Come and see

 

 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 second and third day given in the Gospel of St. John.  On this day 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 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 comments here that no deceit means both having a pure heart and 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!"  It is not given to us what exactly happened under the fig tree (just as Christ's introduction to Philip is not detailed either).  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible reports, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and Jesus here is praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in is search for the Messiah.  (See also Psalm 32:2, for this phrase of praise.)  Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart stir him to this confession of faith.  

 

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."  My study Bible explains that the title Son of Man is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, indicating a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, Jacob saw in a dream a ladder connecting earth to heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is this "ladder" uniting earth and heaven, and is therefore this Son of Man.  In today's reading, we are given the fourth day of Christ's public ministry.  Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael, who see Christ as the true Light; the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  According to my study Bible, this is a parallel to the fourth day of creation, in which was established the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively in Genesis 1:14-19.  

 

Jesus says of Nathanael, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  As we begun reading St. John's Gospel on Monday, from its beginning (the Prologue, or the first 18 verses; see Monday's reading and commentary) we have remarked upon the power of identity that is present as a theme in this Gospel.  Important, and essential, is not just Jesus' identity as Christ, both fully human and fully divine, but also the understanding necessary to our faith that Jesus has come Incarnate into the world in order to restore us to our true identity, our true humanity -- for, as St. Gregory Nazianzus teaches, what His divinity touches is healed, restored.  And this, in a nutshell, is the key to salvation.  It, in fact, is our salvation.  For even death, the last enemy, was trampled by Christ's death, crucified on the Cross for us so that we might be with Him (John 17:24).  Key to Christ's identity as Son of Man, and also to our identity -- which is only true found in Him and through Him -- is that He is the "knower of hearts" (John 2:23-25; Acts 1:24).  For, as Creator, who has made us in God's image and likeness, He has come to restore our true nature to us, lost through what is termed the "fallenness" of our world; that is, the effects of sin in our world and the struggles we therefore inherit and are born into.  But through the Incarnation, He brings His divinity to our humanity to restore us, to "save" us.  And this is what He sees in Nathanael.  When we hear Nathanael ask, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" it may sound like an off-hand insult to us, but in reality Nathanael knows that the Christ was not prophesied to come from Nazareth, or even the region of Galilee, and this is what his question is given in reference to.  But Nathanael is also one not to be pulled into something without discerning what it's all about first; he's what we might call a "straight shooter."  That is, one who's mouth speaks from the heart.  And this is a kind of purity that Jesus admires, calling Nathanael "an Israelite indeed."  Interestingly, Philip responds with just the words that will appeal to a straight shooter who needs to see for himself, "Come and see."  (Also intriguing is that these are Christ's words to Andrew, Simon, and the unnamed disciple from yesterday's reading, when He's asked by them where He's staying, "Come and see.")  Coincidentally, today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, in which Jesus plainly showed to His disciples who He truly is, His divine identity in all His glory.  In this perhaps we can all understand that every one of us is invited to "come and see," to find the life in Christ for ourselves, to be touched by His grace and healed, even as these disciples will grow into greater faith and dependence upon Christ throughout the rest of their lives.  For the Lord has come to dwell with us (and within us), so that we may learn to depend upon Him and grow into the grace that grows in us, weaning away what does not serve God's purposes and building in us that true image and likeness He has come to lead us into through participation in His life.  Let us also "come and see" for ourselves.

 

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 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 to 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, on the second day of Christ's earthly ministry in St. 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 [the third day given in the Gospel], John the Baptist 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, 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."  In yesterday's reading, we read about the calling of the first disciples, Simon (whom Jesus named Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning A Stone; Petros/Πετρος in the Greek, from which we derive the English name Peter); and then Andrew Simon Peter's brother.  There was another disciple led to Jesus by John the Baptist who was unnamed, and that is often surmised to be St. John, the author of this Gospel (as it was a custom for authors not to speak of themselves).  Here, Jesus calls Philip ("Follow Me") to become His disciple, and Philip found Nathanael.  Nathanael is also known to us as Bartholomew.  

 

  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  My study Bible comments 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 points out that what exactly occurred under the fig tree is not stated.  According to St. John Chrysostom, it notes, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in his seeking of the Messiah.  Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart stir this confession of faith.  This is the fourth day given in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael.  My study Bible comments that they now see Christ as the true Light; the One revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  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.

 

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."  This title, Son of Man, is a title of the Messiah that, according to my study Bible, had a level of mystery in its meaning.  It indicated a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, 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).  Jesus is the "ladder" who unites earth to heaven, and therefore is this Son of Man.  

 

 In yesterday's reading and commentary we remarked on the building up of Christ's body of disciples, and of His Church.  This is not something that happens overnight, or in some seemingly miraculous or instantaneous way.  In keeping with the reality of Christ's Incarnation, Jesus builds His Church as human beings must build organizations and communities.  These first disciples, in fact, come one by one, and not as an entire group.  They are first called in a way that is distinctly personal.  That is, Christ's first disciples come by way of John the Baptist, and they were first disciples of the Baptist.  In yesterday's reading (see above), this is made clear as John twice refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God and testifies to his disciples about Him.  John the Baptist explicitly directs two of his disciples to Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God!" making it clear that He is the Christ.  These first two were Andrew and an unnamed disciple, often understood to be the Evangelist John himself.  From there Andrew found his brother Simon, whom we know as Peter after the name given him by Christ.  Following this (the next day) Jesus Himself found Philip, and called him, saying "Follow Me."  At this juncture, let us note the connections that happen one by one in this story.  There is John the Baptist, who teaches his own disciples about Jesus as the Lamb of God; one of these is Simon Peter.  Simon then finds his brother, Andrew.  From there Jesus finds Philip who has another kind of connection to this first set of brothers; he's from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Simon.  Then Philip himself finds Nathanael and calls him to meet Jesus, saying, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  All of these so far are individual actions, pulling people together one by one.  They are personal in nature.  There are connections between these people besides their discipleship to John the Baptist:  two are brothers, another is from the same town as the brothers, and clearly Nathanael is a friend already known to Philip.  Then there is a kind of an interesting snag:  Nathanael is skeptical.  What good thing can come out of Nazareth?  Nazareth, the town in Galilee in which Jesus was brought up, was not known for any prophecies regarding holy people, or having a particularly special identity in terms of the spiritual history of Israel.  So Nathanael asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"   And Philip responds in an equally level-headed and down to earth way, "Come and see."  He's to find out for himself.  And, of course, Christ responds in a phenomenally positive way to all of this level-headed skepticism:  "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  All of this so far contains within it the most distinctively human elements we can find, of a sort of level-headed honesty we might even call "dull" in others, and a Messiah who praises that very quality for it possesses "no deceit."  There's no flight of fancy or fantasy for Nathanael.  We really cannot get less like the seeming mysterious or miraculous than such a story of gathering these particular people together.  This beginning of Jesus' ministry is as down to earth as it can get.  But then Nathanael immediately comprehends something about Jesus, that Jesus knows him, knows his heart.  Jesus tells him that He saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him, and Nathanael is convinced:  "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."  But Jesus assures him, He will see much, much greater things than this.  He tells 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."  This is a far more profound understanding of the Messiah than even the popular expectations of the Jewish people at the time, far greater than a King of Israel.  But Nathanael is rewarded for precisely his down to earth honesty, his complete lack of pretense.  It's a humbly human story, with disciples called one by one, not a mass of people convinced by something miraculous and stupendous in its effect, and a story that is built through a very personal faith which acts in the heart, a knowing of the soul, a recognition.  All of these very human elements in this story are a necessary part of the Incarnation, God's chosen way to make Himself know to His people.  And yet, hidden in plain sight, so to speak, is the very Ladder dreamt of by Joseph, upon whom the angels of God ascend and descend.  Jesus does not come into the world with great fanfare, with huge displays of power, with an overwhelming compulsion for people to follow Him or to do what He says.  He comes out of Nazareth relatively "unknown," but identified by the Holy Spirit to John the Baptist -- and from there, in this intimate personal way, his followers grow one by one, as called by Him, and led by the Baptist who prepared the way.  For this is our very human story, which contains the Creator, the Son of Man and Lord of all that is, Whom we also may carry with us in our human hearts (Revelation 3:20).

 

 

 

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to 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 to 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 of the beginning of Christ's ministry, 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 to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  No deceit, my study Bible explains, means both having a pure heart and 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 comments that what exactly occurred under the fig tree is not stated.  It says that St. John Chrysostom teaches 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 which stir him to this confession of faith.  

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."  Here Jesus uses the title Son of Man.  It is a title for the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, my study Bible says.  It indicates a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God and is found in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth and heaven, upon which he saw the angels of God ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  This "ladder" is Jesus, who unites earth to heaven, and is therefore the Son of Man. 

Today's reading gives us the fourth day of seven in the beginning of Christ's ministry.  Each one parallels the corresponding day of creation in Genesis.  Philip and Nathanael (who, by the way, is also known to us as Bartholomew) are called as disciples, and they see Christ as the true Light, the One revealed who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  This parallels the creation of the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.   As we remarked in yesterday's reading, Jesus once again in today's passage shows his insight into people.  In John's second chapter, we will read that Jesus "knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).  Nathanael's startled and amazed reaction shows that He has understood this about Jesus.  And so, in today's reading in which we get a second collecting of disciples to Jesus, we are once again given a display of Christ's divine insight.  John's Gospel begins by speaking of the Logos, the Word.  That is, Christ in His divine identity.  In the readings from today and yesterday' we're given examples of a divine insight belonging to the Word, and how it reveals itself in glimpses in Jesus and this beginning of His ministry, in the calling of these first disciples.  It is striking, in this light, to consider also Christ's words which He will say later of His betrayer, Judas.  Perhaps it is no accident that these words also are found in John's Gospel:  "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70).  We don't  really know if Jesus knew this about Judas from the beginning, but we might conjecture that such a one is chosen because Christ's ministry is for the purpose of salvation, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).  Jesus will also say, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Luke 5:32).  At any rate, we can observe that right until the very end, Jesus will continue to attempt to save Judas.  For now, let us observe the glimpses we get of Jesus' divinity, revealed through His ministry.  As John has told us, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend.  Nonetheless, His light is in the world and remains to guide our steps.  

 

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 to 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 the story of the second and third days given in this beginning of John's Gospel (paralleling the week of the creation story in Genesis 1):   On the second day, 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 (the third 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 to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study Bible comments that no deceit means both having a pure heart and 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 points out that what exactly happened under the fig tree is not stated here.  According to St. John Chrysostom, it says, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael referred to in the previous verses (above), and Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in his search for the Messiah.  It adds that Christ's foreknowledge and ability to see into his heart stirs Nathanael to his confession of faith here.

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."  This title, Son of Man, is a title of the Messiah that my study Bible comments had a level of mystery in its meaning.  It indicates a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God.  It is used by the prophet Daniel in his apocalyptic (revelatory) Book at Daniel 7:13-14.  It is also found in the influential Book of Enoch (see 1 Enoch 46:1-4).  In another significant prophesy of the Old Testament, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected heaven to earth, upon which the angels of God were both ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is that "ladder" in which earth and heaven are united, and therefore He is this Son of Man.  

 

This fourth day given in John's Gospel, in which Philip and Nathanael are called by Christ, parallels the establishment of the greater and lesser lights which govern night and day on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.  As my study Bible puts it, Philip and Nathanael now see Christ as the true Light,  the One who was revealed in the Old Testament which is a lesser light.  Light is an essential component of John's Gospel, and indeed of the whole of Jesus' teaching, for He uses this term and metaphor often throughout His preaching in the Gospels.  In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches His disciples that they, too, must bear light into the world.  Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).  As we are taught to reflect God's glory ("Let your light so shine before men"), so we also become "lesser lights" through this reflection and our built-in capacity to take on the qualities of God through grace.  It is clear in this teaching that we were created for such.  So often, people claim not to be capable of change, but this is the opposite of the teachings of Christ (and of the whole Bible) which give us a clear process of both repentance and spiritual growth.  In this is magnified the understanding that Christ is the ladder between heaven and earth which renders us capable of following this path He laid out for us.  For He came into the world to "save" through redemption and healing; it is His light in which we are healed by taking on its qualities, and shedding those things in us which conflict with the light.  He illumines our dark places, and asks us to take on those qualities of the light instead that shift and change who we think we are.  In this way, we become more "like God" in whose image and likeness we are created (Genesis 1:26-27), and through the power and grace of Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, and the Holy Spirit.  For this is how we are seen to be healed, to become more like this image of Christ implanted in us through another light, Baptism, also called Holy Illumination.  Let us endeavor through the constant process of prayerful living, worship, and seeking (Matthew 7:7) to find Christ's path of redemption and healing for us, in His light.  Let us not forget that this is the very mission for which He has come, as Son of Man, into the world.  It is Christ whose light penetrates to the heart of Nathanael, who sees Nathanael under the fig tree, and knows him -- recognizing one in whom there is no deceit, an Israelite indeed, capable of receiving His light and accepting it as a disciple. 

 

 

Come and see

 

 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 the passage on the third day given in John's Gospel:  John the Baptist 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 comments that no deceit means both having a pure heart, and also being straightforward with others.  We can read for ourselves the very straightforward nature of Nathanael, and also a kind of scrutiny or questioning that is not frowned upon, but praised here.  Nathanael's question is often understood in the context of prophecy, as meaning that no prophecy suggests the Messiah would come from Nazareth.  But he is unaware that Christ was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.  

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 observes that what exactly occurred under the fig tree is not stated here.  It notes that St. John Chrysostom teaches that this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanel, 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 his confession of faith.  

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 explains that the title Son of Man for the Messiah is one 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).  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 this "ladder" who unites earth to heaven, and is therefore this Son of Man.   This is the fourth day given of seven in John's Gospel of this beginning of Jesus' public ministry.   Philip and Nathanael are called, and they "come and see" Christ as the true Light, the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  My study Bible comments that this parallels the establishment of the greater and lesser lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19. 

I am intrigued by the repeated words in today's reading, "Come and see."  These are the words from yesterday's reading that Jesus replied when Andrew and the unnamed disciple (thought to be John the author of the Gospel) asked, "Rabbi, where are You staying?"  Today we find that Philip says the same thing to Nathanael, after Nathanael asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip tells Nathanael to come and see for himself.  On the one hand, we can find it highly instructive that Philip (whom we're told was found by Jesus, because Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and Philip was from the town of Bethsaida of Galilee) repeats the same words which Jesus said to those first disciples who were instructed by John the Baptist that Jesus was the Lamb of God (see yesterday's reading, above).  It is perhaps reading much into the text, but it is instructive that these first-called disciples are already repeating the words of Christ.  It teaches us how discipleship works, and gives us a model to go by.  Christ actions and words -- as transmitted to those who are invited to live with Him in order to learn from Him -- remain those which have been in turn transmitted to us.  For this is how Christ taught, by inviting those who would be His disciples to truly "come and see," and share His life in all ways.  So we must learn in the same way, being careful to know His words and methods and live in imitation of them, thus transmitting the faith to our present generation and our world, intact as it has been given to us.  Secondly, it tells us so much about how to experience our faith, and how it was given to these first disciples.  We each have to "come and see."  Not only is this fitting for Nathanael, whom Jesus has praised for his straightforward manner and diligence, but it seems to be fitting overall for Christ's very ministry and mission into the world.  Jesus did not appear in the sky and preach to the world from a detached place.  Nothing was revealed through declaration that all were then commanded to believe.  Instead, the Son of Man became one of us, lived among us, creating His public ministry at the end of His life -- and even then, the revelation of who He is and what He teaches comes as a learning curve for all those who are told to "come and see."  It is an experiential faith, a learning curve of coming and seeing for ourselves, just as these disciples must "come and see" for themselves.  God unfolds this great ministry of Christ in a particular way, and through the personal but for each of us, for all of us.  Christ manifests Himself in time, as a human being, so that we human beings may "come and see" and walk this path that unfolds for us through experience which touches each one and yet unites us into community through one cup:  His Passion, death, and Resurrection in which we are invited to participate in the Eucharist He gives us.  It reminds us of the words of the Psalm, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).  These are great, enormous mysteries that continue to be mined and pursued even all these centuries and believers that have come afterward, and yet they still unfold in ways that ask us to "come and see" -- not simply assent to a declaration or intellectual choice for belief.  In a blog post today, Fr. Stephen Freeman writes that Christ's Cross is the same one for all of us, in which we share, and are each invited to take up.  Let us understand that this is what we are all invited to "come and see" in the living experience of our faith, in His way for us.  

 

 

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 the Ladder of Divine Ascent, 12th century.  St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

 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, "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 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given the third day of Jesus' ministry in John's Gospel:  John the Baptist 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 there is no deceit!"  Jesus has already taken on three disciples:  one, unnamed, and considered by many to be John the Evangelist, author of this Gospel; and also Andrew and his brother Peter.  All were first disciples of John the Baptist, who introduced them to Jesus as the Lamb of God (see yesterday's reading, above).   The text tells us that Andrew and Peter were from Bethsaida, in Galilee.  Jesus was also raised in Galilee, in the town of Nazareth, although born in Bethlehem in Judea.  We aren't told how exactly, but Jesus found Philip first and called him to discipleship, saying, "Follow Me."  Then Philip found Nathanael, who is also known to us as Bartholomew.  Nathanael's question most likely comes as the town of Nazareth was not known in prophecy as one which would produce any great prophet or holy man, and certainly not the Messiah.  My study bible says that no deceit means both having a pure heart and 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, "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 comments that what exactly occurred under the fig tree isn't stated here.  According to St. John Chrysostom, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael (see earlier verses in today's reading, above) -- and Jesus was praising Nathanael for being diligent and careful in his search for the Messiah.  It says that Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart stir Nathanael into his confession of faith that Jesus is the Son of God and King of Israel.  On this fourth day given in John's Gospel, Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael, my study bible explains, who see Christ as the true Light, the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  This parallels the establishment of the lesser and greater lights which governed the night and day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.

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."   Here Jesus uses the title Son of Man for Himself.  My study bible says that this is a title of the Messiah, but one that had a level of mystery in its meaning.  It indicates a person of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  Jesus' words give us an image of an Old Testament prophecy, in which Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus effectively declares Himself to be this "ladder," who unites earth to heaven, and is therefore the Son of Man.

A famous saint of the Orthodox Church is called St. John Climacus (579-649).  "Climacus" essentially means "of the Ladder," and what he is known for is a system of ascetics in which one is given to understand that this Ladder which is Christ is also a model of ascent, in which a human being may become more "like Christ" in developing virtues and conquering selfish passions.  One Sunday in Lent is dedicated to his memory in the Orthodox Church.  His most famous work on ascetical life, read by monastics as well as lay people, is called The Ladder of Divine Ascent.   It is significant that Jesus refers to Himself as this Ladder in today's reading, in that the developments within the Church that would follow in later centuries broaden out and reveal more of what it means that Christ Himself is our Ladder.  Essentially, it is one way in which we might understand the continual unfolding of Jesus as fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets as our guidepost for a lifetime of faith in which we do not remain stagnant, but proceed to be healed and shaped in the light and life of Christ.  And so, we begin today with Christ prophecy for Nathanael, that if he were already impressed with what he'd seen, he would presently "see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  Just as in keeping with St. John Climacus' understanding of Christ as the Ladder of ascent for each one of us believers, as human beings who seek to live the life in Christ that He offers, so the title Son of Man conveys the idea of the Incarnation that encapsulates the very purpose of Christ as Messiah, sometimes called the "God-Man."  St. Athanasius (c. 296 – 2 May 373), among others, has taught that whatever was not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  Therefore, Christ became Son of Man, fully human and fully divine, so that all that we are as human beings might also be healed through His full participation in humanity.  Our participation in His life through the mystical power of grace and faith in turn heal us.   This is how we are to understand that Christ is the Ladder for us.  Nathanael proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God and King of Israel because he perceives that Jesus has peered into his soul, just as we read in yesterday's reading that Jesus declared Simon to be Peter or Cephas, A Stone, the foundation of the Church.  Nathanael is declared to have no deceit, quite possibly in direct relation to Nathanael's question, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Nathanael, through possibly plain-speaking and an unwillingness to flatter, coupled with a direct honesty, has revealed about himself that he seeks to cheat no one.  In American popular culture, there is an old saying:  "You can't cheat an honest man."  It implies that there has be at least a little deceit at work in someone who falls for a sales pitch that is too good to be true, a person who thinks they can get something for nothing.  Well, Nathanael shows himself to be this kind of honest man; he's not going to follow just anyone who tells him about a great find.  He's got to "come and see" for himself.  It is when Nathanael realizes that Christ already fully knows him that he declares Christ to be Son of God and King of Israel.  But Jesus will take him much further in that understanding, offering him the great revelation that He is Son of Man, and Ladder, coming into the world so that we all might be healed through His life.  We all would do well to take on the attitude of Nathanael with respect to his lack of all deceit, for it is an honest heart, without pretense or guile, that has met the conditions for faith in Christ, and to be led along on this Ladder, who will be able to see heaven open, and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.  That is something to contemplate in a world beset by image and popular media, in which we so often fail to truly peer at ourselves.  We need Christ as our mirror, guidepost, and ladder to do that, so that we might be healed without deceit of others, or our own, getting in the way.

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."

Lazarus, come forth!

Sinai, Egypt - St. Katherine's Monastery, 12th century

 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

- John 11:30-44

Yesterday we read that, having been called to Bethany where Lazarus was dying, when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  

 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."   Many have come from Jerusalem to Bethany to mourn with the sisters of Lazarus.  This reference to the Jews is no doubt meant to indicate those who have come to mourn who are members of the Council or in some way connected with the ruling parties.  It gives us a sense of the importance and standing of the family of Lazarus.  My study bible points out to us here that Mary greets Jesus with precisely the same words which her sister Martha did (see yesterday's reading, above).  But while Jesus engaged Martha with words, here He engages Mary with deeds -- the raising of her brother Lazarus from the dead.

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  John's Gospel gives us the fully human aspects of Jesus, in that He both groaned in spirit and wept in response to the mourning and sadness of this occasion.   He is as subject to grief as any other human being, and His sympathy is clearly marked, as His response is to the weeping of Mary and the mourners.  My study bible tells us that weeping is the natural response to the tragedy of death.

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Although Martha's faith had increased, my study bible says, she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power (see also yesterday's reading, above, and Jesus' interaction with her).  The spices and oils which were used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition at bay for a short time.  In icons of the raising of Lazarus there are frequently depicted bystanders covering their noses.  This illustrates both the reality of Lazarus' corrupted flesh and also the fact that many did not believe Christ could raise the dead.  See in the icon above those closest to the tomb, who hold their covered hands to their faces to avoid the stench.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Jesus prays aloud, demonstrating to all that His divine will is one with the Father's, and also that His human will was freely subject in all ways to God the Father's.  He prays aloud because of the people, so that they may believe that He is sent by the Father.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  Here, Jesus' calling forth of Lazarus is not said in the name of the Father, but rather the command is given by His own authority.  It gives us to understand that although He is sent by the Father, He possesses divine authority within Himself.

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."   A frequent patristic commentary on the fact that Lazarus comes out bound in his graveclothes is that it is an indication that he will need them again.  Lazarus' resurrection continues an earthly life which will once again end in death.   We contrast this with the fact that Christ's graveclothes will be left in the tomb (20:5-7).  My study bible comments that unlike Lazarus' resurrection, Christ's transfigures human nature -- He will never die again.  It adds that this sign not only prepared the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection, but also "confirmed the universal resurrection" (quoting and Orthodox hymn), proving that Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise (Ezekiel 37:1-13). 

Jesus performs this seventh and final sign in John's Gospel with all witnesses present.  There are His disciples here, His friends Mary and Martha, and those who've come from Jerusalem to mourn with these sisters, many of whom are clearly among the ruling classes, the leadership.  We must juxtapose this with the remembrance that many members of the Council have already sought to put Jesus to death by stoning, and are convinced that His statements of equality with the Father are simply blasphemy, punishable by death.  These witnesses from Jerusalem will therefore be able to testify to what they have seen.  This seventh and final sign will thus become a great test for the religious leaders of the people:  which way will they decide for Jesus?  We know the outcome and the answer, but it's important that we think of it as a sequence of events that tells us a story for ourselves, and not just about history.   It is a testament to the fact that even as Christ's power works for the good, it will always be a challenge for those whose particular point of view is opposed for whatever reason, be it personal and selfish or an ideological conviction or any other form of resistance to God's ultimate authority.  Every new act of Christ, every holy gift to the world, in fact, becomes a challenge.  It asks us a question:  which way will we go in response, for or against?  Can we accept or do we continue to reject?  The nature of life will be in our own lives to continually be asked such a question, regardless of the events we encounter which contain such a proposition for belief and acceptance.  It sounds quite simple, but often our own answers may be tough to discern.  There will always be so much to persuade us "against God," even if nominally meant in the name of God.  Such is illustrated by the positions the ruling Council will take up.  And so we continue to be caught in this world between the rock and the hard place of making such decisions for ourselves.  Selfishness and self-centeredness can be mighty tricky things to discern, and it may take us far away from those whom we love to discern the difference, even those whom we wish to please.  This is illustrated perfectly in the story of Jesus, in His mission for salvation.  It is why detachment would become so important for the early monastic movements and martyrs of the early Church, so often acting against the interests of their class, families, profession in choosing their love of God, despite their love and honor and desire to do good to all.  There is one thing needful, that good part that in the end we must decide to choose.  Even such a stupendous sign as this one will not be enough to make that an easy decision for those who will follow Christ, and so we should not always expect our own choices for faith to be easy and simple.  Let us remember Jesus' love as expressed through today's reading.  His is the life that is continually making all things new, even as we may choose to leave our pasts behind in following where He leads.  He calls us all to "come forth!"