nathanael

“Nazareth?” he said, incredulously. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” The wind rustled through the fig leaves as Philip smiled at Nathanael in the dappled shade. He was a straight-talker alright; whatever was in his head was coming out through his mouth whether anyone liked it or not.

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’
‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you.’” - John 1:47-48

In this story, Jesus disarms Nathanael with a prophetic word. And Nathanael is instantly convinced.

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel,” he proclaims, as plainly as ever. I wonder whether Jesus laughed at Nathanael’s straightforward style, or perhaps his rapid journey from doubt to belief, from the fig tree to the Messiah.

“You’ll see greater things than these,” He says.

Today, there might be people in your world who are under ‘fig trees’ of their own. Perhaps just a simple prophetic word might bring them closer to Jesus? Pray today about who God might want to speak to. It could be something really simple! Just one word from Jesus through you, and everything could change for them. Sometimes, we’re all called to be straight-talkers.