Tuning into God with others

James Cathcart January 16, 2024 4 3

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John 1: 43-51 (NRSVA)

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 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.’ 46 Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ 48 Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ 49 Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ 50 Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ 51 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.’

Looking at today’s passage — are you Philip, readily saying yes, jumping in with both feet?

Or are you Nathanael? Holding yourself back, unsure, not wanting to commit?

Or are you someone… who likes figs?

Someone who really, really likes figs?

Someone who got up early this morning, because the early bird gets the early fig?

Someone who headed out to their favourite fig tree with hope?

Someone who got there only to discover you had been beaten to it!

Someone who hung around waiting for Nathanael to clear off?

Someone who grew increasingly frustrated that Nathanael was just stood there not picking any figs?

Why are you hogging the fig tree Nathanael?

If you need shade there’s plenty of places to get it Nathanael. But there’s only one decent fig tree.

Why is he just standing there all moody under the fig tree?

There’s plenty of places to stand about looking all moody.

But there aren’t plenty of places to get figs.

And then you see Philip coming and think: Philip better not be cutting in line.

Can he not see you’re waiting here?

Can he not see you, pointedly with your bag, staring at the tree?

He’s cut in line.

Philip has jumped the queue.

That does it.

This absolutely does it.

But then Philip leads Nathanael away.

What was that all about?

You scurry over to the tree,

feel the relief of the shade from the already hot morning sun.

The gnarly old branches, laden with figs.

Happy days.

But then you turn around.

There’s a weird tension in the air.

Looks like Nathaniel is squaring up to some stranger.

Mocking him.

You’ve forgotten about the figs.

You’ve remembered the figs.

You start collecting figs.

Then you hear a bark of laughter.

You spin around, Nathaniel is chuckling.

The stranger is smiling.

Philip is creasing himself.

The atmosphere in the square has completely changed.

The stranger sits down and Nathaniel sinks to the ground comfortably beside him.

You look down at your fig haul.

You wonder if they’d like some figs.

Who doesn’t like figs?

Prayer:

As the onlookers

and eavesdroppers of wonders

invite us further in

to the beauty of your transforming Kingdom.

Amen.