In today’s Gospel Nathanael didn’t have a high impression of anyone who came from Nazareth. He was sincere and didn’t mince words. When Philip invited him to come and see, he had the faith to see for himself whether Our Lord was the Messiah. Nathanael did not interpret Jesus’ evaluation of him as flattery; he was surprised to find that Jesus seemed to know him, not just by surface details like a Sherlock Holmes, but how he was from the inside. Our Lord wasn’t ribbing him either for the comment he’d made about Nazareth. His words struck a chord in Nathanael, and Nathanael knew something new was in store.
When Our Lord reveals that he saw Nathanael under the fig tree it seems Nathanael receives a sign of something for which he was searching. What was he doing under the fig tree? Was he praying about what God wanted him to do in his life? Was he asking for some sort of sign? Whatever it was, Nathanael found what he was looking for in Jesus and professed his faith in him as the Messiah. Our Lord responded by promising him that even greater revelations were in store for him.
Today’s Gospel teaches us what Our Lord has in store for us, if we have faith in him. He wants to resolve those doubts and questions in our hearts. He wants show us that he knows more about us than we know about ourselves. He wants to begin a journey of greater and greater revelations through following him. Let’s ask for that faith.
Readings: Revelation 21:9b–14; Psalm 145:10–13, 17–18; John 1:45–51.