Meeting Jesus

“You will see greater things than this. Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

In John 1:45-51, Philip not only obeys the call to become a disciple himself, but brings another disciple with him to Jesus. Nathanael (= Deus dedid, “Gift of God”) was a native of Cana in Galilee (John 21:2), and is most probably identical with Bartholomew (= “son of Tolmai”) the Apostle, whose feast we celebrate today. (One tradition speaks of Bartholomew visiting India—the present day Punjab, but the Roman Martyrology has him martyred in Armenia, skinned alive according to the Persian custom.)

A true Jesus-experience, a God-encounter, pushes you out of your comfort zone to involve others, and to even take risks. You don't have to be a perfect person to experience the fullness of God. You don't have to be in a perfect place to have a God-experience. God is incarnate in every moment, wherever you are. He is present to those who know how to be present here and now. Strangely enough, it is often imperfect people and people in quite secular settings who encounter God's Presence, as we read in today's gospel. Nathanael disregards Jesus because of the insignificance of where Jesus came from, as did the religious and secular authorities. Although Nathanael is cynical at the beginning, the Jesus-encounter leaves him deeply transformed.

Let's see Jesus attitude towards Nathanael. Jesus sees the inside of Nathanael, and says: “Truly, this is one in whom there is no deception!” How do we treat people who are always complaining? How do we feel about people who grumble, and are unhappy? Jesus teaches us how to see the authenticity of a person, how to see the depth of a person. Every person is basically good, s/he too is God's Beloved. Our positive approach (truthful approach) towards persons can even change people.

Nathanael's openness to reality makes him meet God in Jesus. His encounter with Jesus changes him profoundly. Like Philip, he too starts following Jesus. And Jesus assures him and all of us: “You will see greater things than that. I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man the angels of God ascending and descending.” Mature religion involves changing ourselves and letting ourselves be changed by a mysterious encounter with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. This is the truth that will set us free, and will make us live our heaven here and now, not just after our death.

God comes to us “here and now” disguised as our life. Let God live in us. Let Him take charge of our life. Only then will we know that the myriad forms of life in the universe are merely parts of the One Life—that many of us call “God.” Only then will I know that my life is not about me, but I am about Life. “I live now not I, but Another Life lives in me.”