Perception

I really like the story about Jesus meeting Nathaniel. In fact, I really like Nathaniel. He seems like a cynic to me. Maybe it is because I consider myself a bit of a closet cynic.

Now, whereas Nathaniel cynically wondered what good could ever come out of Nazareth, I cynically wonder what good could ever come out of almost anything I am aware of. I find myself saying things like, "What good could ever come out of a deacon's meeting," or "what good could ever come from the administration building," or even, "what good could ever come from seminary."

I can even imagine Nathaniel being dragged along by Philip to meet this mystery, messiah man, Jesus of Nazareth, "Baah! Humbug Philip, leave me alone." I can imagine Nathaniel saying, "Philip, I am so tired of your lame stories and fantastic ideas. Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

Thank goodness that Philip didn't do the normal thing and say, "Fine you moron, go ahead and miss out on the greatest thing that could ever happen to you." Thank goodness Nathaniel went ahead and met Jesus. You see, it is in this meeting that I find something really fascinating.

When Nathaniel got close enough to hear Jesus, Jesus said, "Now here comes an Israelite in whome there is nothing false." I have no idea what Jesus meant by that. I don't even care very much if I ever know the full implication of that statement because Nathaniel's response carries all the implication that I need for a very long time.

Nathaniel said, "How do you know me?" Here is where it gets strange. All Jesus said was one simple line about a truthful Israelite and all of a sudden Nathaniel is ready to follow him anywhere. How is that?

I think it has to do with something pretty simple. We all want people to know who we are. We want people to understand what we are about. We want people to know our heart and still accept us. You see, I don't know if there really wasn't anything false in Nathaniel or not, but I do know that Nathaniel did not want there to be anything false in himself. I know that Nathaniel wanted more than anything to be what Jesus just said about him.

If this was just a simple one time event I could just move on and call it a scriptural anomaly, but it is not a one time event. There are many instances where Jesus speaks what is in someone's heart and they have to react. Sometimes the reaction is one of humility and thankfulness like Nathaniel's. Sometimes the reactions are angry and vindictive.

This is all very humbling because I am not blessed with Jesus's ability to peer into the human heart. I have to know someone first. In fact, I have to know them pretty well, and even then I stand a good chance of getting it wrong. I even struggle with knowing my own heart much of time.

Nevertheless, speaking to the heart of the man was the Jesus strategy. He did it all the time and He did it well. He did it to crowds and to individuals, over and over. It seems like speaking to people's hearts is something that we should do all the time. But how? I mean how do you speak to someone's heart when unlike Jesus it can take us a lifetime of vulnerability and dedication to grow a relationship strong enough to let someone give us a glimpse past the facade and into the heart?

I am afraid that the implications are obvious.