First Lutheran Church
January 17, 2021 + The Second Sunday after Epiphany
John 1:43-51 43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip 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.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51And 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.”
“Come and See”
Pastor Greg Ronning
In today’s gospel we are invited to “come and see.” To “come and see” is to engage in a familiar pattern found in the scriptures, a common practice in the life and teachings of Jesus, a well-known guiding principle for those seeking after the Kingdom of Heaven.
I would like to begin today, unpacking our theme “come and see,” by looking back one more time at the Christmas story we just celebrated a few weeks ago. In particular I want to look back at the story of the shepherds as found in the Gospel of Luke. The story begins, “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” The angel then proceeds to share with them the good news of Christ’s birth. The angel tells them that in Bethlehem a child, the messiah, can be found “wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And then suddenly the sky is filled with “a multitude of the heavenly host,” singing praises to God.
Can you even begin to imagine what that might have looked like? Can you begin to imagine what that might have felt like? The “multitude” of heaven? (Mind Blown)
And then perhaps as suddenly as they appeared, the angels were gone, the night became “silent.” What will happen next? What do you do with a moment like that? “What do you do after the heavens open up and reveal their glory? The shepherds instinctively know what to do, they say to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and ‘see this thing’ that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” The traditional Christmas hymn, “Adeste Fidelis,” translated from the Latin, “O Come All Ye Faithful” tells their story …
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
That’s what you do! You go check it out! You follow up to see if it’s true! Those shepherds “went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.” They accept the invitation to “come and see,” to come and adore, to come and believe, to come and behold the Messiah. History does not tell us who these shepherds were, and what happened to them as a result of the incredible events that took place on that night, but I am certain of one thing, - it must have changed their lives forever.
Ever since Christ was born the people who encountered him, the people who chose to “come and see” have been transformed. It began with those shepherds on that first Christmas, followed by the Magi discovering that same child at Epiphany; and choosing to return home by a different way as different, changed, people. And the pattern continues years later with Jesus’ calling of the first disciples. In the verses preceding today’s appointed Gospel, Andrew and Peter encounter Jesus, who invites them to “come and see.” They do, and in doing so they decide to become his followers. “On the next day” Jesus discovers Philip and invites him to follow, and after his encounter with Christ, Philip too decides to follow. The people who encounter Christ, the people who “come and see” are un-mistakenly transformed! Their lives are dramatically changed.
That brings us to the appointed Gospel for today, the story of the calling of Nathanael. One of the first things that Philip does after his encounter with Jesus is to set out filled with excitement to find his friend Nathanael, and to tell him that he has found the Messiah. And this is the spot, the sweet spot in today’s Gospel, that has the potential to bring us into the story. In Nathanael, in his response, we too are invited to “come and see.”
I find the story of Nathanael is more relatable, more human, more likely, and thus more accessible. Nathanael, unlike the other disciples, does not simply drop everything and follow Jesus without even a hint of hesitation. That is not his first response. His first impulse is to doubt, to ask questions, to think critically. And I can relate to his response, it makes complete sense to me, it better fits my life experience.
Nathanael is skeptical. In sarcasm he replies to his friend Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael is using his brains, he’s not going to chase after the latest fad, fall victim to a charismatic leader, waste his precious time on yet another messiah theory. Nathanael is not to be quickly, or easily, won over by his friend Philip. Thankfully Philip seems to know Nathanael, understands his nature, because he does not argue the point with him, he does not quote scriptures at him, he does not try to win him over with his testimony; instead, he simply invites him to “come and see.” Come and find out for yourself!
Ironically when Jesus and Nathaniel meet, it’s not what Nathanael “sees” in Jesus, but what Jesus “sees” in Nathaniel, that makes all the difference. Jesus immediately recognizes him, and graciously reaches out to him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” “I saw you under the fig tree.”
Theologian Debie Thomas writes, “Jesus had a choice when it came to ‘seeing’ Nathanael. I wonder what would have happened if, instead of calling out Nathanael’s purity of heart, Jesus had said, ‘Here is a cynic who is stunted by doubt’ or ‘Here is a man who is governed by prejudice,’ or, ‘Here is a man who is blunt and careless in his words,’ or, ‘Here is a man who sits around, passive and noncommittal, waiting for life to happen to him.’”
Nathanael could probably accurately be characterized by any or all of those things. But Jesus did not focus on those negative things, and instead chose to “see” the positive qualities, the true core of Nathanael’s personality, his humanity; Jesus “sees” his honesty, sincerity, candor, an integrity in thought and motivation. Nathanael was one who sat “under the fig tree,” meaning that he was one who studied the scriptures, pondered and prayed, and sought after the truth. Nathanael may have had a self-righteous streak, he may have hoped and thought that he had it all figured out; but he also had an open and humble heart, an earnest soul. He was “complicated,” just as complicated as you and I. None of us can be “simply” figured out. So it is that Jesus “sees” deep into the heart and soul of Nathanael, and because of that, Nathanael “sees” and “experiences” someone who is “full of grace and truth.” And in that moment, Nathanael moves from doubt to faith, from ignorance to knowledge, from death to life. He experiences an epiphany. He is inspired by the love of grace and the hope of truth. Nathanael accepts the invitation to “come and see,” and in doing so he is transformed, made new, made alive in faith.
Today Jesus invites each of us to “come and see.” Let us remember that these are not words of judgment, but words spoken by the one who “sees” us and understands us exclusively - in, with, and through - the light of the great love he has for us. Jesus does not see our imperfections, but our hearts placed in his perfect love. So, let us not be afraid to check him out. Let us “make haste” and find the place where Jesus is resting among us even now. Where might that be? Just as on the first Christmas, Christ can be found among us in that humble manger, well off the beaten path, behind the inn that has no room for him, on the very edges of humanity. “Come and see,” not on social media, not in like-minded venues, not in the seat of power, not in politics, not in the comfortable, but rather in those other places where humanity sits forgotten on the edge. “Come and see.” Don’t be afraid to make that journey, it will make all the difference, “Come and see.”
Frederick Buechner, the great American writer, poet, and theologian, concluded one of his sermons on today’s gospel with these words. Reflecting on the truth proclaimed at Christmas, the incredible story of God’s incarnation, the story about the child found in the manger, the child in many ways forgotten by the world, nonetheless - even so, - the child who would challenge and change the history of the world forever.
Buechner writes, “Adeste fidelis. That is the only answer I know for people who want to find out whether or not this is true. Come all ye faithful, and all ye who would like to be faithful if only you could, all ye who walk in darkness and hunger for light. Have faith enough, hope enough, despair enough, foolishness enough at least to draw near to see for yourselves. …
Adeste fidelis. Come and behold him, born the king of angels. Speak to him or be silent before him. In whatever way seems right to you and at whatever time, come to him with your empty hands. The great promise is that to come to him who was born at Bethlehem is to find coming to birth within ourselves something stronger and braver, gladder and kinder and holier, than ever we knew before or than ever we could have known without him.
“Come and see.” Nathanael does just that, and he is blessed with faith. Nathanael finds himself in Beth-el, “the house of God,” the place and moment where heaven is opened up and the angels of God are “ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” In Christ, heaven and earth are united, and the presence of God is unexpectedly and graciously found. “Come and see.” Amen.