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.

 

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 third day of Christ's ministry 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 Jon 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 having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  Nathanael is also known to us as Bartholomew.  While Jesus is said to be from Nazareth, where He was raised, Nathanael does not know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, thus fulfilling prophecy regarding the Messiah.

 

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 precisely happened under the fig tree is not something given to us in the Gospel.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that it 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.  Nathanael is in turn stirred to a confession of faith by Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into his heart. 

 

 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 that 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 a ladder that connected earth and heaven, and upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is that Ladder who unites earth and heaven, and therefore He is the Son of Man.  

Today's reading gives us the fourth day described by John in his Gospel of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.  It parallels the fourth day of the creation story in Genesis, in which the greater and lesser lights were established by God, governing the night and the day in Genesis 1:14-19.  Here Philip and Nathanael are called by Christ the true Light, who was revealed in the Old Testament, which is a lesser light.  Jesus, as the Son of Man, is that Light that comes into the world, and is from the heavenly origin described by my study Bible.  As the Ladder between heaven and earth, the fulfillment of the prophecy in Jacob's dream, He is the Light who descends to become one of us.  But while He is the Light, He also shares His light with us, bestowing it upon us and making it possible for us to participate in His light and carry it ourselves (see Matthew 5:14-16).  The angels who ascend and descend upon Jacob's ladder are also the ministers of light who help us to go forward and carry that light within us as well ("Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire" - Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7).  In a certain sense, John's Gospel is the Gospel of light, for this Gospel focuses so much on Christ as the true Light, and all the ways that light figures in our faith.  We should also remember that John's Gospel is the one that teaches us that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5).  The word translated as "comprehend" means both to understand and to take in, to overcome (just as the English word does), and we should remember that this light has come into the world for us.  When we feel overcome by darkness, it is important to understand that the darkness itself, and those who choose simply to be a part of that darkness in the world, will neither understand nor overcome the light we seek.  Our burden and joy is to be bearers of that light in a darkened world, and this has been the mission of the Church and of believers from the beginning.  As disciples of Christ, we're taught to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).  In fact, in this Gospel, Jesus will say the same of Himself, that He is the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, 11:9), and that we need that light to walk in the darkness so that we don't stumble.  In some sense, we might view Christ as praising Nathanael as "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit," for seeking to shine a light, so to speak, upon just who Jesus is, doing his "due diligence," as we might phrase it.  It seems more likely, however, that Jesus is praising Nathanael for his lack of flattery, for being straightforward.  Either way, that lack of guile is linked to one who may both receive Christ's light and shine it and bear it into the world, for truth is related to light.  The ultimate Light is Christ, who sees directly into Nathanael's heart, and who likewise knows each one of us more thoroughly than we know ourselves.  Let us seek to allow the light to shine in our hearts, to penetrate our deepest levels, to find us and show us where we need to be.  To have no guile, no deceit, is to hide nothing from God.  

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.  

 

 

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."

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 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

In yesterday's reading, which comprises the second and third day of the story of Jesus' ministry, we read that 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 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."   John gives us the following day in this beginning of his Gospel, making this the fourth day parallel to the creation week of Genesis.  In today's reading, Philip and Nathanael are called to discipleship, having been previously disciples of John the Baptist.  They see Christ as the true Light, 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 on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.  Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew. 

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!"   Nazareth (and Galilee itself), we will read later on in scathing comments by the Pharisees, was not looked at as being at all distinguished in spiritual terms (see John 7:52).  Here, even Nathanael, who is also a Galilean (from Cana), speaks disparagingly of Nazareth.  But readers of the New Testament understand that Christ, although raised in Nazareth, was born in Bethlehem.  "No deceit," my study bible says, means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  Nathanael is definitely not trying to use flattery or charm for any purpose!

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 notes that what occurred under the fig tree is not precisely stated.  According to St. John Chrysostom, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in His search for the Messiah.  Jesus' foreknowledge and ability to see into the heart of Nathanael 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 the title Son of Man is introduced in this particular Gospel.  It is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, according to my study bible.  It indicated a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God.  This title is originally found in the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14).  In another 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).  By his own words, Jesus teaches us that He is in fact this "ladder" who unites earth to heaven; and therefore He is this Son of Man.

It is important right from "the beginning" (John 1:1, Genesis 1:1) that we understand who Jesus, the Son of Man, truly is.  John has established in the first verses of His Gospel, that Jesus is the Word, the Son, made incarnate as human being.  In yesterday's reading, this truth of His identity -- including His relationship as Son to both Father and Spirit -- was revealed to John the Baptist, who testifies of the vision he was given.  So, right from the start, John's Gospel establishes Christ as creator of the universe, that "all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."  But in the great and overarching poetry of the Gospel, nothing is lost in the facts of the Son of Man.  For even as our Creator, through Whom all things were made, Jesus' story, as Son of Man, is entirely one that is steeped in the humble, in the small and personal and particular.  One by one, His disciples are chosen.  It is approximately His thirtieth year of human life as Jesus, and now is the time He is revealed, only to John the Baptist, as the One upon whom sits the Holy Spirit (see yesterday's reading, above).  As Jesus is the ladder that unites earth to heaven, so the Gospel gives us a portrait of the Son of Man -- God condescending in human form to earth as the man Jesus, and we are given these intimate pictures of Jesus' life and beginning ministry.   When Jesus prepares His disciples for His Crucifixion, He gives us another image of the even tiny, small, intimate thing that manifests a tremendous -- seemingly impossible to quantify -- harvest, and compares Himself and His sacrifice on the Cross to a grain of wheat that falls to earth (John 12:24).    It was this paradox that turned the entire classical world to the mystery of Christ.  That is, the infinite contained in the small, the tiny, the finite -- God in humility descending to be one of us, and to suffer every injustice of the powerless in this world, even as One who never sins, compounding that injustice.  What we find in this tremendous story is the greatness of an entire and infinite universe contained in the personal and the finite.  Even in Nathanael's plainspokenness, we receive the wisdom of the Gospel.  As one of us, the Son of Man unites heaven with earth, making it possible for us to be like Him and with Him.  This remains the story behind the story, which we should never forget, because that story is made just for us -- each one of us, in our most intimate and humble times of our lives.  He is here for each one of us and so commands that we should remember at all times (see this reading).

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.

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, 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, John the Baptist has "recognized" Jesus because of the knowledge he was given; he said, "Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" And he 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." John then introduced some of his disciples to Jesus. They were Andrew, and presumably, John the author of this gospel (who is not named). The Baptist says, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard Jesus speak, and stayed with Him the whole day. Andrew then found his brother, Simon Peter. He 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 observed the role that relationship and relatedness play in this gospel. John the Baptist's disciples are introduced to Jesus through the Baptist, and they in turn bring one another to Jesus. In this case, in today's reading, Philip and Nathanael are also presumed to be disciples of the Baptist. Jesus' call to "Follow Me" is a command -- perhaps, like the other disciples of John so far in the gospel, Philip also recognizes John's pronouncement that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Messiah. But we don't know what it was to behold Jesus in person; we simply can't calculate the impact that He had on people in His public ministry. At this time, we can presume Jesus is quite consciously choosing disciples; hence, His call to Philip: "Follow Me." In yesterday's reading, Jesus pronounced Simon "Cephas" or Peter (from the Greek Petros), meaning Stone. He is the knower-of-hearts, and we can presume that in His divine origin as Logos, the connectedness with the spiritual power that revealed to John the Baptist Jesus' own identity. So, we have relatedness on deeper and deeper circles of spiritual reality. And once again, in this story, one disciple finds another and brings him to Christ. Philip found Nathanael. But Nathanael stands in great contrast to Philip. Philip immediately responded to Jesus' command, "Follow Me," as written in the gospel. But here we have Nathanael, who asks (responding to a sort of popular prejudice), "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael must "Come and see" for himself.

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." Jesus once again acts as the figure of the knower-of-hearts. As Logos, as Creator, as the One in whom is all Wisdom, Reason and Truth, Jesus knows who we are, more deeply than we know ourselves. Jesus' statement is a grand compliment, about the truthfulness and straightforwardness of Nathanael (who will also be known as Bartholomew). It is in some ways parallel to the naming of Simon as "Peter." Nathanael asks "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" responding to popular assumptions -- but he is capable of great faith. My study bible says, "No deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ." So here we have again, a process of mutual recognition: what the Creator knows is something that, in relationship, must also stir the creature. And it is this capacity for faith that seals relationship, all throughout both Old and New Testaments. Faith, often associated with the heart in the language of the Bible, is a kind of perception, for which we bear a responsibility to respond. Nathanael's response to Jesus is an immediate 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 addresses the group -- the "you" is plural. He is in some way assigning them identity, teaching them who they are, who they will become. These are the things to which they will bear witness themselves. My study bible has a lengthy note here, which touches on several elements in this statement: "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 Gen. 28:12-15). Jesus -- the Son of Man - is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God . . . In His Incarnation, God and man are united." So, in this introduction to Jesus in John's gospel, we have the beginning of the fullness of this story. He is Jacob's Ladder, as my study bible points out; He is the Lamb of God who stands in for us, our Intercessor. But also, in the signs which John's gospel will witness for us, as incarnate Son He both bears witness and inaugurates the Kingdom of God on earth. The Cross, my study bible also notes, will be set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaching toward heaven, as Christ bears human nature so that it is raised to heaven. He is our Reconciler -- and in His promise here to these disciples, ultimately, they and all things are promised to be a part of that reconciliation.

In this introduction to John's gospel, this first chapter, we have so many elements of promise in such short and succinct readings. We have so much to think about, it teaches us so much, and there is so much more to read and to think about. One thing is certain, and that is the interrelatedness of all beings in Christ. No matter what level of perception we may have, Christ calls to us, He calls to the heart. He knows us there, He recognizes us, and we bear a capability through grace to recognize Him. But there is a part of ourselves that bears responsibility to this promise, this grace. It all depends on how we respond to it. One thing seems quite clear from today's reading: in the Israelite indeed, who is without deceit, we have a clue as to how to nurture this capacity within ourselves. It is a straightforward nature, one capable of valuing truth and truthfulness -- that is a kind of purity from the inside to the out, an honesty of depth. It is also linked to a capacity for mercy, as grace itself is mercy. We don't get to real faith by fooling ourselves, or by not involving our very beings, the center of ourselves, the heart. Relationship involves all of what and who we are, and it will always call upon us to go deeper into that giving of ourselves to it. Jesus calls us from the deepest place we know, and our spiritual lives will really involve that deeper and deeper call. Are you ready for that journey? Can you respond to the call? "Follow Me," He said to Philip -- and to each of us.