The Call of Nathanael

Today's Reflections

                               

 

The Call of Nathanael

Jn 1:47-51

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” ⁴⁸Nathanael 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.” ⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” ⁵⁰Jesus 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.” ⁵¹And 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.”

I saw you under the fig tree. Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree is more than a manifestation of his omniscient or all-knowing power. In the Mediterranean culture, the fig tree is a powerful symbol. It is a tree of life. It is a sign of messianic peace and blessing (cf Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10). It also refers to being nourished with God’s word, as “those who tend a fig tree eat its fruit” (Prv 27:18).

Jesus affirms Nathanael’s sincerity in seeking God and dreaming about the liberation of Israel by bestowing on him the gift of revelation. Nathanael immediately recognizes Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel, and Jesus extends to him the gift of friendship and citizenship in heaven.

Just like Nathanael, God knows each of us by name. He knows the number of the hair on our head. He knows the ins and outs of our life. He knows our longings, our weaknesses, our hopes, and our dreams. But God not only knows us; God loves us unconditionally (cf Jn 3:16-17). God loves us so much as to send angels to enlighten, protect, and heal us.

Through Jesus, we have been offered the stairway to heaven if we sincerely seek God with no pretensions.

“We only have one point of departure, that is SIN,

and one point of destination, that is HEAVEN” (St. Augustine).