Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 5, 2008 - St. John Neumann, CSSR - bishop
[1 John 3:11-21 and John 1:43-51]Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Place of origin can trigger prejudices we are unconscious of! As soon as we hear where someone is from, we start forming an idea - good or bad - as to what they're like. When I go to a church I've never been to before, I take the risk of saying that I'm from the town where the movie, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, was filmed. Lord knows what they think, but it does have the effect of connecting me with something many of them may have seen. We've probably used the words, "You're from__________? You don't act like anyone I've known from there!" You get the picture. I've been to Nazareth. Aside from the immense church built over the spot that ancient tradition assigns as the location of the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, there's not a lot to the town. The text does not tell us why Nathanael has a low opinion of Nazareth. The scene is intended as a typical Johannine progression from doubt to enlightenment. Nathanael winds up admitting that something (or better, someONE) good can come from Nazareth! Jesus pays him a great compliment by calling him an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. Nathanael's skepticism is swept aside. We can only hope that such things as place of origin will not blind us to the goodness that others may have to offer us in the form of God's love! AMEN
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