"You will see greater things than these." John 1:50
My friend, David Lane, has often shared a great piece of advice with me. He says, "There is no education in the second kick of a mule." For those who need an interpretation of this rural parable, it is very close in meaning to, "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." What's the take away? People are wise to avoid mules and jackasses, of all kinds.
People are naturally skeptical, but those who have been scorched by the relentless sun of a wilderness experience are less likely to believe their lives are about to become a walk in the park. Good news is often rejected along with any news that promises hope and change. Then when your trust in the one who promised you hope and change is betrayed, you feel foolish. Can I get a witness? But I digress.
News anchor, Water Cronkite spoke about a cat on an evening broadcast years ago. He was talking about the Vietnam War, and the need to learn the right lessons, not the wrong ones, from that national experience. He said he recalled a cat that used to come into his boyhood home and jump up onto the old wood burning stove in the kitchen to cool down. The stove hadn't been used for years, and it was always cool to the touch. One day there was a power outage and the electric stove proved useless, so the wooden stove was fired up again. The cat came in from its daily routine, walked across the kitchen floor and jumped up on the stove. In a flash of fur and fury, the cat vanished from the scene. He said the cat never jumped up on the stove again, cold or hot. Point of story: Don't learn the wrong lesson from a bad experience. Always learn the right one.
Nathanael is one of the least known disciples, but one of my personal favorites. He reminds me of a time in my life when everything I heard about Jesus was just too good to be true. See if you agree. After following Jesus, "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him...Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45)
Nathanael's response was classic skepticism, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Undeterred by this verbal wet blanket, Philip challenged "Disciple Downer" with, "Come and see."
Note to self: Jesus cannot be explained. He must be experienced. People who continually vet Him, have never met Him.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming down the road, and spoke to him first. He always does. The Skeptic in Nathanael was not impressed. He guardedly responded with, "How do you know me?" Jesus simply told him that he saw him standing under a fig tree, before Philip called him. Jesus revealed something to him that only He and Nathanael could know. It changed his life forever.
"The Skeptic" in Nathanael blew right past "The Seeker" in him, and transformed "Disciple Downer" into "The Speaker."
"Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."
John 1: 49
WOW! Where did that come from? Like a bolt out of the blue, or a lightening strike to the soul, the words of Jesus turned Nathanael's life around. Nathanael was once spiritually blind, but now he could see. I can remember a day when it was hard to believe that God was true to His word. It seemed every time I reached out for Him, my hope exceeded my grasp. It really is true what the Bible says,
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
I too was tempted to believe the lie, that just accepting what I had was less traumatic than hoping there was something more. I have benefited from following in the example of Nathanael's faith and resiliency in spite of his discouragement. Thanks, Nathanael.
"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.' " John 1:50
Note to self: Don't let past disappointments, present difficulties or future delays rob you of the immediacy or the intimacy of the Presence of Jesus. He sees you in every circumstance and crisis, and there is not a moment of your day when He does not know your spiritual condition. Whatever it is, and where ever you are, pray. One word from Jesus, can turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. If Jesus says it, never fear if it is too good to be true. He is "The Way, The Truth, and The Life." You can believe Him...EVERY TIME.