Under the Fig Tree

Have you ever seen some potential in someone that they couldn't see?

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 toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get 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

Today's Gospel reading is about seeing what others may not be able to see.

First we have Philip who sees the Messiah in Jesus, and then we have Jesus seeing honesty and truth in Nathanael.  What was it that Jesus saw?

He had spotted Nathanael under the fig tree, and that was enough for Nathanael to believe, so there must have been something special about that place.

Some speculate that Nathanael may have chosen that place to pray, and that Nathanael was anxious to see the Messiah.  Maybe that is why he was suspicious of Philip's declaration that the Messiah was found.

While wanting to see something in someone can lead us to believe what may not be true, it can also mean that wanting to see something doesn't mean it cannot be true.

Nathanael wants to see the Messiah, but he doubts what Philip tells him, because it doesn't make sense.  He has a preconceived notion of who the Messiah would be, and that rules his judgment.

But Jesus cuts through the cloudy vision Nathanael holds and shows him something in himself, something Nathanael may not show the world.

There is a lesson in this, I think.

We can find the hidden wonders in others and help them reveal them to the world.  All we need to do is open our eyes and truly see them.

They may be ready to bloom.

More to come...