Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
Waiting Under the Fig Tree
Abridge Worship Provided By: Rev. Jacob Shaw
(Please note that is is not a verbatim account of our Sunday morning worship, but rather a condensed version for those at home to study and enjoy, Blessings)
Opening Prayer: Father in Heaven, You are eternal and magnificent! It was from Your ultimate authority which You formed us in our mother’s wombs, You know us completely. And by that knowledge, and for Your glory, You call to us, calling us to be followers of Your Son. May our hearts and minds be open to You call, and our souls willing to respond. Amen.
Scripture Readings:
1 Samuel 3:10 NIV Translation
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
We give thanks to God for the Scriptures and ask God to have these words inspire our hearts and minds.
Reflection:
This story of being called by Jesus is wonderful because it depicts a very human response to this claim of the Messiahship of Jesus. First you have Philip telling Nathanael about Jesus, and you see a very human teasing coming from Nathanael as he mocks the little town of Nazareth. Now at the time of Jesus’ ministry, Nazareth was a small town, maybe 500 people or so, so Nathanael’s quip about Nazareth, is in line with what someone might say about the small-town folk, Messiah from Hicksville, come on.
If I’m honest, sounds like something I would have said, now Philip doesn’t challenge Nathanael’s quip, saying show respect, or how dare you be offensive, he simply invites Nathanael to come and see.
Here is a good spot to have a side note, when we as Christians are trying to share the Gospel with others we will encounter much more than just the odd remark, but the appropriate response is not sword and shields, but rather a continual genuine invitation to come and see. More on that another day.
We see more of Nathanael’s humanity play out as Jesus names Nathanael as someone with no deceit, which might explain Nathanael’s remark about Nazareth, Nathanael might be a person who wears both mind and heart on his sleeve, saying what is of mind, and always tells it like it is. Nathanael must know this about himself, maybe being called out on this nature as truth can often be received as cutting, and so Nathanael asks, how?
At this moment, Nathanael is still in doubt about Philip’s claim, which is a very normal experience for people trying to connect with God. Feelings of doubt always seem right along for the ride, it’s that impulse to resist trusting in the Lord. But Jesus grants a simple statement that drives down Nathanael’s doubt instantly. Jesus said I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
Now there is some debate about what exactly was meant by this, but the general assumption from scholars was that Nathanael would rest prayerfully under a fig tree, and there was something particular Nathanael was praying for under the fig tree, right before Philip called him. Whatever it was Jesus spoke of something that no one but Nathanael could have known about, and this minor miracle was enough to increase Nathanael’s faith and decrease his doubt.
Now here is the thing, many of us, if not all of us, can say we know this feeling of doubt. But not as many of us can say they have been given an experience of proof like Nathanael got in this moment. And I think many of us have been under our version of Nathanael’s fig tree, calling out to the heavens saying God give me a sign.
Now here is the thing about God giving us signs, they seem to be on God’s time not our own, meaning they often don’t happen when we seek them out, rather they happen when God determines they are needed. But just because they are on God’s schedule, doesn’t mean they don’t happen. I’m going to share a personal story, one which the Bible study group heard this week.
When I was newly in college I met a fellow, who, for a lack of a better term was a bit eccentric. But he had a heart for the Gospel, and so we started talking about theology and faith. Shortly into our friendship, he told me that he had asked God to appear to him in a dream, and surely enough his prayer was answered, and his experience was very transformative. Now, I should have been very happy for this guy, but being human and having a fallen heart my reaction out the gate was, ways “Really this guy, where is my sign, I want one!”, the green-eyed monster overcame me, as they said. So that night as I went to bed I asked God to give me a sign, now at first I asked every night, then maybe once a week, then once a month or so. It would take over 10 years before that prayer was answered.
Now to how God eventually changed my life, you need to understand my wife and I had no plans to have kids, our life was going to be a life being DINKs, double income no kids. But one night God gave me a dream and in the dream God showed me two boys, one boy, the older reminded me of Sarah’s Grandfather, and the younger reminded me of my Grandfather. I woke, and the experience was so real, that it changed my heart, I went to my wife and said, I think God wants us to have kids. Long story short, when Ty was born, even as a newborn, I could see the face that was shown to me, and my wife and I knew we had to follow God’s call, so we tried for a second kid, and sure enough, the second boy from the dream was born. I tell the boys that I met them before they were born. As a father, I have not only been blessed by God to become a dad, but I have also grown in faith and in my understanding of God’s nature. It was by God’s will and wisdom, that he gave me my sign when I needed it, not necessarily when I wanted it.
Now for you, it is possible that your miracle or sign has already happened, or it is possible you are still under the fig tree, but I think the key to this concept of signs and miracles is to be open for one. Nathanael only got his, because when Philip told him to come see, to seek out the Lord with him, Nathanael went forth, even with his doubt. He sought after God. The only reason I gave the dream I had a second thought was I was open to God speaking to me, if I hadn’t, I might have just assumed it was a dream and never welcomed God to change my heart, never noticed the two face which I had met that night. So be open in your life to see God’s hands working, see his signs for you, his miracles. And if you are still waiting, seek God out all the more, ask Jesus to make himself known to you, pray it again and again, even for 10 years, and I have faith you will find what you’re looking for.
Homework:
Spend some time in reflection and prayer this week, asking yourself whether or not you believe you are, 1) open for God to provide you with a sign or a calling, 2) believe you would recognize God’s sign or calling, and 3) be willing to respond to it by pursuing God all the more.
Closing Prayer:
God of all that is, all that ever has been, and all that ever will be. You are the one who calls us, and we need to learn to listen, to be open to you, and to respond to your voice. Help us as we learn to pursue you all the more, with our whole selves. By your Son’s name, we pray. Amen.
Meme of the Week
Thank you for joining us this week. If you have any thoughts, feelings or prayer, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Please be respectful to others post and make room for all those joining us.
God Bless!
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