John 1:43-51

1 John 3:11-21

Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

John 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.

And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.

Philip found Nathanael and told him,

"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,

and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

But Nathanael said to him,

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

"Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him."

Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

Nathanael answered him,

"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this."

And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see the sky opened and the angels of God

ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Opening Prayer: Lord, today I contemplate your first encounters with your Apostles. You called them and they responded. Like them, I want to encounter you today and respond to your call.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jacob the Deceiver: To understand Jesus’ words about Nathanael being a true Israelite and about the heavens opening, we need to look at the Old Testament and the story of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. First, Jacob was known as a trickster and deceiver. He was born grasping the heel of his older twin brother Esau. In fact, the name Jacob means “he grasps” and this can mean “he deceives” like the English phrase “he’s pulling your leg.” When he was older, Jacob convinced Esau to hand over the rights of the firstborn for a bowl of lentils. Jacob also covered himself in wool to deceive his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. Jacob’s name will be changed to Israel, which means “the man who strives with God.” And so, when Jesus sees Nathanael, he says that he is a true child of Israel and that there is no duplicity or deceit in him, unlike the patriarch Jacob in his youth.

2. Jacob’s Ladder: The second reference to Jacob in our Gospel is to the dream that Jacob had of the angels of God ascending and descending a ladder connecting earth to heaven. Jacob named the place “Bethel,” which means “House of God.” Jesus alludes to Jacob’s dream and tells Nathanael that he will see greater things than Jesus’ demonstration of supernatural knowledge.

3. Passing from the Darkness of Sin into the Light of Christ: In the Old Testament, Jacob encountered the Lord God at a place named “House of God.” Now, in the New Testament, Nathanael, a “true Israelite,” encounters the Incarnate Word and Son of God, the true dwelling and house of God in the world. Nathanael, who is identified by tradition as the Apostle Bartholomew, is invited by Jesus to continue walking in truth and righteousness. The First Letter of John meditates at length on living righteously and employs a contrast between Cain, who refused to change his sinful and envious ways, and Abel, who offered the best of his flock to God. We are invited to see Jesus as the righteous and innocent one, who, like a new Abel, offers the best to God and is killed by his brothers. We are reminded that it is through Jesus that we pass from death to life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I cry out with joy to you. I want to serve you joyfully. What is it that you ask of me? How can I serve you today? You made me and I am yours. I am a member of your flock and look forward to the day I can enter the gates of heaven to praise you for all eternity. You are good; you are faithful. Help me to be good today and respond to you with fidelity.

Resolution: One thing we should strive to do is rid ourselves of any duplicity and hypocrisy. A hypocrite is two-faced. They put on an outward show and do everything to appear righteous and holy, but inside they are full of corruption. There is no place for hypocrisy in the Christian life. Like Nathanael, who passed from the shadow of the fig tree into the light of Christ, we also need to move from the darkness and hypocrisy of sin into the light of truth and righteousness.