August 24, 2024

Today's Reading: John 1:43-51

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 5:1-18; 1 Kings 6: 1-7:50; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17

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.” (John 1:45-46)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

The many blunders of the disciples seem overwhelmingly comical. First, Philip says to Nathanael (Bartholomew) that, ‘We have found him…’ Really, Philip? Jesus *literally* just found you and called you to follow Him. But, okay– you, with Peter and Andrew, ‘found Jesus.’ Next, when Philip excitedly tells Nathanael about it, he replies with judgment:  ‘Can anything good…?’ As if Nathanael knows what good even is. These guys are hilarious! Honestly, we would have been better disciples than these guys… right? 

Sinners tend to make everything all about them. We filter that which we see or hear through our own experiences. Nathanael was unimpressed when he first heard about Jesus - a guy from Nazareth? That doesn’t seem all that good. He knew all about Nazareth, and this ‘Jesus’ couldn’t be that impressive.

Sinners’ low threshold of ‘good’ is even more apparent when Nathanael meets Jesus and is blown away by the fact that Jesus knew he had been sitting under a fig tree; that was all it took for Nathanael to be impressed. It seems a bit silly that this guy was chosen as a disciple– he seems kinda lame and underwhelming. 

And yet ‘good’ is truly seen in how Jesus interacts with Nathanael and all His followers. Jesus chooses regular, kinda lame, underwhelming people to be His own. He would take that which makes them imperfect (their sin) and makes it His to carry and His to pay for. Jesus loved Nathanael. Jesus died and rose again to save him from his sin. Nathanael is a saint because Jesus’ Death and Resurrection was for him.

You and I? Well, we can be kinda lame and underwhelming too. We have sin, and it causes problems. We make ourselves the center of the story and declare our own version or understanding of situations ‘good.’ We need to be called out of our self-centered deadness and given new life. Thanks be to God that in Baptism, that happened. We are saints through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. We, like Nathanael, are counted as Jesus’ followers. We receive His Word preached, His Body and Blood in the Supper, and Absolution spoken in the Divine Service. Thanks be to God that He sent His Son Jesus to save and redeem the whole world– including those who might be kinda lame and underwhelming.  

 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise; The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise. The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng, Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song: “O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son, And Holy Spirit, Comforter – forever Three in One!” (LSB 941:2) 

-Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Confessions play a vital role in the church—both centuries ago, and today. But, do they apply to the daily life of a layperson? Pastor Andy Wright offers a resounding “yes” in his book, Faithfully Formed. He quotes, summarizes, and synthesizes key teachings from the Confessions, revealing their relevance in the daily lives of ordinary people.