Come and See

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Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle John 1:45–51

Today we celebrate Saint Bartholomew, Apostle.

In the Gospel of John, he is called Nathanael. According to ancient tradition, Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person.

Philip finds Nathanael and says:

We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and also the prophets: Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.

Nathanael is not impressed.

Nazareth? Can anything good come from Nazareth?

It is a small sentence, but it reveals something very familiar: prejudice.

We often think we already know where God can work and where he cannot. We think we already know which people are worth listening to and which are not. We think grace must come in a certain form, from a certain place, through a certain kind of person.

But God often comes from Nazareth.

From small places. From ordinary people. From what we easily dismiss.

Philip does not argue with Nathanael. He does not give a long explanation. He simply says:

Come and see.

This is often the best answer to prejudice.

Come closer. Look again. Meet the person. Listen before judging.

Arguments do not always open the heart. Sometimes encounter does.

When Jesus sees Nathanael, he says:

Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.

Nathanael may be skeptical, but he is not false. He has questions, but he is honest. He has doubts, but he is still capable of being surprised by God.

Then Jesus says that he saw Nathanael under the fig tree.

We do not know exactly what happened there. Perhaps it was a place of prayer, study, or quiet longing for God.

But Nathanael knows.

Jesus has seen something hidden. Jesus knows him from within. And suddenly Nathanael confesses:

Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.

Faith begins when we discover that Jesus is not a stranger looking at us from far away.

He already sees us. He already knows us. He already knows the questions, wounds, hopes, and doubts hidden under our own fig tree.

But Jesus promises Nathanael even more:

You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

This recalls Jacob’s dream: a ladder between heaven and earth.

Now Jesus says:

I am that meeting place. I am the bridge. I am the way between God and humanity.

And in the Gospel of John, this way leads to the cross.

On the cross, heaven is opened. God draws near. Humanity is reconciled. The Son of God gives his life for us.

Saint Bartholomew carried this Gospel to others and, according to tradition, gave his life for Christ.

Today Philip’s words are given to us:

Come and see.

Bring to Jesus one prejudice, one doubt, one wound, or one honest question.

And this week, instead of arguing about faith, invite someone gently:

Come and see.

Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew

Year of Matthew

Scripture Attribution

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew

Scripture Attribution

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