sight" for himself.  My study bible says, "Jesus' foreknowledge stirs Nathanael to a joyous confession of faith."

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereinafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  There's a long note here:  "In ancient Jewish thought, the Son of Man is a mysterious being of heavenly origin who is to usher in the Kingdom of God (see Daniel 7:13-14).  Jesus is this One.  In Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (see Gen. 28:12-15).  Jesus -- the Son of Man -- is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God, the final and fullest revelation of God.  In His Incarnation, God and man are united.  In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the Kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated.  His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven.  Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and exultation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven.  And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God.  In Christ, heaven and earth are joined."

Let's consider again the quality of character in Nathanael, and also Jesus' words about him:  "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit."  These words can even be meant ironically, although with great humor, and truly complementary.  Nathanael speaks his mind, and he has to "come and see" for himself.  I think the "come and see" quality is what's important to focus on.  Nathanael doesn't just go along to curry favor.  He says what he thinks.  He needs to come and see, just as Jesus invited the disciples in yesterday's reading to "come and see" where He was staying.  Discipleship takes experience, experience of faith and of God's love.  It comes of a heart that is transformed in that place, transfigured, where the events of our lives go into the hands of the One who can show us how to look at life, how to serve, how to grow.  All of that takes a heart that's willing to be open and true, and implies the reality of finding out for oneself, truly "coming and seeing."  In the Old Testament, Jacob - whose "ladder" is indirectly referenced by Jesus, as my study bible notes, in His phrase about angels ascending and descending - wrestled all night long for his blessing.  Jacob was then called "Israel."  In light of Nathanael's question about Nazareth, we can read Jesus' humor, good cheer, and love - as this "struggle" makes him "an Israelite indeed."  This encounter and engagement, this struggle with God, is an important aspect of faith.  Engagement, experience is a key to a heart that is pure and capable of recognition; it also implies a basic trust and faith in truth.  Let us consider the heart that desires to "come and see" -- one in which there is no deceit.