Grace: Some Thoughts on John 1

I’m sarcastic. Very sarcastic. Now, I prefer to think of it as quick witted but at the end of the day you need to call a spade a spade. So, while other people would read through John 1 and write deep reflections on omnipotency or divine power I am choosing to write about the calling of Nathanael. Why? Because it is proof that even snarky people like me can be called by Christ.

John 1:43-46 reads: 43The next day Jesus decided to leave Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44Phillip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one who Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46″Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

I love the tone of this passage probably because I can remember being a new believer and the excitement that I felt when I shared what I had found with others. I imagine Philip running up to Nathanael full of energy and talking a mile a minute. And what he gets is a less than enthusiastic response from a very unmoved, skeptical friend. Yeah, that would be me. I have been known to judge books by their covers. In fact, like Nathanael, I had made judgements about Jesus long before I decided to follow him. And as I have admitted many times on this blog, I still question God’s calling in my life even when his voice is loud and clear. You want me to do what? You want me to go where? Nothing good can come from that Jesus!

Here is what I learned from this passage: Even when I think that Jesus’ claims or direction are ridiculous or at best far fetched, I need to follow him. I need to trust his calling. Even though Nathanael was sarcastic and dismissive with his friend (a nazarene, ha!) he went to pursue him anyway. Nathanael obviously had very little faith in Philip’s claim that Jesus was the one Moses wrote about. But he did have enough faith to get up and go. Yeah, that’s me too. Sometimes, that’s all the faith I have. Just enough to get up from my chair (or out from under my fig tree) and see what he has for me. I think it measures about a tenth of a mustard seed.

And here is why (or one of the million reasons why) I desperately love my God. Even with my sometimes lazy, lack luster faith Jesus is available to me and is there when I decide to show up. In verse 47 he calls Nathanael “a true Israelite”, a son of Abraham, the benefactor of his great inheritance. And more than that he blesses him. In verse 51 Nathanael is told he will “see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  And he blesses me too. Despite my sometimes snarky attitude I have been witness to the miracles of God and my life has been a living testimony of his glory.

And that my friends, is what I call grace.

NICOLE lives in Michigan with her husband, three children, two dogs, and one rather fat, lazy cat named Steve. Nicole has a degree in counseling psychology but as the wife of a recovering addict she has found that personal experience is a far greater teacher than any textbook. When she isn’t managing her household or her business you can find her speaking and writing about God, faith, recovery, redemption… and all that good stuff. You can follow Nicole on her personal blog, XXXChurch blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

You can read all of the posts in the Grace Week Series here.