Recognitions and Introductions

John 1:43-51

Today's gospel lesson from the end of the first chapter of the gospel of John is about the call of the disciple Nathaniel, which is an interesting and even unusual exchange that took place between our Savior and a man from Galilee. And it is interesting, but only if we keep in mind some information from the Old Testament and maybe remember a little Hebrew.

So, I'd like to start out, this morning, talking a little bit about a story in the book of Genesis, the story of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the forefather of the Israelites. What we may not know is that in Hebrew the name, Jacob, literally means "supplanter", a name that really fit him, if you'll remember, because Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright. By all rights, the promise that God made to Abraham should have passed through Isaac to Esau, the eldest son. But, it was not to happen. Instead, Jacob supplanted Esau, becoming an heir to the promise, through trickery and deception. Thus, Jacob (the supplanter) was well-named.

But what is just as useful to our understanding is that even though Jacob used trickery to get Esau's birthright, God didn't judge Jacob by taking that birthright and returning it to Esau (that would have been too easy). Instead, God worked on that rascal, Jacob. God even sent Jacob out into he wilderness and even sent an angel to wrestle with him. And God gave Jacob a vision of angels on a ladder ascending and descending between heaven and earth. And, behold, the day finally came that God blessed Jacob. And when that happened, Jacob's name was changed to Israel, a name which literally means "he who struggles with God." It was on that day that Jacob matured in his faith, realizing that the blessings of God do not come through who you're related to, or to the order of your birth, but (rather) upon the relationship -- one's faith -- in God. And faith comes through a struggle with God.

Now, as we look at our Gospel lesson, once again, we have a little background for what Jesus said to Nathaniel. For as Nathaniel approached Jesus, he though of the story of Jacob, and said, "Behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no guile." In introducing Nathaniel this way, Jesus was offering him the greatest of compliments. He was saying that unlike many of his countrymen, Nathaniel was not one who was content with a salvation based upon the deceitful, nepocratic practices of the Temple religion of his day. Rather, Jesus saw Nathaniel as one who sought to engage in a meaningful and eventful struggle with God. Rather than being a son of the immature supplanter, Jacob, Nathaniel followed in the footsteps of a grown up and changed Israel.

As I look at the story of Jacob and the compliment Jesus gave to Nathaniel, I pause to ponder my own spiritual growth, as should we all. Many of us may be uncomfortable being told that the life of faith is a struggle. We would prefer that our religion be simple to understand, easy to believe, and packaged in such a way that it's easy to swallow.

I'm reminded of the cartoon on the bulletin board across from the church office. There's a picture of a church with a sign out in front of it that says, "The Lite Church -- 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7.5% tithe, 15 minute sermons, and 45 minutes worship services. We have only 8 commandments -- your choice. We use just 3 spiritual laws. Everything you've wanted in a church . . . and less!" Of course, the cartoon is a commentary upon the convenience-church mentality of many today who demand pat answers, and an assurance of salvation that's based more on packaging than on a personal and on-going struggle with the faith.

But, what Nathaniel's first encounter with Jesus emphasizes to us is that Jesus wants disciples who are willing to struggle with the faith. Jesus wants us to be willing to look at what we believe and ask, "Do I really buy this?" Jesus wants followers who will put their trust in him because they have wrestled with angels -- not simply because their parents believed, nor because it's the "in" thing to do, nor because it's a nice looking church -- but because they have felt God stirring in their life.

In our Gospel lesson for today Jesus introduced Nathaniel by saying, "Behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no guile!" This surprised Nathaniel, so he asked, "How do you know me?" And Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Now, in reading this most of us would probably assume that when Jesus sent Philip to invite Nathaniel to meet him, Jesus had seen a vision of Nathaniel sitting under a fig tree. And that's possible. Maybe Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree when Philip found him and told him about Jesus. But, there's something else to consider here that may be even deeper. "Sitting under a fig tree" was a scriptural figure of speech, rather than an actual place. To say that someone was out "sitting under a fig tree," was the same thing as calling the person a true Israelite; someone who walked by faith. For, according to 1 Kings, and according to the prophets Zephaniah and Micah the shade of the fig tree would be the abode of all persons who meaningfully struggled with the faith in the messianic age to come. So, Jesus' comment to Nathaniel about seeing him under a fig tree could have struck a spiritual bell in Nathaniel, a man who had struggled with the faith and was looking for the coming of the Son of God. Which would explain why Nathaniel responded to Jesus' words with the exclamation: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Certainly, with these words Nathaniel was ready to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

And we might ask ourselves what kind of a tree we're sitting under, right now. In the book of Judges the opposite of sitting under a fig tree was sitting under a thornbush, hardly a place that anyone would want to sit! The thornbush, afterall, symbolizes the choices human beings make when they turn their backs upon the guidance of the Lord. So, the question is: Where are we sitting right now in our faith-life? Are we struggling with the faith through prayer, through bible study, by being involved in Christian fellowship groups and Sunday School classes? Are we willing to talk about our doubts and convictions and deal with them with others who are also struggling with these things, as well? Or, do we turn our back upon such things, pretending to know all the answers, or (worse) not caring? Do we sit under the fig tree or under the thornbush in our life of faith?

Finally, in our gospel lesson for today, Jesus told Nathaniel that, like Jacob, he would see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. As Christians, this is what we believe to be possible through our faith in Christ. What Jacob saw in his vision is now a reality in Jesus. As the Son of Man, Jesus, was God's ultimate messenger from heaven, sent to make God known, and to be our final judge.

Jacob's ladder is available to us. Through faith in Jesus, Nathaniel saw it and began the climb, and so can we.

Amen.