Don’t close doors, we don’t know how or through whom God will bless us. Ecclesiastes 11:6
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip. John 1
Nathanael said those words before he met Jesus and became his disciple. When I read this verse in the first chapter of John’s Gospel, the word ‘Prejudice’ came to my mind. Nathanael had a major Prejudice against the place and people where Jesus grew up.
Prejudice implies; bias, preconceived opinions or judgements (before even meeting someone), hostility, unjust behaviour. It also has legal connotations; harm or injury that may result from some action or judgement.
We all have Prejudices because of the life we’ve lived and the places where we’ve grown up. Many times we may be unaware of the areas in our lives where these things exist! There are things we don’t think about and to which we just react. It’s like a default setting which occurs automatically in our lives when we encounter certain issues or people.
Northern Ireland, where we live, had a worldwide reputation for Prejudice, thanks to the media and during the height of the Troubles (sectarian strife). Satan works hard to keep people divided and sets up all kinds of barriers and battles to keep it that way. The Gospel is the answer to such division, but in times of social unrest people often choose anger and revenge over peace.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, male nor female, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. Galatians 3
There’s no record that Philip tried to persuade Nathanael that Jesus was the Christ, he just said, “COME AND SEE (for yourself)”. A lot of Prejudice is based on here say and lies.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. John 1
Jesus spoke to Nathanael by the Spirit with a word of Knowledge, perhaps that’s what He had to do to overcome his Prejudice.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” John 1
Nathanael had a revelation of who Jesus really was and used two of His Names/titles in this chapter. When he met Jesus and his life was changed forever, but his reaction on hearing Jesus was from Nazareth might have blocked it all. We need to be recognise things in our hearts that would block His destiny for our lives. Nathanael met Jesus in person; God’s Spirit speaks to us now in our hearts.
God bless and keep you today.