1 John 3:11-21 / John 1:43-51
During the course of this week, we heard John the Baptist addressing Jesus by various titles: the One who is to come; the Chosen One of God; the Lamb of God; the Messiah.
In today's gospel, we hear of a profound title of Jesus given by quite an unlikely person.
Nathanael can be said to be blunt and unreserved in expressing his opinions.
In one verse, he makes no effort in hiding his contempt as he says, "Can anything good from out of Nazareth?"
Hardly a couple of verses later, he addressed Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel.
Nathanael may have been blunt and biased, but nonetheless Jesus says that he is incapable of deceit and said that He saw him under the fig tree, which was an expression of a man a prayer and open to the ways of God and to His revelation.
Nathanael may have a divine inspiration of the insight of who Jesus is. Yet, Jesus promised that there will be more to come.
Nathanael would see "heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending."
We too may have our own biased opinions and thoughts that are darkened by sin.
But we too must be like Nathanael, who was open to the ways and revelations of God and He will show us who He is.
Let us find our own "fig tree" and there we open ourselves to the truth with sincerity and love.