The Real Seeker--January 18, 2024

The Real Seeker--January 18, 2024

"Nathanael asked [Jesus], 'Where did you get to know me?' Jesus answered, 'I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.' Nathanael replied, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' Jesus answered, 'Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these'." [John 1:48-50]

I once read a definition of the word disciple that went something like this: "A disciple of Jesus is someone striving to follow after Jesus, who is, of course, already pursuing us."  That's the real wonder for me in this scene: Jesus has been seeking us out before we were looking for him--in fact, even before we were aware of him at all.

If you want to know what was so special about the fig tree that Jesus mentions, I'm sorry; I can't help you. Some people have speculated that Nathanael had been praying earlier that day under a fig tree, and that Jesus' knowledge about it must be evidence that he is God. Others might take it simply as evidence that Jesus had some knowledge of Nathanael prior to this conversation, whether it was "supernatural" or just having seen him earlier in the day.  The vital thing, I think, is the awareness that Jesus is seeking us out before Nathanael knew it--that Jesus saw, called, and chose him, even when Nathanael wasn't on his best behavior, even without waiting for him to get his act together, and even before Nathanael had ever heard of Jesus.  Jesus doesn't wait for us to get the bright idea to reach out to him--he's already reaching out to us. His acceptance of us isn't contingent on seeing us at our best, waiting for us to get the words right, or even understanding what's going on.  Jesus just claims us, as we are, and says, "It's you I choose."

Jesus, it turns out, is the real Seeker in the Christian story; we are the sought.

In a culture like ours where people are constantly goaded to put on some kind of show to get more attention, that is beautifully upside-down.  Our kids grow up watching would-be influencers on the latest social media platforms of the day, trying to become famous with their fashion sense, dance moves, random opinions, or manufactured hype.  Our celebrities are increasingly known just for being celebrities.  And we are tempted more and more to define success in terms of "How many likes did this get?" rather than "What sort of quality is this made with?" We keep telling each other and teaching our children to attract ever more attention to ourselves, or else fade to irrelevance.  We keep reinforcing the notion that our worth is bound up in getting noticed, and here Jesus' response to Nathanael reminds us that he has set his sights on us before we were even trying.

Maybe that's what we need to keep reminding each other, especially in the age of social media.  The so-and-sos and Big Deals who need you to put on a dog-and-pony show in order to get their attention are not worth the effort.  The ones who relentlessly demand you to impress them in order to gain their acceptance don't get to tell you your value.  You are already claimed, chosen, and sought after by the living Jesus, who has been seeking us out while we were looking the other way.  You and I don't need to dazzle God or get God's attention--you already have it, and you are already deemed precious, beloved, and called to be a part of God's movement in the world.  The only question, really, is whether we will dare to believe what God says is already true about us.

I suppose in this life, when you realize that you have been sought out and claimed before you were even aware of it, and without your starting into your talent-show-song-and-dance-routine, and that the One who has sought you has already seen you at your most raw and unpolished self--and still seeks you anyway all the same--you can't help but be overcome with wonder.   Maybe it's no surprise, then, that Nathanael bursts out in reply to Jesus, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"  The kingmakers, powerbrokers, and celebrity-consultants won't give us the time of day until we prove our potential and get their attention.  But Jesus has already sought us out as we are--that's how you know he's the real deal.

Lord Jesus, remind us that you have sought us out as we are and loved us, so that we can stop trying to earn others' approval and simply live as people you have claimed as your own.