I preached this message on January 18, 2015 at my home congregation: First Presbyterian Church of Sterling, Colorado. It was part of a multiple week sermon series created by Reverend Michelle Witherspoon. Each week, she used lectionary-assigned scripture passages to answer the question: “When God Calls…. How Shall I Answer? Lessons in Faithfulness.” From the perspective of biblical characters, we examined different appropriate responses to this question. It was my honor to explore the character of Nathanael, one of Jesus’ lesser-known disciples. This is my interpretation to how Nathanael responded to God’s call.
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John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
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In the 1930s, psychologist and creator of the iconic super-heroine Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston asked 3,000 people this question: "What have you to live for?" He was shocked to find out that 94% replied “nothing,” that they were just "enduring the moment". They would describe this enduring as eagerly waiting for “something” to happen—waiting for children to grow up and leave home, waiting for next year, waiting for another time to take a long-dreamed-about trip, or just waiting for tomorrow. However, Marston also discovered another finding among the 6% who said they did have something to live for. Whether they lived for themselves, their family, or even a higher power, their philosophies were similar in that they strongly believed they must live in the present because their yesterday was already gone and their tomorrow may never come. They weren’t waiting for something to happen; they were content with what they already done or seen. Every day was another day to wholeheartedly live for something. And so when it comes to character of Nathanael, I believe he would have identified with this 6%.
We are now in our third week of the sermon series, “Lessons in Faithfulness: When God Calls, How Shall I Answer?” Fortunately for me, Rev. Michelle asked if I would like to preach one of the weeks. Now as someone currently going through the call process to become a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church, I was very excited when she told me about this idea. For the past two weeks, I have been sitting up in the balcony taking mental notes. If I was in the Magi’s shoes or in John’s shoes, how would I answer? From the magi, we learned that we need to pay attention. God’s call can come at any time and by any means. Whether it’s a star in the sky or a feeling in your soul, we need to pay attention to that call. Next, we moved to the river of Jordan where we meet John the Baptist. John shows us that all of us are called by God. We remember this in the waters of our baptism. So what’s do we learn from today’s gospel lesson? Well, first we should admit this passage is not a well-known biblical story. In fact, earlier this week, I was eating dinner with some friends and they knew I would be preaching here this Sunday. They asked about the passage I was preaching on, and when I told them it was on the story of Jesus calling upon Nathanael, they responded with a quizzical, “Who?” Yes, in this passage we meet one of Jesus’ lesser-known disciples who goes by the name Nathanael in the Gospel of John and possibly by Bartholomew in the other three gospels. For this sermon, we’ll refer to him just as Nathanael, and if we’re talking about minor characters in the Bible, Nathanael is a major contender. Like I said, Nathanael is only in one of the four gospels – the gospel of John – and even here, he is only mentioned twice. In this passage and once again in a list of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. And so whatever we can learn about Nathanael is found in these couple of verses. To find out how Nathanael responded to God’s call, we must be able to understand this passage, so let us dive into the story.
In John chapter one, we read that the Word was made Flesh, the Flesh is Jesus, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, and then Jesus calls upon his first disciples. This happens all within a matter of days as each passage including today’s gospel lesson starts with the phrase, “The next day.” And so, the next day Jesus meets Philip and calls upon Philip to follow him on his journey. But before Philip drops everything to follow Jesus, he goes back to Bethsaida to find his friend to invite him as well. It’s a person-to-person interaction. And that’s where we meet the character Nathanael. But when Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responds with honest skepticism and doubt. “Nazareth?! Can anything good come from Nazareth?!”
Nathanael was a traditional Israelite. A man who probably immersed himself in study and meditation. He must know the Old Testament because that’s how Philip refers to Jesus when he approaches Nathanael. As for Nazareth, it was a town known for its terrible vices – for its lowly and despised people. To suggest anything good can come from Nazareth – especially the Messiah – was a ridiculous and preposterous idea, a joke even. He wasn’t expecting the Savior of the people to come from Nazareth; he probably wasn’t expecting the Savior of the people to even come at all. After all, Nathanael was a man living in his own present. He’s not the type of guy waiting around for something to happen or for someone to come. So when Philip goes to Nathanael saying that someone in fact did come, Nathanael’s question is an honest one. To which Philip responds with an open invitation. “Come and see,” he says. And to which, Nathanael does.
Nathanael then goes before the Lord, and instantly Jesus calls him a man in whom there is no deceit. Nathanael – a good and honest man – maybe a little blunt – but still a good-hearted, honest man. But this puzzles Nathanael and he asks Jesus, “Where did you come to know me?” Jesus says, “I saw you under the fig tree,” and boom, a revelation happens within Nathanael. He declares Jesus as the King of Israel, as the Son of God! The very Savior that the people have been waiting for – the one and true Messiah. This must have amazed Nathanael – he was not expecting to see goodness in the flesh. He thought this was already the greatest miracle he has even seen! This is what Nathanael will live for! But then Jesus ends this passage by alluding to his eventual resurrection. He tells Nathanael that if you thought this was great, well, you’ve seen nothing yet! Something even greater will happen!
And there’s where we get to the main point found in today’s lesson, when Jesus called upon Nathanael, he responded with an honest but curious mind – he responded with openness to witness something greater.
Through Nathanael’s initial skepticism and doubt, we can learn that when God calls, we must respond with an open mind. We must live in the present while awaiting for God to come to us again in the future. This summer I was doing a bible study with my summer staff up in North Dakota, and in the bible study on prayer, there was the line, “Live as if everything depended on you; pray as if everything depended on God.” That is a perfect example for the way to live as directed by this passage. God knows you; God has created a plan and a purpose just for you. That’s your call. Do we fully understand the call? No. But we do know that God has not called us to sit and around wait for the next great thing. God wants us to act now. To live healthy and empowering Christian lives; to live for something right now in the moment. Because yes, greater things will come, but there is already greatness around you. God has seen you – each one of you – under your own metaphorical fig tree.
That’s the lesson in faithfulness; that is how we can respond to God’s call. Allow yourself to be open to the world around you. Open to change; to passion and pain; to both the good and the bad. Open yourself to sharing the good news with others. See, the Christian faith has been passed from person to person for over 2000 years starting with Jesus. We see it in today’s lesson. Jesus tells Philip who tells Nathanael. And all kept an open mind. And that’s how it has worked ever since. The spread of the Christian church across the world is the person-to-person story of the thousands of people who fanned out across the globe to tell the story about Jesus and what Jesus had done for them. One person says to another, “I follow Jesus and invite you to do so too.” Churches were then built. People started attending Sunday worship. Those people invited their family and friends to join them in worship. Later on as the church grows as more people start attending worship. Then parents bring their infant children to Jesus in baptism and then bring them up to follow him. Those children grow up and then do the same for their own children. And the church is growing. Well, that’s the idea, right?
Well in reality, the church is not growing. And that’s because we have grown content with living for nothing. We identify with the 94% who says that we have nothing to live for now, but we are waiting for something greater. This is where we take Nathanael as our example. Be honest and curious, but allow yourself to be open for something different. Do not turn people away. Do not shut down their ideas or beliefs. Embrace them and use it an open invitation to see something greater. Invite those who are different from yourself so that they may be able to a see a glimpse into your world and so that you may be able to see a glimpse into theirs. God often reveals God self through the actions of humankind. And so to be a witness to God's manifestation, we need to keep an open mind for they could lead you to goodness.
We know that we are all called but to interpret that call is another action of response we need to take. It's okay to be skeptical or doubtful like Nathanael was - that's human nature - but what beautiful and miraculous things could we see if we just allowed ourselves to be open. We must embrace the things we know as well as embrace the things we don’t. Be grateful for every moment we have. The moments we have right here in the present. Right here and right now. Live every day with an open mind. That’s when greatness will come to you. Yes, God will reveal God’s self to us once again through the second coming of Christ, but sitting around and waiting for this wasn’t God’s plan. Instead, while we wait, we must actively spread Christian love. People become Christians because they have seen what the Christian faith has done for those whom they know. The saying passed down from the early years of the church still rings true: “See those Christians, how they love one another.”
And so we go back to the initial question. What have you to live for? The answer is not nothing. You have been called to live for something. Whether you know what that is or not, it is there. God has seen you; God knows you; and God has called you. Find something to live for now. Live now in the moment. God will come to us to us again, but as Jesus told Nathanael, you’ve seen nothing yet! Keep an open mind and an open heart. Because greatness can come from anywhere and anyone. Amen.
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