“You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (Jn 1, 43-51) | RCF

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

During that time,
Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.
He finds Philip,
and said to him:
” Follow me. »
Philip was from Bethsaida,
the village of André and Pierre.
Philip finds Nathanael and says to him:
“He of whom it is written in the law of Moses and in the prophets,
we found him :
it is Jesus son of Joseph,
of Nazareth. »
Nathanael replied:
“From Nazareth
can something good come out? »
Phillip replies:
“Come, and see. »
When Jesus sees Nathanael coming to him,
he says about it:
“Behold truly an Israelite:
there is no trickery in him. »
Nathanael asks him:
“Where do you know me from? »
Jesus answers him:
“Before Philippe calls you,
when you were under the fig tree,
I saw you. »
Nathanael said to him:
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the king of Israel! »
Jesus resumes:
“I tell you that I saw you under the fig tree,
and that is why you believe!
You will see even greater things. »
And he adds:
“Amen, amen, I tell you:
you will see the sky open,
and the angels of God ascend and descend
above the Son of Man. »

Source: AELF

Meditation Father François Lestang

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth? asks Nathanael. Where does he himself come from? Probably from the end of Lake Tiberias, either from Bethsaida or from a surrounding village, since Philip knows him and the Twelve are all Galileans. While Nazareth, located well inland, is only a small town near the great Sephoris. But there has always been this “parochialism”, if I dare say this anachronism, which condescendingly considers the neighbor, more or less distant, and who is not like oneself.

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth? “. Faced with prejudice, the only response is that of encounter, and it is overwhelming. Nathanael, who thought he knew, discovers himself known by Jesus, and not only known but appreciated, praised, as being “a son of Israel, in whom there is no trickery”, having been seen “under the fig tree”. .

Then everything is reversed in Nathanael’s mind, and not only can something good come out of Nazareth, but it is from this obscure place among all, since this locality is not mentioned in the Law or the Prophets. , it is from this depreciated place that comes Jesus, whom Nathanael accepts as his teacher, his king, and even the son of God.

Lord, you are the one who lifts up the humble and belittles the proud, you are the one who searches the hearts and minds, you are the God who does more than is expected, you who raise the dead. I present to you this morning all my ethnic or geographical prejudices, so that you enable me to discover to what extent you are present in these Nazareths, and that you can really bring out the good.