St. Bartholomew – John 1:43-51
“Seeing is believing.” “What you see is what you get.” These commonly-expressed sentiments illustrate how much value we tend to put on the ability to see things, with our eyes, in our determination of what is true and what is real.
Today is the feast day of Nathanael Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles. His name literally means “Nathanael, the son of Tolmai.”
Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to him by his patronymic name, Bartholomew. John’s Gospel refers to him by his given name, Nathanael. But they are all talking about the same person.
Church tradition tells us that as an apostle, Nathanael Bartholomew’s ministry took him eventually to Armenia, where the king of that country was converted under his ministry. But the king’s brother was angered by this and had him killed.
Before all that, however – as demonstrated in today’s text from St. John’s Gospel – Nathanael was someone who originally attributed great importance to his ability to see things for himself, in his determination of what he would accept as true and real. And he was also impressed by the extraordinary ability of Jesus also to see things that he would not have expected him to be able to see.
We are told in our text that Bartholomew was willing to believe in Jesus, because of what Bartholomew saw; and, that Bartholomew was willing to believe in Jesus because of what Jesus saw. But should he have been so willing to believe, just on this basis?
Nathanael’s friend Philip – who had himself very recently become a disciple of Jesus – invited Nathanael likewise to become a follower of the Lord, saying: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Nathanael’s somewhat haughty and dismissive response was, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip then said to him, “Come and see.” That appealed to Nathanael. He would go and see for himself whether Jesus is, or might be, the Messiah.
The idea of seeing Jesus, and of being an eyewitness to his life both before and after his resurrection, was an important component of what it meant for an apostle to be an apostle. Unlike other pastors and preachers, who would come later in the history of the church, the apostles uniquely laid the foundation of the Christian church: by their proclamation of what they had seen with their own eyes, and heard with their own ears.
But as a general principle, it would be a dangerous and discouraging idea, if we were to think that we should not acknowledge the truthfulness of anything that we have not seen with our own eyes. In reference to the life and hope of Christians, St. Paul writes that “we walk by faith, not by sight.”
The faith by which we know that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for our salvation, is not based on our having seen these things, but it is based on the apostles’ having seen these things. And this saving faith is also based on the supernatural testimony of the Holy Spirit – in, with, and under the apostles’ testimony – that these things really did happen, and really do matter for us.
But back to the story of Nathanael: We are told that as he approached Jesus – with Philip – Jesus said of him, loudly enough to be heard by Nathanael: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
One can almost imagine the teasing glint in Jesus’ eye as he talked with Nathanael. When Jesus was not around, Nathanael had expressed to Philip his unvarnished low opinion of Jesus’ hometown – and, by extension, his skepticism that the Messiah could come from that town.
So, Jesus’ seeming compliment – that he was an Israelite in whom there is no deceit – was referring to his having told Philip what he really thought of Nazareth and of Nazarenes.
But this didn’t get Jesus angry. More than likely it made him chuckle, as he let it be known to Nathanael that he had seen him – and heard him – at the time when he had spoken these uncomplimentary words.
How often have you been willing to express gratuitous, unkind thoughts about someone to a third party, when you believed that the person you were criticizing or mocking could not hear you? And how embarrassed have you been on those occasions when the person you were “running down” walked up behind you – without your knowing it – so that he could hear your back-stabbing insults?
This is not just a laughing matter. Jobs have been lost, and friendships have been fractured, through such offensive behavior, and through such hurtful words.
According to the Eighth Commandment, we should speak well of others as far as truth permits; and should put the best interpretation on every situation, and on every word and action. This commandment teaches that it is better to avoid the sin of slander in the first place, than to regret the sin of slander after it has come back to bite us.
Some forms of honesty and sincerity are not virtuous – such as when the honest and sincerely-held opinion that we hold, is a proud, arrogant, and judgmental opinion. Such opinions should not be held. And they should definitely not be expressed.
So, Nathanael was likely embarrassed, and ashamed of what he had said – even though it was his honest opinion – once he realized that Jesus had seen him, and heard him.
This was one of those occasions during his earthly ministry when Jesus knew things that he could not have known by ordinary, natural means. It was an indication that Jesus was not an ordinary man, and was evidence either of his divine nature, or of his special anointing with the Holy Spirit, or of both.
But by itself, this example of extrasensory perception on Jesus’ part was not enough of a reason for Nathanael to say what he then said: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” And so Jesus – likely with another chuckle – responded:
“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. … Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Many people who were aware of so much more about Jesus than his ability to know about things that were beyond his physical senses, refused to believe in him. They attributed his healings and miracles to the devil.
This was not Nathanael’s problem. He was not being stubborn in willful unbelief. But he was being a bit gullible and hasty.
An instance of extra-sensory perception, in itself, does not prove that God is present or is causing this to happen. The devil also knows a lot of things about a lot of people. He and his minions are all over the place, eavesdropping on conversations, and watching what people do.
Satan is a fallen angel, with great powers of perception. And he is able to convey to people who are in his service – or who are unwittingly under his deception – a knowledge of the things that he knows, about other people in other places.
People in general today are so deficient in spiritual discernment – and so lacking in a knowledge of what the Scriptures teach about the evil powers and principalities that exist in the supernatural realm – that as soon as they conclude that something in the supernatural realm is real, they automatically assume that it is good and harmless.
So, for example, when they participate in a seance, and are spoken to through the medium by an entity that knows things about their departed loved one that they think only that departed loved one would know, they conclude without hesitation that the spirit of their departed loved one is reaching out to them. It never enters their minds that this could be a deception.
Yet there are intelligent and malevolent spirits in this fallen world who would eagerly welcome any opportunity to deceive the spiritually naive, and to give them a false hope for a blessed afterlife that does not depend on faith in Christ – who alone is the way, the truth, and the life.
Now, in today’s text, Nathanael was correct that Jesus was the Son of God, and the King of Israel. But he was not correct for the right reasons.
Based only on the evidence that turned Nathanael to this conclusion – that is, Jesus’ knowledge of where he had been, and what he had been doing – Jesus could have been in league with the devil, and could have known what he knew because the devil had revealed it to him.
If you’re going to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and as the King of Israel, you need to have a better reason than the reason Nathanael had for this belief. If every being that has an extra-sensory knowledge of persons and events is the Son of God, and the King of Israel, then you’re going to be worshiping, and bowing down to, a lot of demons!
And there are better reasons to believe in Jesus that do not depend on what you can see, or on what he can see. Bartholomew and the other apostles – in time – came to understand those reasons.
As the apostles, through the New Testament, continue to bear witness to what they saw and heard, and as the Holy Spirit confirms their testimony in your mind and heart, your faith is established, and built up, on a truly sound foundation.
Jesus did things for you that the devil could never have inspired him to do. He carried all your sins to the cross, and as your substitute and Savior he absorbed into himself the just judgment of his own divine law against your sins. And God the Father vindicated his Son, and declared his acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins once and for all time, by raising him from the dead on the third day.
In his glorified state Jesus now governs his church through his Word; and in his divine wisdom he governs the world for the benefit of his church and its mission. And Jesus governs you, who know him by faith, as he comes to you again and again in his gospel and sacraments: to wash away your sin, to renew your hope, and to enlighten you ever more in his truth.
Until the end of this world, Jesus will continually come to his people in these hidden and invisible ways: ways that cannot be seen, but that are very real. But on the last day, he will return visibly, with his angels, to raise – and to judge – all the dead.
All eyes will then see him in his glory. They will see his angels ascending and descending on him. Nathanael will see this. You will see this.
But as you then stand before the judgment seat of Christ, giving an account of yourself and of your deeds, there is something that Jesus will not see. He will not see your sins.
In the Book of Revelation – in anticipation of the final judgment – Jesus is quoted to say these words, of each of those who trust in him, and endure in faith until the end:
“The one who conquers will be clothed…in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”
The white garments are the garments of Christ’s own righteousness, which cover over our sin, and which make us – in God’s eyes – to be as righteous as his Son is. As St. Paul also says in his Epistle to the Galatians:
“In Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Our recognition of who Jesus is – as our justifier, and as our Savior – is not based on an ability now to see him – although we will someday see him. And in the final analysis, our recognition of who Jesus is to us, is not based on what he is able to see, either. It is based on what he is able not to see.
As far as the east is from the west, God, in Christ, has removed our sins from us. God, in Christ, remembers our sins no more. God, in Christ, does not see our sins.
Nathanael Bartholomew – through the teaching of his Master and the leading of the Holy Spirit – eventually did live, and die, in this faith. Eventually, he did walk by this faith, and not by sight.
And you, too, are invited to join him in walking, not by sight, but by faith: faith in a God who makes and keeps promises, who forgives sin, and who does and gives what only God can do and give. Amen.