Looking Past the Facade

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:45-51 ESV).

Looking different does not mean we are different. And, when we treat others according to what our prejudices are toward them we fail to recognize the wonder of the unlimited grace of God. When Nathanael was told by Philip that the Messiah had come to fulfill the prophesies, he replied to the news with skepticism. His doubt was not based on religious or political beliefs, but on the city from which Jesus had come, Nazareth. Nathanael’s reply to Philip was, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” As Christians, we are called to see past the prejudices of the world and look beyond the facade. For many of us, this is a difficult task. Our cultural background, environment, experiences, and worldly influences seem to draw us into preconception and bias, if for no other reason than expediency. Modern life can be complicated, with many distractions and responsibilities. Life can also be frightening; news of crime and violence can make even the most stalwart fear for their own safety and that of their family. It can be so much easier and safer to identify, classify, and catalog people based on our preconceptions, rather than take the time and risk to evaluate every individual based on their own merit. Nathanael held his own preconceptions. It took Jesus only a few words to change Nathanael’s presumptions about Nazarenes; Nathanael soon recognized him as “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel.” Even Nathanael, a godly man without guile, came very close to dismissing the greatest gift of all, the salvation of mankind in Jesus Christ. How much easier would it be for us, then, to dismiss him in the same circumstances? Let us make Nathanael’s story an inspiration to look beyond our own preconceptions and to strive to see the light of Christ in everyone around us.