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Reflections from your Pastors
Tuesday, August 24
John 1: 47-49
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Nathanael asks Jesus, “How do you know me?” And Jesus answers, “Before Phillip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Jesus' seemingly mundane response sets off nothing less than an explosion of faith: 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are King of Israel!'
This answer from Jesus has always baffled me, and I have often let my imagination loose on what exactly was Nathanael doing under the fig tree that would have identified him as a “true child of Israel” and a man in which “there is no duplicity.” How could the words “I saw you under the fig tree,” convince the skeptic Nathanael that Jesus was indeed the Messiah?
I decided to turn to Judaism for some answers on this passage and this is what I learned:
The term "under the fig tree" is an ancient Jewish idiom that means studying the messianic prophecies and meditating on scripture. The idiom stems from Micah 4:4, in a passage describing the future messianic kingdom: “Each of them will sit under his vine, and under his fig tree.”
It is presumed that Nathanael spent many hours under the fig tree in prayer with Scripture, was thoroughly familiar with its entirety, both the Law and the prophets, and understood that the Messiah had been promised and was coming.
The fig tree was a common place for prayer, especially for young rabbinic students, which Nathanael may well have been. Fig leaves provide shelter from the searing rays of the sun and the pounding rain during a downpour. Similarly, the many leaves in the canopy overhead represent the protection that the Mosaic Law provides to those who stay under it and abide by it. If Nathanael was specifically under a fig tree when Philip called him, chances are he was in prayer. This is an interesting fact, but it still does not fully explain the drama of the story. The final piece of the puzzle involves first-century rabbis' teaching about prayer. The Jewish believer was taught that “he who, when he prays, does not pray for the coming of the Messiah, has not prayed at all.”
Thus, if Nathanael had been at prayer, chances are he was praying for the Messiah. Perhaps this is why Jesus refers to him as a true Israelite; his faith was focused on waiting for the Coming. When Jesus tells Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree, the implication is (and it is just an implication) that Nathanael put two and two together in his mind. Only one person could have known, could have heard his solitary prayer for the Messiah: the Messiah Himself! As the pieces fall together in his heart and mind, Nathanael finds himself on his knees. The true Israelite declares Jesus is the King.
Like Nathanael, it is good for us to reserve a block of time to be in the shade of the fig tree, (or in Colorado, perhaps a Cottonwood or an Aspen) to get away from people and our tasks, break away from the regular routine, sit down alone, be quiet, eliminate distractions, and spend quality time with God, not just speaking but also listening. Fig tree time can also be an excellent opportunity to read the Bible or do other spiritual reading. The options are many. The need is critical. The urgency is high. The time is now. If we sit under the fig tree, Jesus will see us, know us, and when he does, he will be well pleased.
Amen
Mother Rosean
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
Adapted from Judeo-Christian Research
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