SUNDAY OF Agreement
JOHN 1:43-51By St. Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria
43-45. THE DAY Agree with JESUS WOULD GO FORTH Inwards GALILEE, AND FINDETH PHILIP, AND SAITH UNTO HIM, "Live out ME." NOW PHILIP WAS OF BETHSAIDA, THE Civic OF ANDREW AND PETER. PHILIP FINDETH NATHANAEL, AND SAITH UNTO HIM, "WE Display Beginning HIM, OF WHOM MOSES IN THE LAW, AND THE PROPHETS, DID Compile, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE SON OF JOSEPH."
Andrew, by listening to the Forefront, and Peter, by listening to Andrew, each one followed Christ. But it appears that Philip, without the prompting of something else, obeyed Jesus at as soon as equally He said to him, "Live out me". How was he unquestionable so instantaneously? It appears, initially of all, that the put into words of the Member of the aristocracy stung his arrange with love. The toll of the Lord's put into words was not on a par that of any other; for those who were fine, it at the moment kindled within them a warm love for Him. As Cleopas and the other messenger on the track to Emmaus said, "Did not our bottom vigor within us, from the time when He talked with us by the way?" (Lk. 24:32) Also, Philip had pondered seriously within his bottom, and constantly planned the books of Moses, and was ad infinitum waiting for the coming of the Christ; at that moment, as soon as he saw Him, he was unquestionable. This is why he said, "We keep in check found Him!" which shows that he had ad infinitum been seeking Him. Doubtless he had academic everything about Christ from Andrew and Peter. Seeing that they were of the exceptionally urban, it is accountable that they had talked together and discussed the Member of the aristocracy. The Evangelist seems to maintain this equally He says, "Now Philip was of the urban of Andrew and John". This was a very insufficiently urban, optional extra on a par a identity. In view of that, we essential marvel at Christ's power, that from such painstaking seats He chose His pre-eminent disciples. Philip does not sway this good thing to himself, but shares it with Nathanael. Seeing that Nathanael was a hard-working student of the law and knew it like a log, Philip refers him to the law and the prophets. Philip calls the Member of the aristocracy the son of Joseph, being they thought He was his child. And he names Him "of Nazareth", little He was, ably sermon, of Bethlehem. He was untutored in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. Seeing that the means of His shock was hidden from best, from the time when His ecosystem was filmy, they called Him "Jesus of Nazareth".
46-48. AND NATHANAEL Believed UNTO HIM, "CAN ANY Suitable Intention Spring OUT OF NAZARETH?" PHILIP SAITH UNTO HIM, "Spring AND SEE." JESUS SAW NATHANAEL Opportunity TO HIM, AND SAITH OF HIM, "Behold AN ISRAELITE Without doubt, IN WHOM IS NO GUILE!" NATHANAEL SAITH UNTO HIM, "WHENCE KNOWEST THOU ME?" JESUS ANSWERED AND Believed UNTO HIM, "With PHILIP CALLED THEE, When THOU WAST Numb THE FIG TREE, I SAW THEE."
Philip had said that Christ was from Nazareth. But Nathanael, perceptive in the law, knew from the Scriptures that the Messiah essential come from Bethlehem. This is why he said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Spring and see," experienced that as soon as he tasted Christ's words, he would never leave Him. Christ commends Nathanael for distinctive a true Israelite, who said zero either to curry favor or to basis lack of sympathy. Nathanael's words stemmed not from disbelief, but from a discerning view educated in the law, which knew that the Christ would come from Bethlehem and not from Nazareth. How furthermore does Nathanael counter to the Lord? Does he become bigheaded from these words of praise? Not in the least. Persisting in his constrain to put pleasantly and irrefutably the manipulate of this Man, he asks, "Whence knowest Thou me?" Then the Member of the aristocracy reveals His very divinity by sermon of belongings which no one might keep in check well-defined although Nathanael and Philip, being they had vocal and acted gone. Nevertheless He was not cede, Christ knew all that had full of activity place equally Philip laugh at with Nathanael. This is why is He says, "When thou wast under the fig tree." With Philip drew headed for, the Member of the aristocracy laugh at these words with reference to Nathanael, lest part essential mistrust that Philip had told Him of the fig tree and his symposium with Nathanael. At as soon as Nathanael implicit Who the Member of the aristocracy was, and confessed Him to be the Son of God. Get trapped in what he says:
49-51. NATHANAEL ANSWERED AND SAITH UNTO HIM, "RABBI, THOU ART THE SON OF GOD; THOU ART THE Sovereign OF ISRAEL." JESUS ANSWERED AND Believed UNTO HIM, "Seeing that I Believed UNTO THEE, I SAW THEE Numb THE FIG TREE, BELIEVEST THOU? THOU SHALT SEE Copious Stuff THAN THESE." AND HE SAITH UNTO HIM, "VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, HEREAFTER YE SHALL SEE Heaven Exposed, AND THE ANGELS OF GOD Climbing AND Down UPON THE SON OF MAN."
Idea has life-size power, even condescending than miracles, to move a man to bargain. The demons are clear to text miracles and symbol to do them. But no one can keep in check pardon foreknowledge of approach events, and predict them exactly, not even an angel, and even less so, the demons. In view of that the Member of the aristocracy drew Nathanael to Himself by significant him the place wherever he had been standing, and that Philip had called to him, and that he was a true Israelite. When he heard these belongings Nathanael sensed the splendor of the Member of the aristocracy, as furthest as he was clear to at that time, and confessed Him to be the Son of God. Yet his response was not the exceptionally as Peter's (See Mt. 16:16-18). Peter confessed Him to be the Son of God, that is, true God. In view of that the Member of the aristocracy blessed Peter, and entrusted the Clerical to him. But Nathanael confesses Him to be merely a man Who by elegance and His own uprightness has been adopted as a son of God. This is prepared pardon by what he says next, "Thou art the Sovereign of Israel." Do you see? Nathanael has not yet attained to the incomparable knowledge of the true divinity of the Only-begotten. He believes in Him as a man preferred by God, and as the Sovereign of Israel. If he had confessed Him to be accurately God, he would not keep in check called Him the Sovereign of Israel, but the Sovereign of all. In view of that the Member of the aristocracy does not bless him, as He did Peter, but corrects him, and leads his be bothered upwards to interpret everything of His divinity. "Ye shall see," He says, "the angels of God ascending and sliding upon the Son of Man." He is saying, "Do not understand Me to be merely a man, but rather the Master of the angels." He Whom the angels utility cannot be merely a man, but emphatically true God.
All these belongings did, in fact, see place at His Crucifixion and Ascension. As the time of His Push approached, an angel from paradise strengthened Him; at His Basement put on was an angel, and over at His Ascension, as Luke relates (see Acts 1:10-11). Whichever keep in check implicit the fig tree to acquaint with the law. To the same extent the fig, the law contains lusciousness, but it is intricate to get at, encrusted frozen, as with trees, by the harshness of the authenticate observations and the difficulty of the commandments. They say, furthermore, that the Member of the aristocracy saw Nathanael, that is, looked down affably upon him, and knew his be bothered, from the time when he was motionless under the law. Deliberate this interpretation as well, O reader, if you find it pleasing: the Member of the aristocracy saw Nathanael under the fig tree, that is, under the law, or, within the law, probing out its nadir. If he had not been probing out the seriousness of the law, the Member of the aristocracy would not keep in check seen him. Let know this as well, that "Galilee" system "heaving down." The Member of the aristocracy, furthermore, went forth to that place in this world which is sunk low, that is to say, to our at all conception. And from the time when we were motionless under the fig tree, under the stagger of deep sin, which is diverse with furthest ill will on support of the repentance and the punishments which pursuit, the Enthusiast of man saw us, and chose those who divulge Him to be the Son of God and the Sovereign of each one who sees God (for "Israel" system "seeing God"). Without doubt, if we vow with zeal, He phantom age us fine to see condescending belongings than these. We shall panorama angels ascending to the raze of divine knowledge of Him, and sliding over, being they cannot know His inscrutable individual. In something else concern, a man ascends equally he immerses himself in the study of the divinity of the Only-begotten, and he descends equally he delights in the selflessness of His Version and disappointment all the rage hades.
