Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."- Jn 1:47-48
Friends, God is good, all the time.
The day Nathaniel came face to face with Jesus for the first time, he discovered how rich and fruitful it is to be open to God's wonderful works in Jesus. But Nathaniel could open himself for such greater possibilities because Jesus gave him the solid ground to do so by affirming his amiable character instead of scolding him for his doubtful and biased comment he made to Philip under the fig tree.
It was customary for Jews to stop under trees for meditation at some point in the day. So, Nathaniel might have just finished his meditation or probably interrupted by Philip to announce his discovery of the Messiah, which prompted him to comment, "Can anything good come from Nazarite?". But look at what Jesus did on seeing him, he honored his candid disposition of being forthright, honest, non-hypocritical, and open to conviction, by describing him as "a true Israelite, in whom there is no duplicity."
Perhaps it was Jesus' amiable expression about him, and how much he proved to know of his inmost thought and soul, and yet never rushed to condemn him, even of his latest comments, that taught him that Jesus was the Messiah. To Nathaniel, Jesus was a man who saw and cared about the good in him and strengthened this virtue with his comment. Why would he not trust this man and call him the true son of God?
Christians need to have something so obvious and positive about them that people should recognize the moment they encounter them. It is also vital that we lay the foundation for people to trust us, knowing that whether they are present or absent from us, we will be valuable to them. People need positive affirmation to open themselves to greater possibilities; they can also get shattered at negative comments, gossips, and fault-finding. Let's be committed to being constructive with people in their presence and behind their backs.
Prayer blessings: Father, thank you for the angels who minister to you and us. May Gabriel continue to bring us good news, Michael to defend us against Satan and temptations from the powers of evil, and Raphael to visit the sick member of our families and friends to sprinkle healing remedies and graces on them this day. Amen.