June 7
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CAN ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH?
43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” – John 1:43-51
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Here are some facts that may have led him to think this way. Nazareth lay in the hills twelve miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee: a fertile land. It was small. Steep ravines and ancient terraces on the northern slope confined the oval-shaped settlement. Excavations show just how small it actually was – but every bit of space was used effectively. It was built on porous rock, so as well as the buildings above the surface there were underground cisterns for water, vats for oil, and silos for grain. There was a single, ancient spring for water. It was a conservative town, clinging to traditional Jewish culture in a world that had been radically affected by Greek thought and culture. The people of Nazareth were essentially farmers, Nazareth would have had a population of around two to four hundred in antiquity, so everyone knew everyone else. Could you blame Nathaneal for asking Philip what good can come out of Nazareth? This only shows that before knowing Jesus, people can’t think out of the box. We don’t know the mind of God. Interestingly, God chose his Son to come from a humble family, a small town and yet, he is the King of all kings. As soon as he talked to Jesus, light immediately shone on his dark and blinded mind and saw Jesus in the Spirit. This is what happens when we become exposed to the Light and Life that only comes from Jesus Christ. We begin to see.
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REFLECTION
• What limited thoughts and beliefs are you saved from when you met Christ?