Gospel in Art: 'Come and see' replied Philip

The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, by Jusepe de Ribera © National Gallery of Art, Washington

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 5 January
John 1:43-51

After Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, 'Follow me.' Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.'

'From Nazareth?' said Nathanael 'Can anything good come from that place?'

'Come and see' replied Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.'

'How do you know me?' said Nathanael.

'Before Philip came to call you,' said Jesus 'I saw you under the fig tree.'

Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.' And then he added 'I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.'

Reflection on the painting

Have you ever found yourself responding negatively to a suggestion of someone and then thinking further about it and having a change of mind and heart? I certainly have. Someone makes a suggestion about an aspect of parish life for example, and initially I respond with maybe little enthusiasm. I can see only the downsides, the problems, the complications, the demands it might make on time, etc....Then, over time, I begin to see the suggestion in a different light. The words that that person spoke still linger in my mind and I mull them over. Then I come around to seeing that maybe there is something very worthwhile here after all.

That is exactly what happened to Nathaniel. Philip came up to him to share his enthusiasm for Jesus of Nazareth, declaring that he and others had finally found the Messiah that the Jewish Scriptures had foretold. Nathanael's initial response was dismissive: 'From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?' We can indeed all be prone to dismissing people on the basis of where they are from or where they were brought up or their social background or even the colour of their skin or whatever. However, thanks to the gentle persistence of Philip, 'Come and see', Nathanael came to see Jesus and did change his mind! In fact he completely changed, as he ends up declaring 'You are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel'. Jesus then responds that he hasn't seen anything yet!

The next time we meet Nathanael in this Gospel of John, he is to be among the group of disciples who went back fishing after the crucifixion of Jesus, the group to whom the risen Lord appeared. Nathanael did indeed see greater things...

When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, where we begin is not so important, because the Lord can always move us on, as long as we are open to being led by him.

Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and Bartholomew were one and the same apostle. Our painting by Ribera is a profoundly moving work portraying the apostle's final moments before he is to be flayed alive. His body seemingly bursts through the surface of the canvas. His outstretched arms embrace a mystical light that illuminates his flesh. His piercing eyes, open mouth, and petitioning left hand convey an intense communion with the divine. He was a man who wasn't afraid to change his mind, even to the point of dying....

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-1-43-51-2024/