 |
[ Today's Readings ]
Nathanael does not plan on being impressed by Jesus.
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Even though he hears that Jesus is the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote he doesn't have high expectations. He isn't planning to be impressed. And yet, when he meets Jesus, he is very impressed indeed.
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
He is able to recognize this because there is no duplicity in him. When he experiences the way that Jesus supernaturally knows him there is nothing preventing a response. Duplicity could get hung up on the fact that Jesus is (apparently) from Nazareth. It could cause Nathanael to resent even favorable judgments made by him. Nathanael is weary of the hope offered by Philip. But he does not reject it out of pride when he does encounter it. He experiences being known by Jesus. And this experience opens his heart to him.
The woman who is guilty of adultery (see John 8:1-11) is similarly known by Jesus. She is beyond all duplicity when she experiences this. He already knows what she has done and yet he loves her anyway. Even past duplicity is not a deal breaker if we allow ourselves to be known. But if we insist on fronts and facades when Jesus shows us that he knows us we are unwilling to hear him. We don't receive the revelation that he knows us and yet still loves us.
We are always free to drop our duplicitous facades and to let ourselves be known by Jesus. We are meant to be the bride of the Lamb and there can be no secrets between us. We can leave the secrets of darkness behind us and know even as we ourselves are known (see First Corinthians 13:12).
Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
Once we know, we must share, just as Philip does.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
If we meet apparent resistance like Philip does we can trust that the LORD is able to work in the hearts of others in ways which are invisible to us. We can simply say, "Come and see." If they are only willing to let themselves first be seen what they eventually see is amazing indeed.
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
No comments:
Post a Comment