No Deceit

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ 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.’ John 1:43-51

We don't pay much attention to the folks like Nathanael, yet he was able to speak the truth about Jesus before others. He was not famous or infamous, was not cunning or mocking but instead was a truthful in everything. He was sitting under the fig tree for shade and a snack, wholly being himself when Jesus saw him. And Jesus sees each of us in our most humble and honest selves, without the pretenses and glitter of the world. This loving intimacy made Nathanel move from skepticism to faith. May we be honest and humble in all things so our faith too might be complete.

Blessed Creator you made the fig tree

for food and for rest and for shade

and you find us in the shadowed places

and call us to follow you and love others.

Give us all the heart and soul of Nathanael

make us honest and true in all we do

make us ready to be known in humility

and make us ready to get up and follow you.

Scrub away the paste and shine of the world

and give us your peace so we might be whole

turn us from deceit to deep and full humility

so your love might be the gift we carry always. Amen.