REFLECTIONS TODAY
Christ had and continues to have a way of penetrating the depths of the human heart and he shows it in this episode with Nathanael. While an ordinary human being would react negatively to Nathanael’s dismissive attitude towards Jesus (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”, Jn 1:46), Jesus prefers to “teach” Nathanael by way of love and praise. Rather than confronting Nathanael, Jesus praises him as someone “without guile,” “a true child of Israel.” And true enough, Nathanael’s heart melts and we can only imagine the remorse that he feels having prejudged Jesus; but with this pain would come a better person.
Indeed, many of us can judge people instantaneously and harshly simply by their background. We presume we know them by their origin. Only to be proven wrong once we know the person more closely. On the other hand, we can imitate Jesus in his “bombarding” Nathanael with kindness rather than taking offense. This way we achieve our purpose better. Have we judged someone unjustly lately? Or, how have we reacted to a perceived misjudgment on us?
GOSPEL • Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
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