One of the interesting things of being in a parish for a length of time, to me at least, is the ability to look back and see where we have looked at the Scriptures over so many turns of the lectionary. Today marks the fourth time that this set of readings has come up during my time at Advent. I would hope that I would have preached on three of the texts previously, making one reading more likely to be my focus, but I seem to have been drawn to the calling of Samuel often in our past. That is part of the reason I will focus on John today. Another part is the fact that I have already told you to pay close to Mark and the interludes of John as we work our way through the liturgical calendar this year. And perhaps most importantly, clearly God wanted me in John today. As I have been telling Funmi, the most important part of sermon preparation is discerning what God’s message for the congregation is. So, back to John’s Gospel . . .
Our reading
takes place three days after Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan. John has introduced Jesus with the well-known
and recently well-read in the Christmas season Prologue. Jesus is being given titles by John, John the
Baptizer, and those whom He encounters as He goes about His work. John has named Jesus the Word who was with
God and is God in the beginning, John the Baptizer has identified Jesus as the
one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and Jesus has asked those He encounters
what they are seeking. Those of you
paying close attention may realize with some surprise that all this, and a bit
more, has occurred in the first 42 verses of John’s Gospel. It is, shall we say, densely packed.
So on this
third day after His baptism, Jesus encounters Philip and says follow Me. John tells us that Philip was from the same
hometown as Andrew and Peter, which may explain Philip’s quick willingness to
do as Jesus commands. John continues his
story by sharing that Philip finds Nathanael and says that the have “found him
about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph
from Nazareth.” Philip’s description of
Jesus is a way of saying that Jesus is the Messiah. Keep in mind, nearly 300 false messiahs have
been put to death under the sword of the Roman Empire. That fate for some many messiahs likely
explains some of Nathanael’s disbelief.
If you were to go home and turn on the television and some pastor was
claiming Armageddon was happening tomorrow, how likely would you be to believe
him or her? And just to remind you,
there is conflict not too far south of Megiddo as we gather for worship. What if that same pastor said it last summer
or last spring? What would your
disbelief had been like then?
Nathanael’s
disbelief is such that he famously asks whether anything good can come out of
Nazareth. Just to remind you, Judea was
thought by some in the Roman Empire to be the Alabama of the Empire. Nobody wanted to be assigned there. If you were “promoted” and assigned there,
most people did not think of it as a promotion.
It was better for one’s future and influence to remain at a lower level
and serve in a better province or the city of Rome. Judea was unruly and rural, by civilized
standards. Now, Robert is not here to
chastise me for picking low fruit and naming Alabama, so I’ll use a better
illustration to describe Nathanael’s attitude.
Everybody knows I’m from WV, right?
In my youth we used to brag when we beat Louisiana or Mississippi in
anything. If the government measured
anything, those three states were at the bottom. We’d get excited when we were 49th,
and it was near a state holiday when we came in 48th on any
measures. Y’all are laughing, but we had
no false illusions we would be #1 in education, income, health. We were just glad not to be last. Nathanael’s picking on Nazareth is something
like that. Imagine someone from
Louisiana bragging they are better than Mississippi. Who in NY or CA or TX is gong to care? It’s that kind of attitude expressed by
Nathanael.
Philip
ignores the jab and tells Nathanael to come and see.
As the two
return to Jesus, Jesus announces that Nathanael is an Israelite in whom there
is no deceit. Nathanael is rightfully surprised
or curious. As the two of them have
never met, how can this guy know he has no deceit? Jesus answers Nathanael by telling him that
He saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him.
The fig
tree reference is woefully misunderstood today, but it was important to those
living in 1st Century Judea. In
the wider ANE cultures, fig trees were associated with abundance and
peace. Fig trees figure prominently in
the OT, though, especially symbolically.
God will often use fig trees as a symbol of Israel, and woe to the
Israelite who does not hear prophets’ or Jesus’ warning about the fate of
barren fig trees. By the time of the mid
70’s AD, after the utter destruction of the Temple by the Roman Legion, fig
trees were where one traditionally sat to study the Scriptures both to learn
and to advertise. What was being
advertised, you ask? Either that one was
a rabbi taking on students or one was a student looking for a rabbi. Think of it as a kind of billboard or
commercial. If there was fig tree near a
village or town, one could sit under it and convey meaning to those passing by
on a near-by road. Now, I know some
scholars like to believe the tradition just cropped up instantly by 75AD, but
y’all know human beings, right? What
makes more sense, fig tree torah studying just began in the 70’s? Or were the people in the now destroyed
Jerusalem and surrounding towns using a practice more accepted in rural parts
of the province? We will never know for
sure this side of the Resurrection, but it does make sense, especially in light
of the later historical record and the preceding Scriptural use of the fig tree
and, don’t forget, Nathanael’s response to Jesus’ statement. By that statement, Nathanael goes from a
sarcastic quip about those from Nazareth to proclaiming that Jesus is the Son
of God and the King of Israel.
The
identifiers are, of course, correct.
Jesus is the Son of God, as John has described in his Gospel
already. The newest title, the King of
Israel, appears for the first time in John’s Gospel. Understand, John has not concerned himself
with the Nativity . John starts his
Gospel in the beginning and then skips to Jesus’ baptism. Bloodlines do not figure into John’s
Gospel. Why does Nathanael declare Jesus
the King of Israel? We cannot know for
sure, as Scripture does not tells us.
Philip, we might say, prepared the way a bit by declaring Jesus the One
declared by Moses and the prophets. The
imagery thus far speaks to rabbis and torah, and, to be fair, the king was
expected to read, learn, and inwardly digest the torah, to use our language, in
order that he might teach and model for God’s people how they were to live in
the Covenantal relationship with Yahweh.
And, unlike Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus does not
declare that the Holy Spirit has revealed this role to Nathanael. But, we do know that John’s intent to write
this Gospel is to teach us that Jesus is the Messiah and that by believing in
Him we will have life in Him. For the
first time, Jesus is declared to be the King.
Nathanael,
though, will not be the only one to declare Jesus is the King, right? We will remind ourselves during Holy Week of
Pilate’s sign nailed above Jesus on the Cross.
Pilate will write King of the Jews in three languages. The Temple leadership will protest and tell
Pilate to write “This man said he was the king.” And Pilate will famously tell them that what
he has written, he has written.
Continuing
on our reading, Jesus moves past the fig tree image with a kind of teaser. Jesus asks if Nathanael believed because He
saw Nathanael under the fig tree and then moves to a “You haven’t seen anything
yet” turn of phrase. Jesus states
Nathanael, and all hearing and reading this, will see greater things. They and we will see the heavens opened and
the angels ascending and descending.
Hopefully,
everyone here remembers our discussion last summer as we read about Jacob, and
I am sure those on Sunday mornings who watched the movie about Jacob remember
this scene and our discussions. But some
of us may have missed, and some of us may need our memories jostled a bit. On his way to encounter Laban and to get a
couple brides, Jacob famously uses a stone as a pillow and dreams what we all
think of as “Jacob’s ladder.” Good. I see many nods. When I preached on it last summer, I reminded
people that the culture around Jacob would be unsurprised by Jacob’s
vision. The ziggurats themselves were
stairs to heaven. Priests tended the
places at the top so that the gods and goddesses would be able to transition
between the two worlds. Such transition
was thought to require food, drink, and even sleep. When Jacob has this vision, he knows what he
is seeing. God’s angels are coming down
this ladder to do God’s will on earth and up this ladder to report their work
accomplished. Jacob names the spot
“Bethel,” which means house of God. Jacob
gives the name to the place because he knows that spot is important to
God. God is in that place.
Jesus
instructs those hearing and us reading that we will be like Jacob, seeing the
angels ascending and descending, which, to be fair, is much more impressive
than Him seeing a guy under a fig tree, right?
Why do I
think I was drawn to preach on this passage today? Some of you might be wondering what its impact
on your life is or should be? Oooh. A couple slow nods. Good.
One, I am certain God wants you to know that this passage is for
you. Now, we are all good little
Episcopalians, and we all know that all Scripture is good for teaching,
reproving, correcting, and training us in righteousness, right? We all accept that on some level, maybe
intellectual or general. But in a more
grammatical way, God is reminding each one of us that the passage is for
us. The grammar of John’s Gospel
switches from the singular “you” to the plural “you” at the end. In other words, Jesus is addressing Nathanael
specifically at the beginning of the passage and address the y’all when it
comes to seeing these greater things, the angels ascending and descending. Jesus’ assertion is not meant for Nathanael
alone. All those who follow Him will see
this.
But, Brian,
I have never seen angels ascending and descending, right? That’s your next question or statement,
right? It’s ok, those of you nodding are
telling the truth. Have we not,
though? We have all just come through
the season of Christmas. Where is the
place that we know God dwells? Or, to
put it a bit more simply, what distinguishes the Incarnation from you and
me? It’s ok, you can say “Oh!” For those of us not connecting the dots,
Jesus is the place where God dwells. On
some level the Incarnation remains a mystery to us. We accept and sort of understand that Jesus
is fully man and fully God. What does
that mean? How does it play out? On one level we might say that while on earth
the focus of God was on the Person we call Jesus, but do we really believe that
God was not doing anything else anywhere in the world far away from Jesus? To complicate matters more, and this is in
part why heresies arose in the early Church, we say that God condescended and
limited Himself to being a human being, right?
How did only human Jesus, and I am bordering on Modalism to make a
point, see Nathanael under the fig tree in our passage today? Or, if you prefer, how does human Jesus know
what is in the hearts of those around Him?
In the end,
we remind ourselves that God was dwelling in Jesus, that Jesus was fully divine
and fully human. But we also remind
ourselves that a Holy Mystery means we cannot fully grasp or understand the
Incarnation. Yes, those who saw Jesus
saw God. Yes, Jesus demonstrated to the
world that He was here to do the Will of God.
But, as some of our Easter prayers and blessings remind us, there was
something of value in each one of us, that God would become human and take that
fully humanness back to the Trinity when He ascended to the Father. Jesus becomes our Great High Priest, our
Mediator, the One in Whom we can have full confidence because He, and He alone,
did the Will of the Father. And all of
this, even what might seem a bit innocuous at first glance—just a calling of a
couple more disciples, contributes to John’s, and hopefully our own,
understanding of Who Jesus was and is.
Now, back
to your unanswered question. When have
you seen angels ascending and descending? Some among us have had mystical visions. I will not share names and visions because
they are theirs to share. But, you have
all seen the results of those angels descending. Our low hanging fruit this morning is not a
fig, but a ministry. I have shared the
work of Body & Soul so often because it serves a number of purposes in our
community. Go back in your minds four
years. Did you have any idea that we
would easily be able to distribute 1000 pounds of food a month? And do not lie to yourself. Think back to your thoughts about the
need. 1000 pounds seemed like a lot,
right? Now, think about what we have
given away and how little of our resources have been spent to make that
quantity available. Some among us have
been privileged to offer the food insecure steaks, lobster, shrimp, and a host
of things like tongue that we might not value or find appetizing, but that some
of those whom we serve in God’s Name treat as a delicacy. Our best month, September of last year, saw
us giving away 15-20,000 pounds a week!
Since we did not purchase that stuff, who provided all of it? Right, God.
Those of us who serve at Body & Soul are quick to give God
credit. We know we did not plan,
provide, prepare it. And this provision
is just one facet of the gem we call Body & Soul. But from the perspective of those whom we provide
food in His Name, who are we? And many
are familiar enough with our Scriptures to think that sometimes angels appear
like normal human beings.
Most of us
have forgotten our CARES work from the beginning of the pandemic. But we made sure people who qualified were
able to keep a roof over their head, their utilities on, and that they were
fed. How did that happen? Again, God.
Sure, we know the government invited us because of our work at our
pantry, but do any of us really think our government is “holy”? Attuned to God? And, just as a reminder, when I got the call,
I had been researched. I was warned that
my BOM experience prepared me for what would happen in this program, that if we
participated in or encouraged fraud, it would cost us money. I knew it would also dishonor God. But we did the job legally and
faithfully. And for our faithfulness,
God provided some funds for some of our much-needed deferred maintenance items,
right? But people at risk in our
community know us as a community of Christians who try to do all that they can
to ameliorate suffering and oppression. Each
week, I get a couple calls asking if we can help because we helped in the past
or helped a friend in the past. And I
can always offer food in God’s Name.
And what of
the assistance we provide to other ministries in our community? Outreach Ministry Sunday gained a reputation,
y’all gained a reputation, among those working to fight oppression in our midst
such that they accosted the bishop from time to time asking him to make me let
them present to the parish. Y’all cannot
understand the loneliness and challenges of silo ministry. As much as the financial or volunteerism
support they received from our parish, the ministries that presented before the
pandemic loved the affirmation and encouragement we gave them. And now that it has relaunched, I seem to
have no shortage of directors and leaders asking to present at Advent. How do you appear in their eyes? How do you appear in the eyes of those whom
they serve?
In truth, I
could go on and on and on. I wish we had
a collector and writer of Body & Soul stories. I wish y’all had the patience to let me share
all the stories that popped into my mind about your work this as I prayerfully
composed this sermon. I suspect the Holy
Spirit is speaking to each of us individually as I preach, about how our work
is not unlike that of the angels of God, that we are supposed to be doing His
Will here, in the wildernesses or shadows of the world. Part of our work, empowered by the Holy
Spirit, is to do these works, these ministries in God’s Name, that the closing
verse might be fulfilled in those around us.
Everyone we encounter is included in Christ’s invitation and promise
this morning. We do these things not to
earn salvation, not to esteem ourselves, but to point others to One in Whom God
dwelt among us, to give thanks to God for His willingness to save each one of
us, and to mirror the incredible grace offered by God through the saving
embrace of our Lord Christ. Just as He
promised, all of you have seen. Now He
asks that you do the works He has given each one of you to do, both individually
and corporately, that others may see, too!
Or, to put it in the words of one of our Epiphany blessings, He offers
to be manifest in you, that your life and our lives might be a light unto the
world around us!
In His Peace and Empowering Grace,
Brian†
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