Saturday, February 20. "I saw you"

Prepare to Listen Remind yourself God is present, closer to you than you are to yourself.  Pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me
 
Prayerfully Read 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 towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’  48Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come 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.’
 
Prayerfully Wonder
Nathanael is a skeptic.  Philip, on the other hand, is convinced Jesus is the one Moses and the prophets wrote about.  He’s also wise.  Instead of wasting time with words of argument, he issued Jesus’ invitation: ‘Come and see.’  Arguing isn’t helpful.  Personal experience, personal seeing is.
 
Nathanael accepted the invitation and discovered more than he bargained for.  He went to see Jesus only to learn that Jesus saw him first, really saw him in truth, and knew him.  In shocked surprise, Nathan asked, ‘Where did you come to know me?’  Jesus simply said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’  That’s how Jesus knew him.  He saw him for who he was in his innermost being.  Just three words and Nathanael’s skepticism and doubts shattered.
 
If we’re honest, deep down inside this is what we want, to be seen and known for who we truly are.  This is the gift we’re given when we accept the invitation to come and see Jesus.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What got your attention in this passage; what drew you in?  What did you see?  Sit in silence with that before responding to Jesus.
 
Respond to Jesus
Lord, you knew the essence of Nathanael because you saw him, really saw him.  You see and know me too.  May this truth comfort me today.  Amen.
 
Go live obediently in the world, where you're known and seen by the Lord.