Figgy Thinkers

 Readings; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18, 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51
 Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, January 17, 2020

Are you a figgy thinker? A what? A figgy-thinker! In our bible reading today Nathaniel, who according to tradition, was also known as Nathaniel-Bartholomew, is the figgy thinker of all figgy thinkers!

You might be a figgy thinker if when everybody else is going with the flow you decide to take things slow. At the start of John's gospel there is a lot going on. John the Baptist is shaking things up talking about a Messiah. Some of Nathaniel's friends, Andrew and another guy have been going down to the river to witness the action.

Whilst there they have encountered Jesus. 'Come and See' He invited them, and they saw their need to become His disciples. Andrew tells his brother Simon about it, and he also becomes a disciple and, in the process, receives a new name, Peter. The next day they meet Nathanael's best buddy Phillip. Jesus says to Philip 'Follow me' and Phillip follows Him.

But Nathanael. Where is he at? While all this is going on Nathanael is figgy thinking. In the Old Testament the fig tree is pictured as a place of meditation and contemplation.  It was a symbol of the peace and prosperity the coming of a Messiah would bring. (Micah 4:3-4, Zechariah 3:10). Under the shade of its branch’s successive generations of rabbi's studied and taught. So, whilst everybody else was running around and jumping on the band wagon, Nathanael was figgy thinking.

When I turn on my TV in the morning one of the first things that comes on is 'What's trending?'  It is never me! I feel that as soon I purchase a new electronic device it is out of date and needs an upgrade. I cannot keep up with the next thing because I am still trying to figure out the last few things. If ever there was a culture that needed to make room for figgy-thinking it is ours.  

Scripture calls it 'Sabbath Time' and it is important because the alternative is running around like a headless chicken. We need places and times to stop and reflect. You might be a figgy thinker if when everybody else is going with the flow you decide to take things slow.

You might be a figgy-thinker if when somebody tells you something is too good to be true you agree that it is too good to be true.  Figgy thinking Nathaniel is sitting in the shade, reflecting on all the crazy talk about John the Baptist and Messiah's and people saying they are going to follow Jesus for the rest of their days. He sees his best buddy Philip coming his way and thinks 'What now?' We read John 1:45 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth."

You can picture Nathanael stifling a laugh. 'Really!' Joseph's son, Jesus, from Nazareth? "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (v.46) At first it sounds like Nathanael thinks Nazarenes are a bunch of no-hopers incapable of producing anything good. But that is not it. He is not speaking out of prejudice but from within his understanding of what Scripture taught about the Messiah. Moses, in the law, said that the Messiah would come from Judah, and the prophets said he would be born in Bethlehem.

When Philip tells him, 'The Messiah is from Nazareth' it just did not fit in with everything Nathaniel knew. It was a nice idea that a guy from a few towns could turn out to be the chosen one of God, but Nathanael was a figgy thinker and followed the maxim that if it sounded too good to be true than it was too good to be true.  

Nathanael did not have all the facts. Nobody mentioned that although Jesus now lived in Nazareth, He had been born in Bethlehem. The genius of Philip is that he does not try and argue with Nathanael. He knew him better than that. Philip just offers him the same invitation that Jesus offered; 'Come and See!'

There are a lot of people who know something of the story of Jesus, but do not have all the facts. We are tempted to think that we may be able to argue them into the Kingdom. This passage invites us to consider not pushing our case.  Just to say, 'Come and See!'

That is hard to do when we really care about people. That is tough when the gospel is something that means so much to us. But you know what? When people are not interested or dismiss what we are saying, or make some smart response, it is O.K.

Because the good news that 'God gives a fig about the way we live our lives' is huge. For most of us there was a time when that just did not fit in with how we understood life. But someone said to us 'Come and See!' and here we are. Nathanael was right to express his doubts.  You might be a figgy thinker if when everybody else is going with the flow you decide to take things slow.  You might be a figgy-thinker if when somebody tells you something is too good to be true you agree that it is too good to be true.  Which brings us to this.

You might be a figgy thinker if you are not afraid of being amazed. Jesus was always able to look beyond outward appearances and know what was really going on in people’s lives. Verse 47 'When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"'

Peter tended to put his words before his thoughts. James and John were over ambitious and had short tempers. Judas looked the part but never followed in his heart. Thomas thought only seeing was believing. But Nathanael? Jesus recognizes in Nathaniel character traits of honesty, sincerity, and trustworthiness.

Nathanael hears what Jesus says about him. Being a figgy thinker he does not accept it.  He knew that sometimes people used complementary words because they were setting you up for a fall. Nathanael doesn't mince his words, looks Jesus straight in the eye, and says 'How do You know me?''

How often do we hear that from people? 'You don't know what I'm going through. You just don't understand!' What an amazing insight this is from John's gospel. Jesus actually does know what we are going through. Jesus truly does understand. Jesus knew that out of all the people in town, nobody had been hoping more deeply and searching more carefully for their Messiah than figgy thinking Nathanial.

Have you ever had the experience where you have been reading something or watching something and you are trying to figure it out, and then you are doing something else, totally unrelated, and it suddenly all becomes clear? They call them 'Eureka' moments.  Or even 'Epiphanies'!

Nathanial's epiphany comes when Jesus said to him "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanial understood that Jesus had not just physically seen him, but the Spirit of God had searched his heart. This is a 'Wow! You really see me!' moment.

Back in 1999 country group Lonestar had a huge hit with a gentle love song that declared 'Baby, I'm amazed by you.'  The mystery of human love and attraction is certainly a source of amazement. People fall in love and sometimes their whole character changes. Hardened rockers start listening to country music. People start relating to Hallmark movies. Poetry makes sense.

Being amazed by the love of God can have an equally dramatic change upon our lives. It opens possibilities we had never imagined for our lives. Nathanial understands who Jesus is. "Rabbi,' he says' You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Jesus turns up the volume and says 'You ain't seen nothing yet!'  "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these... you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

The reference there is to Jacob's vision of a ladder that reached to heaven upon which he saw angels ascending and descending. Jesus had already affirmed Nathanael as being a true child of Jacob, a true Israelite. Now He's promising him that this was just the start. He is encouraging him that if he sticks with it, then he should be prepared for even more amazing things to happen.

After Jesus had been crucified a group of disciples are out on a fishing trip. (John 21:1-13) They have not caught a thing. A stranger on the shore shouts out to them, 'Try throwing your nets the other side'. They catch the biggest haul of fish they had ever known. Peter recognizes that the stranger is His risen Lord. They get to share in a fish supper with Him on the beach. Amazing.

Jesus has a conversation with them about love. The basis of it is simply that if they love Him, they will keep on trying to catch people up in His love. Figgy thinking Nathanial, (who was also known as Nathanial-Bartholomew) gets it. The call that he had received whilst he sat under the fig tree is confirmed. No more catching fish. Back to catching people for the Kingdom.  Our world needs figgy thinkers.

You might be a figgy thinker if when everybody else is going with the flow you decide to take things slow. As the world rushes on we get caught up in the latest thing. Yet there are those who have that rare gift of discernment. There are those who take the time to test what is going on against the Word of God and decide that seeking God's way is always the better option.

You might be a figgy-thinker if when somebody tells you something is too good to be true you agree that it is too good to be true.  Philip invites Nathanial to 'Come and See'.  Asking questions before we commit to things can save us a lot of embarrassment further down the road. A vital part of the art of discipleship is owning the gospel for ourselves; not just taking other people’s word for it but experiencing the love of Jesus personally.

You might be a figgy thinker if you are not afraid of being amazed.  Being believers in the midst of a world that does not believe is not easy. It takes tenacity to sing a resurrection song to a culture that belittles hope. Understanding that God has more in store in for us than we can ever conceive or imagine requires a childlike trust in God that is prepared to never call it a day, never quit believing, and never give up on hope.

Figgy-thinkers... your church, your community, your world needs you! People who seek only the truth and when they find it commit themselves wholeheartedly to living it. People who are ready to follow wherever their search may lead. People who genuinely believe the best is yet to come and take Jesus at His Word; “You will see greater things than these...”

May God grant us each the gift of figgy thinking! Amen.

 The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.