One of my favorite television shows is a sitcom called “The Office.” Strangely enough the show is about an office. Well, actually at the end of the nine season series the viewer discovers this “mockumentary” about the business of a small paper company actually focused upon the workers and not the corporate side. I watch “The Office” so much that I can quote most episodes or at least tell you what is about to happen.
At the start of one of the shows the petulant boss, Michael, who seems to grow more childish by the season walks into the office with gum caught in his hair. He claims that he saw something shiny underneath an employee’s car, so he stooped down to pick it up, and in the process Michael got something sticky stuck in his locks. One of the other office workers asks, “So at best you were going to get a quarter, but instead you have gum stuck in your hair?” In an attempt to calm down their moody boss a few of the employees rush to get peanut butter, an old home remedy for removing gum. The scene ends with Michael’s head covered in peanut butter, as one of his yes men massages his scalp. Michael admits it was just a gum wrapper’s gleam that caught his eye.
How do you tell a quarter from a gum wrapper? Is it worth it to get gum in your hair for potential treasure? Or, are you too afraid to wind up with a peanut buttery mess on your head to mistakenly go in search of something?
“Come and see.”
One day Jesus decided that he would go to a place called Galilee. Galilee in those days felt restless, a place just outside the firm grip of the Roman occupiers. Without adequate ways for people on the fringes of society to receive help Galilee overflowed with those seeking healing and new life.
For Jesus to decide to go here meant that he wanted not just to be known as a teacher, but to begin his transformational ministry. In this place teeming with potential Jesus called Philip saying, “Follow me.” Without hesitation the man from Bethsaida joined Jesus.
Like anyone joining a new ministry, Philip felt a lightning bolt of new energy surge through him. With this new spirit Philip told his friend Nathaniel about Jesus, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Yet, Nathaniel having a less sunny disposition was not so ready to buy into his friend’s excitement. It was as though Nathaniel had gotten gum stuck in his hair many times and did not like the smell of peanut butter on his head. So initially, Nathaniel rebuffs Philip’s hope-infused message responding, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Chronic optimists, like myself, do not have an easy time hearing these words from the pragmatic friend of Philip, but what an appropriate question for Nathaniel to ask. Can ANYTHING good come out of Nazareth? The prophets did not mention the Son of God coming from there. Moses did not say to his people make sure to keep an eye out in that part of Israel. There is little indication that Nazareth will be the place from which salvation comes. I can call Nathaniel a pessimist because he is not around to defend himself, but he brings to mind a realistic, if somewhat cynical, point: If we know that a place does not have potential or is bad (in our eyes) can something good come from there?
Maybe you have never thought, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (except after reading this passage). Yet, I bet you have thought about other places in this way: Can anything good come from my stubborn neighbor? Can anything good come from that side of Decatur? Can anything good come from Auburn (or Tuscaloosa)? Can anything good come from Montgomery or Washington D.C.? Can anything good come from France? Can anything good come from the Muslim world?
We know the stories and we have made up our minds, so that is that and I am not getting gum stuck in my hair even if there potential treasure. I have been burned before or someone I love has gotten hurt or worse because of this person or that group. We may end up wondering, “Can anything good come from anywhere in this broken down world?”
“Come and see,” Philip says.
The spark that Jesus’ invitation (“Follow me”) lit within Philip’s heart burned brightly so that even the cynical, potentially squelching question from Nathaniel did little to diminish Philip’s flame. “Come and see,” Philip responds. Nathaniel, as skeptical as he may be, still makes the journey to go and see Jesus. We may have made up our minds already about everything under the sun. We may believe that we know others’ intentions, their hearts, and their minds better than they themselves know. We might even be right, but what Nathaniel does by following Philip to Jesus is precisely what we must do with all of our preconceived notions, all our prejudices, and all our fears. We must come and see.
When Nathaniel meets Jesus we discover along with the skeptic that the Messiah knows more about this man than Nathaniel thinks. This little bit of precognition shifts Nathaniel’s view enough to call Jesus “Rabbi,” “Son of God,” and “King of Israel.” Clearly by coming to Jesus and seeing what the Messiah knows shifts Nathaniel’s life. Yet, Nathaniel and we will see much greater signs than Christ simply seeing us and calling us. Jesus the Messiah opens up heaven and is the way God.
Christ has so much in store for each and every one of our lives. Yet, we may let preconceptions, prejudices, and fears paralyze us. The memory of gum stuck in our hair and the smell of the peanut butter on our head might keep us from checking under a car to find a quarter. A scar on our hearts might keep us from seeking new treasure. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” The real question is, “Can anything good come from us?”
Jesus echoes Philip’s words to us, “Come and see!” Let go of what you think will happen. Let go of what has happened. Come to Jesus and he will show you greater things than where you are now. Christ will do more than tell you from where you came. He will show us all that he is the connection that brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven! Come and see!
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