Sermon: John 1: 43-51 (Epiphany 2B)

Christ Church Riverdale, 15 January 2006

The Rev. Robert C. Lamborn, Rector

 ^NRS John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" ⁴⁸ Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." ⁴⁹ Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" ⁵⁰ Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." ⁵¹ And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

“Come on, Philip; don’t you know any better?  Haven’t we been friends for a long time, and haven’t we studied scripture together?  What are you talking about–the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets–some guy from Nazareth, that two-bit town?  I’m worried about you, Philip!” 

Of course to us Christians with 2000 years of history, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” sounds ridiculous, but that way of stereotyping, of pre-judging continues to be alive and well, from Ogden Nash’s “The Bronx?  No thonx,” to Howard Cosell’s, “Ladies & gentlemen, the Bronx is burning.”  Can anything good come out of Kingsbridge, or Spuyten Duyvil, or north of us in Yonkers, or Riverdale?  It’s tempting to subscribe to the definition of an expert as someone with a briefcase from at least 100 miles away, and think we know all about people from nearby, whether they’re from another neighborhood or another borough or even the state next door.  Not only that, but our fast-paced society seems to demand snap judgments–in traffic, for example, and we form those judgments based on the license plate or type of vehicle.  Seeing how people are dressed as they walk down the sidewalk, or what size group they are in or how they act on the subway can lead to other judgments as well.

Sometimes it’s necessary to make those judgments quickly, but if we’re not careful it can affect our ability in other situations to keep an open mind, listen thoroughly and decide carefully. Can anything good come from Nazareth?  In our world, we often reject first, and maybe ask questions later.  It’s easier to dismiss someone than to learn to know them and perhaps take the risk of being changed by them of finding out that the world that we have so carefully figured out isn’t exactly like we thought.  But Philip gets Nathanael with that “Come and see.”  Not, “You idiot, you infidel!” but “Come and see.”  Philip doesn’t fight when his judgment is challenged, but gives an invitation to discover, to discern together, and faced with an open hand rather than a closed fist, Nathanael’s mind starts to open rather than close.

Come and see!  Maybe something good can come out of Kingsbridge after all--or out of Yonkers, or Spuyten Duyvil, or even Riverdale, for that matter.  “Come and see,” is not coercion, not argument, but invitation.  “Come and see,” doesn’t put the other person down “Come and see,” says that you don’t have to take my word for it.  “Come and see,” says “I’ll come with you.” because  you may see things that I don’t” –it’s a journey of mutual discovery.

“Come and see” is an excellent model for evangelism in our skeptical, postmodern, pluralistic situation.  It’s not that the evangelist is full of Christ, and then pours some of Christ into the “evangelizee.”  Instead, Christ is present with the two, in the relationship where both can see him, where both can experience his power where both can experience the continual conversion, of being drawn deeper and deeper into the life of faith.  Notice how Jesus does the heavy lifting in this story: Philip doesn’t convince Nathanael to follow Jesus or to say Jesus is Lord and God, Philip just manages to get Nathanael into Jesus’ presence and Jesus takes it from there.  In the same way, our role is to tell the story of how we’ve experienced God in Christ, to bring people to a willingness to listen with an open mind and God is the one who does the actual converting.  The way to a human heart is through a human heart.  We respond to how we are treated, so those who treat us well are the ones we naturally give greatest influence over us people who are friend and helper as well as mentor people those who are vulnerable with their own weaknesses, rather than trying to appear superhuman.

In the words of today’s collect, we asked that as God’s people “we may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory,” and as I teach in confirmation class, collects usually give a reason for what we’re asking for.  The reason is that Christ may be known, worshiped and obeyed.  The very order of those three is a “come and see” order–not that Christ may be obeyed first and then if you’re really good then known and worshiped, but known, worshiped and obeyed.  As Episcopalians and Anglicans we might change that order slightly to put worship first.  Most people come into this community of faith from having decided to attend a service of worship, and when people call me asking about the church, in the course of answering their questions I tell them when services are and invite them to come.

Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Come and see.  People have asked, “Can anything good come out of the church with its checkered history and imperfections that remain?”  Come and see.  People could ask, “Can anything good come out of mainline Christians who seem so marginalized now compared to the influence we once exercised?”  Come and see.  Maybe you’ve been asked, “Are Episcopalians really like the people on the TV show ‘The Book of Daniel’”?  Come and see.  Or are we people united in Christ as we embrace diversity, open to questions, welcoming challenges, and honest about our shortcomings, pursuing with our hearts and minds and resources a vision not just of soul salvation but of whole salvation, not just of the individual but of the wider world God has entrusted us?  Come and see!