Reflection on Nathaniel's Call

Reading: John 1:43-51

When Nathaniel is told of the Teacher from Nazareth his first reaction is disbelief. It isn't disbelief in the simple, pleasant, "I don't understand" sort-of way...it is snarky, almost cocky disbelief. "Nothing good comes from Nazareth." Nathaniel knew the badlands of Nazareth and he knew the sort of people who came from Nazareth. How could the Great Shepherd come from a place like Nazareth? It's a country village. It's backwoods. It's not as progressive. It's too simple.

Then, in a way that only Jesus could, the whole conversation is flipped on its head. Nathaniel comes to the conversation full of doubt, but he leaves full of hope in the One, True Christ. His faith is in it's infancy, but Jesus tells him to look ahead - ahead to when he will see "angles ascending and descending upon the Son of Man".

We all come to Jesus with doubts. Our preconceived notions cloud our vision of the Divine. "The Christ can't be from Nazareth." "God can't forgive me of all I've done." "I am not worthy to be used by God."

When the smoke clears and the Divine comes into focus we can taste and see that Jesus is calling out to us, saying, "I saw you when you were sitting under the fig tree...but you will see greater things than these."

Jesus says, "I saw you" and because of that, we will see greater things than we could ever imagine.

God's Peace,
CBG